“If packaging machines could talk, PackML
would be their language”
Packaging industry requires fast, accurate
and reliable equipment to easily integrate into the operations and address the
need of its growing demand. Many manufacturers manufacture equipment and
controllers with proprietary software to control their own equipment for
packaging industry. Controllers are designed to communicate with equipment from
the same manufacturer due to economy, patent or other considerations. In these situations,
replacing equipment from one manufacturer with another one becomes very
difficult. For the last several years, OMAC (Organization for Machine Automation and Control) Users
Group has been working to define a common approach, or machine language, for
packing machines called PackML.
PackML,
which stands for Packaging
Machine Language, defines a common approach, or machine language, for
automated machines. [1]. The primary goals are to encourage a common "look
and feel" across a plant floor and to enable and encourage industry
innovation. PackML was adopted as part of the ISA88 industry standard in 2008.
PackML has been implemented by users and OEMs (machine builders) on a wide
variety of control platforms. [2]. Those OEM’s implementing PackML realize
reduced engineering and training, higher reliability, better supply chain
integration and after-sales support, machine innovation and shorter project
cycles and intellectual property protection. The purpose of this blog
post is to review the benefits of the PackML standard as it applies to
OEMs.
System Configuration for a Packaging Machine
Reduced
development time
For example, that two end users
are both buying a labelers from the same OEM company. One end users specifies
the use of the Technology Provider A, and the other must use Technology
Provider B, so the OEM has to develop the same machine with two different
platforms just to service multiple customers that have standardized on
different technologies. They also need technicians who understand both platforms.
This is not only expensive and difficult, it bogs down their capacity to
innovate, because they're spending their time keeping the technology platforms
and technicians at the same level instead of enhancing performance.
Other reasons for improved
development times:
Using modular, re-usable (HMI or
PLC) code for each mode and state resulting in reduced development time.
Utilizing pre-developed PackML template code from automation
supplier thus eliminates the need to develop machine programs from scratch.
Consistent end user specifications results in developing
standard machines that can be used by many end users without extensive
customization.
Higher
reliability
More robust programming because
of the uniform libraries for easier acceptance and faster proliferation and
shorten debug time.
Easier
after-sales support because of the consistent and reused
code and less required-training.
Example:
A machine builder does not need
to send out a technician who ends up sitting there wasting time because he
knows there was something different about this machine but can not remember
exactly what. With standards like PackML, service calls become much
easier.
Machine
feature innovation and shorter project cycles
Without devoting extensive
engineering resources in repetitive machine development activities, the OEMs
can engage greater focus on machine feature innovations as opposed to wasting
time on repetitive tasks.
Protection
of intellectual property
And last but not the least, one
of the biggest benefits of PackML standard for OEMs according to
OMAC's chairman, Brian Griffenis in the retention of intellectual property.
When the end user buys a line that integrates equipment from multiple OEMs, the
system integrator has to understand and make changes PLC code of each machine
to make them communicate. The machine builder/OEM is forced to give away
intellectual property to a system integrator, which of course nobody likes to
do. With PackML it can be a black box. The details are encapsulated in the
PackTags. The system integrator knows what the PackMl state model is, so he
does not need to know the inner workings; it basically becomes practically
plug-and-play. It's a huge improvement for a machine builder to keep that
intellectual property locked up. [3]
As noted above, OMAC PackML
offers great benefits to OEMs. I would like to know about the
additional benefits in your facility; Feel free to use the comments section
below.
More
information
References
[1] Masoud Fathizadeh, Jerry
Yen, Mark Werthman: “Integration of PackML in Engineering Education” 2013
[2] D. Arens, T. Hopfgartner,
T. Jensen, M. Lamping M. Pieper, and D. Seger “Packaging Machine Language V3.0
Mode & States Definition Document”, 2006
[3] Brian Griffen, OMAC
Chairman” Do you speak PackML? “omac.com Retrieved August 29, 2015
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