Innovative use of "golden batch" optimization in discrete manufacturing at Weber Metals

Guests: David Mitchell, Automation Engineer, Weber Metals. Sean Upson, Systems Engineer, AVEVA. Industry: Discrete Manufacturing. Business Impact: Centralized data infrastructure. David Mitchell is an automation engineer at Weber Metals, a major supplier of aluminum and titanium forgings to the aerospace industry. Among the thousands of things Weber manages with sensor-based data is a 60,000 ton forging press that is the world’s largest private investment in aerospace metal forging. When Weber installed the PI System it was to consolidate various silos of sensor-based data into a single source to improve situational awareness. Over time Mitchell found more valuable uses for the data. For example by comparing each forging to other forgings in a production campaign operators now have a "golden batch" profile that helps them improve the quality of each forging. Integration with their MES (manufacturing execution system) further improves their ability to meet production targets by having all pertinent information in a common data infrastructure. Improved visualization tools allow Weber to identify more easily anomalies and thus detect and troubleshoot more effectively quality, compliance, and maintenance issues.