Guided Changeover Solution improves OEE with step-by-step instructions

Balluff’s Guided Changeover Solution provides easy-to-use operator guidance to speed up format changes, improve quality control, and significantly reduce machine downtime. Manual adjustments can be imprecise, causing delays and waste. By adding sensor measurements that give immediate feedback on the format change process, the Guided Changeover Solution greatly improves the speed and accuracy of product changeovers.

In just three easy steps, facilities can implement Guided Changeover Solution to optimize machine changeovers and increase overall equipment effectiveness (OEE):

• Identify adjustment points

• Select and install sensors and devices

• Create step-by-step instructions

Once installed and programmed, this new software solution delivers step-by-step instructions to the user via a video screen, for example, to adjust the length, width, and height settings of guide rails. Only when the sensors confirm that the user has correctly completed the current step does it display the next step on the screen. This creates a semi-automatic format change process that removes the guesswork for users—especially useful for facilities with new or inexperienced employees.

RFID technology from Balluff can also be used to detect that the required change parts are used, ensuring that the correct pieces are in place.

The system is completely independent of any company network or machine control system, which means it can quickly be installed without a lengthy retrofit. Three purchase options are available: as a standalone software license, as software installed on an edge gateway, or as a starter kit that includes the edge gateway, an IO-Link master, up to 8 IO-Link sensors and LED smartlights, a power supply, and the necessary cables. 

The Guided Changeover Solution can be used in a range of industries but is particularly suited for food, beverage, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and packaging industries, especially if the need for small batch sizes requires frequent machine adjustments or the production lines have multiple changeover points.

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