Increasing Throughput in Plastics Manufacturing
AI-Powered Closed-Loop Control
Introduction: A Global Plastics Manufacture
A leading global producer of customized Masterbatches and Compounds for the plastic industry, comprised of six industrial companies around the world, employing more than 470 employees and a sales turnover of roughly $250 million.
In order to increase efficiency of their production lines, the manufacturer teamed up with Vanti. While they had already started their digital transformation journey, they were looking for additional ways to utilize production data to improve OEE.
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Challenge:
Increase throughput to address fluctuating demand -
Solution:
AI-Powered Continuous Process Control -
Impact:
Throughput increased by 5% Within two weeeks.
Business Challenge: Reduce Production Lines without Reducing Throughput
The manufacturer struggled to meet growing demand fluctuations and was looking to increase throughput by significantly increasing the efficiency of their production process.
Vanti was tasked with a straightforward challenge: to increase production throughput by 5-10% so that the factory could potentially pause two of their 12 production lines without affecting overall throughput, quality, and availability. If successful, the manufacturer awbolue ltdo b me aintain the same level of production while having the option to bring the additional two lines online when demand increases.
Customer Feedback:
“Improving production throughput is a top priority for our company. By partnering with Vanti and utilizing data from our facility, we are able to identify areas for improvement and implement strategies that increase efficiency and drive results. We are committed to continuous improvement and are excited to see the positive impact on our business.”
Senior Plant Executive
Solution: Continuous Process Control
The manufacturer’s operations team, supported by Vanti experts, deployed an AI-powered Continuous Process Control solution.
The operations team trained a process optimization model utilizing sensor data from both sources on the line (e.g., heating and cooling setpoints) and off the line (e.g., ambient floor temperature) that impact line effectiveness.
Previously, process operators would manually adjust multiple setpoints based on various factors, including conditions, sensors, and their own expertise.
After training the model and integrating it into production, the manual process was replaced with a system that automatically adjusts setpoints in a continuous manner to optimize throughput and quality in a closed-loop fashion. This allowed the manufacturer to streamline their operations and increase efficiency.
Results: Vanti’s Impact
Overall, it took just two weeks from the start of the project to deploy the solution and start seeing results.
The manufacturer experienced a significant increase in throughput and efficiency almost immediately.
Business Impact: Bottom Line
The implemented solution resulted in efficiencies contributing to more than a $5,000 daily increase in revenue.
Upon deployment, Vanti’s AI-powered platform generated millions of dollars in additional
revenue for the manufacturer. The company now has the option to bring additional production lines online whenever demand exceeds their current capabilities.
