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11/08/2016

Integrated turnkey IT system with new functions: KHS expands Innoline MES

KHS GmbH has further developed its modular Innoline MES system of production management.

• Track-and-trace module for material movements
• Graphic display of key figures in real time
• Web-based material requirements with logistics interface

Dortmund, November 8, 2016 – KHS GmbH has further developed its modular Innoline MES system of production management. Using standard software which has been specially adapted for the beverage industry users are given a customized overview of the entire beverage filling processes. New features include a track-and-trace module for detailed material tracking and recording of material consumption and extended functions for line monitoring and order management. With its integrated turnkey IT system KHS is moving one step further towards the digitized smart factory in the sense of Industry 4.0. "In further developing Innoline MES we've been chiefly guided by the requirements of the brewing industry. As the number of items to be filled grows, it's becoming increasingly important for breweries to permanently transmit the current production situation to their SAP ERP system," says Wolfgang Heßelmann, the product expert responsible for Innoline MES at KHS. Innoline MES controls and records the production processes in real time, permitting material availability to be precisely planned and materials to be ordered in good time in the ERP system. The bigger the product portfolio, the more important this aspect becomes, as product changeovers due to material shortages during production mean time lost through conversion of the equipment. With the help of the fully revised standard interface to the ERP system Innoline MES is particularly flexible and can also be integrated into existing plant technology. The interface downloads production orders from the user's ERP system and reports back on production orders, scheduling changes and material consumption.

Detailed order status

The Order Material Track and Trace Module is new and includes functions for the movement, recording and tracking of raw materials, supplies and operating materials. Mobile scanners are among the devices used here to record all materials which enter and leave the line. "With this line operators can track at all times which material has gone into production under which lot and batch number," explains Heßelmann. The module also has an interface to the customer's logistics software which can be used to request and log materials based on the bill of materials for the current order. Drivers of material handling vehicles can scan a consignment of new glass bottles, for example, in order to check immediately whether this is the right material for the relevant order. In addition, the further developed KHS Innoline MES has an improved Line Monitoring Module which can also show key figures according to the OPI (Operational Performance Indicator). Order data and key figures can be displayed on screens along the line, allowing employees to rapidly trace the progress of the order and check which work steps must be initiated next. Operators are also able to classify disruptions on the filler both automatically and manually. The Order Execution Module has also be extended. Besides order management and the management of bills of materials it also allocates production data to items and orders. It is also now possible to request materials manually through a website which is directly transferred to screens at infeed and discharge points. This shows which material is needed for the current or next order. The website is realized in the data collector controller for the relevant line and passes on the necessary signals to the control units involved.

About the KHS Group

The KHS Group is one of the leading manufacturers of filling and packaging systems for the beverage, food and non-food industries. The KHS Group includes the following companies, among others: KHS GmbH, KHS Corpoplast GmbH, KHS Plasmax GmbH and NMP Systems GmbH. KHS GmbH manufactures modern filling and packaging systems at its headquarters in Dortmund, Germany, and in Kleve, Bad Kreuznach and Worms. The KHS Group's PET expertise is pooled at KHS Corpoplast and KHS Plasmax in Hamburg, Germany, where light PET packaging and innovative coating systems are developed and produced. NMP Systems GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of KHS GmbH based in Düsseldorf in Germany, designs and markets new, resource-saving packaging systems for PET bottles. The Group has an international production and service network. In 2015 KHS was awarded the Top 100 seal of approval for exceptional innovative power and outstanding innovative success among German SMEs. In 2015 the KHS Group and its 4,871 employees achieved a turnover of around €1.17 billion within the Salzgitter consolidation. The companies in the KHS Group are 100% subsidiaries of the MDAX-listed Salzgitter AG corporation.