The business requirement
BOBST needed an operator application that turned PLC production data into a clear view of defects in aluminium-coated packaging material.
Development and integration
The C#/.NET desktop software processed incoming data for a large operator display and stored results in SQL Server. PDF batch quality reports, multilingual operation and machine configuration connected production monitoring to usable quality records.
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Original project detail
Embedded Software Development Combined with a Desktop App
BOBST manufacture enormous machines for creating aluminium covered cellophane for use in food packaging (crisps), these machines can create 10’s of Km of packaging in a few hours of production with the drums churning through a few 100 Meters of material per minute.
Impact were asked to write a real time production monitoring system interfacing to the machines using PLCs, the role was to record and generate real time operator displays and off line reporting for defects or pin holes in the aluminium covering. With millions of data packets being captured and analysed over each batch this required highly optimised and efficient code to keep up with the data rate.
A c#.net application was written to provide a heads up display on a 48inch monitor and a MSSQL database used to store the data, extensive reporting in pdf format was also developed to provide quality reports for production batches. With support for multiple languages and configurable for a variety of machine options it is used daily across facilities around the globe.
BOBST operate in more than 50 countries, with 14 production facilities in 8 countries, and employs more than 5,000 people around the world.
