Digital Product Birth Certificate: Real-Time Production Data

 

Knowing the past provides a clearer view of the future, and this holds true in every aspect of manufacturing. In today’s world, where speed and accuracy are key factors for success, it is essential to have an overview of everything happening in the production process. With the necessary information, you can plan better, calculate more precisely, achieve your goals more easily, and most importantly, anticipate potential errors before they become problems. Thorough monitoring and management of the production process from start to finish ensure the efficiency necessary to gain a competitive advantage in the market.

Imagine a scenario where you have all the important information about a product, from the components used to the time spent on various operations, available in real-time (Real-Time Location System – RTLS). You even know the names and identifications of the operators who worked on the product. This level of detail is no longer just a visionary idea of the future but a reality brought by the digital product birth certificate available in the Digital Twin of the enterprise. This system gathers all the essential data in one place, allowing you to know exactly how the entire production process unfolded.

The birth certificate can answer key questions that are crucial for managers and supervisors:

• What is happening right now?
• Why is it happening?
• What are the possible consequences of these events?
• How can we correct these problems or deviations?
• What has happened with the product?

The digital product birth certificate is like an open book, providing a complete history of each individual product with a single click. From its inception through all stages of production to its final delivery to the customer. This tool is not just about tracking production processes but also about optimizing and simplifying them. As a result, the processes become:

• Faster because all information is instantly available,
• Simpler because the system eliminates manual interventions,
• Clearer because all data is visualized and easily interpretable.

Another key feature of the digital twin is ensuring the correct sequence of the production process. You can pre-set the sequence of zones through which the product must pass and establish cycle times for each stage of production. The system will notify you in real-time if these times are exceeded, allowing for an immediate response to any problems arising in production. If the correct zone sequence is not followed, the system will inform you of the procedure breach and evaluate the product as non-compliant (scrap). Additionally, you can retrospectively analyze and evaluate errors on the line, whether they are process, material, or human failures. This tool provides better control over production and contributes to increasing its efficiency. Proper sequence adherence then automatically counts the product as a manufactured piece.

Another important aspect of the digital birth certificate is its ability to handle customer complaints. For instance, if customers report issues with a batch of used materials, the birth certificate allows you to easily find out who worked on the components in question, as well as what materials were used. Each component carries its information, indicating when and by whom it was processed. This means that you can quickly identify the cause of the problem and resolve it efficiently.

The digital birth certificate is also connected to various testing machines that store and display results directly at the monitored product. These tests are invaluable for predicting defects in production, allowing you to respond quickly to potential problems and avoid customer complaints. This improves not only the product quality but also customer satisfaction.

Production Efficiency

One of the key indicators provided by the Digital Twin is the overall efficiency of the production process. This indicator is displayed using OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) charts, which track the following parameters:

 

• Quality – Measures how many tests on the given production line were performed correctly compared to those that failed. This indicator provides an overview of the production quality.
• Efficiency – This parameter compares the actual working time with the planned time of operators. This gives you a clear picture of how efficiently employees are using their working time.
• Productivity – Tracks the ratio of produced pieces to planned pieces. This parameter allows you to monitor whether production is proceeding according to plan or needs to be accelerated.

 All these parameters can be tracked at various levels, whether it’s individual serial numbers (SN), part numbers (PN), or work orders (WO). It is even possible to break down the data by lines, departments, or production halls, enabling detailed analysis and optimization of production at different levels.

The digital product birth certificate represents a revolution in production management. Thanks to it, you can not only monitor but also significantly improve the efficiency, quality, and productivity of production. Additionally, the system provides valuable information that allows you to respond quickly to any deviations from the norm, thereby preventing problems that could jeopardize customer satisfaction.

The overall result is a transparent and efficient production process that provides an advantage in a competitive environment and enables the long-term success of the company.

 

1) Zone – a virtually defined monitored area created in the Twiserion Digital Manager program.

Article author: Adam Hladký