According to the manufacturer, the new solution brings transparency to production processes in which data is still recorded manually and enables the targeted optimization of productivity, efficiency, production quality and safety with a high level of convenience. Grass also points out that Linealytic is easy to use and simple to implement - even older machines can be integrated with minimal effort. In addition, manufacturing companies can flexibly expand Linealytic at a later date and develop it into a complete MES.

Switch to automatic data capture

"Despite the discussion about the so-called fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0, machine and process data is still recorded manually in many companies. Most of these companies are aware of the need for automatic data collection. However, they shy away from the high investment and time required to switch to automatic recording of machine and process data. We have developed Linealytic for these companies. The very lean, easy-to-use and easy-to-implement solution enables a cost-effective introduction to automatic data acquisition within just a few days," says Joachim Schütz, Managing Director and Head of Sales at Grass, outlining the main reasons behind his company's new development.

By providing machine operators with order-related live data from their systems in the form of meaningful, easy-to-understand and clear graphical displays, Linealytic enables them to intervene quickly and specifically in ongoing production in the event of deviations from the target specifications. The system assigns the recorded data directly to the individual orders or production intervals and aggregates them according to the machine operator's specifications. This enables them to avoid or minimize rejects, continuously maintain production quality at the desired level and generally utilize their production facilities more efficiently.

Linealytic also reliably detects production errors. They can later be specifically cut out of rolls or removed from the process in other ways. The (ad hoc) reports quickly generated by the system are used to document production.

Process improvement through data analysis

The recorded data can be transferred to higher-level systems and analyzed there. These evaluations form the basis for long-term process improvements such as streamlining production processes, reducing machine downtimes, optimizing material and energy efficiency or eliminating specific sources of error. Wherever sensors, probes or measuring devices can be integrated into production processes, Linealytic enables data to be recorded automatically and contextually.

Thanks to the Grass tool sets, the system is equally open and flexible when integrating production systems - even older systems with a lower level of automation. For example, the IoT Connect integration tool enables data exchange with OPC servers from all manufacturers. "With IoT Connect, our customers' electricians should be able to successively integrate further machines into Linealytic and thus into a homogeneous data acquisition system themselves after a short briefing," says Schütz, emphasizing an economic advantage of the new solution. In addition, Linealytic is largely maintenance-free from the moment it is implemented. This means that there are no additional costs for customers. "We are of course happy to assist our customers with special requirements or a later expansion to a complete MES," explains Schütz.

Linealytic was primarily developed for roll manufacturers and converters in the film, paper and non-woven industries, among others. However, it can also easily be used in other industries for the order-related automatic recording of machine and process data. as