Kaneka selects Siemens’ MOM solution to support production growth
30 July 2018
Kaneka Belgium, a subsidiary of the Japanese technology-driven chemical company Kaneka Corporation, has selected Siemens’ MOM platform, SIMATIC IT Unified Architecture for Process Industries (SIMATIC IT UA PI), as its new manufacturing execution system (MES).
By implementing a digitalisation strategy with Siemens’ MES solution across three plants on the Belgian production site, along with adding an additional production line, Kaneka hopes to increase production capacity while also reducing scrap and avoiding errors. To help the products meet the highest quality standards, SIMATIC IT R&D Suite will also be implemented for lab and at-line testing and fully integrated with the MES.
“To expand our business, we needed to increase existing production capacity, and the MES solution from Siemens will help us do so,” said Jean Vandael, Kaneka Plant general manager. “At Kaneka Belgium, we are excited to start with the implementation of a digital strategy to truly integrate our manufacturing operations, and look forward to the increased value we hope to be able to deliver to our customers.”
Kaneka Corporation is an innovative solution provider, with business activities spanning a broad spectrum of markets, from chemicals, plastics, food products, life science, and synthetic fibres to electrical and electronic materials. Kaneka Belgium in Westerlo is active in the field of functional and foamed plastics, with three operational production sites for polymeric impact modifiers, liquid polymers and expanded polyolefins. Through the realisation of a strategic MES solution, Kaneka expects to see improvements in their overall production process, including the reduction of yield loss, improvement of their pelletising operation, and optimised and shorter batch cycle times. Kaneka is looking to increase their production capacity while avoiding the use of additional resources, and reducing costs through savings in energy consumption and maintenance.
Using SIMATIC IT UA PI offers Kaneka an integrated and open MES platform for the digitalisation of the business. The native flexibility of the manufacturing system offers the possibility to easily adapt and model the business process to new requirements and business drivers. Part of the SIMATIC IT Unified Architecture portfolio, this innovative Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) solution enables the complete digitalisation of manufacturing operations. Providing a new approach to integrated manufacturing operations based on shared services, a common data model and composed applications, it provides the ability to evolve from disconnected applications towards an integrated collaborative application landscape in a scalable way to realise innovation.
“As they look to grow the business, Kaneka can benefit from our SIMATIC IT UA PI solution, which focuses on enhancing productivity and flexibility through both innovative technology and industry-driven features,” said Rene Wolf, senior vice president of Manufacturing Operations Management Software for Siemens PLM Software. “Using this system can help Kaneka evolve their business towards digitalisation with an integrated collaborative application landscape in a scalable way.”
For further information on SIMATIC IT UA PI, please see https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/global/en/products/manufacturing-operations-center/simatic-it-unified-architecture-process-industries.html.
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