METHOD FOR DETERMINING A PERFORMANCE INDICATOR FOR A PROCESSING SYSTEM

• US 20150127121A1
• Filed: 04/22/2013
• Published: 05/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance SA (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Original Assignee: Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance SA (Tetra Laval Holdings BV)
• Inventors: Luedtke, Pontus
• Application Number:
  US14/396,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20150127121A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/19
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations

Abstract

A method for determining a performance indicator for a processing system is disclosed. The processing system is divided into a number of processing lines comprising a first sub-level, said processing lines being divided into a plurality of machine units comprising a second sub-level. The method comprises receiving a request for a performance indicator, determining a performance indicator level by determining if said performance indicator is associated with said processing system, one of said processing lines in said first sub-level, or one of said machine units in said second sub-level, determining a time period related to said performance indicator level, receiving a time period value related to said time period, determining a measurement device output related to said performance indicator, receiving at least one measurement device output value related to said measurement device output, and determining said performance indicator based on said measurement device output value and said time period value.

Claims

1. A method for determining a performance indicator for a processing system, said processing system being divided into a number of processing lines comprising a first sub-level, said processing lines being divided into a plurality of machine units comprising a second sub-level, said method comprising:

receiving a request for a performance indicator,

determining a performance indicator level by determining if said performance indicator is associated with said processing system, one of said processing lines in said first sub-level, or one of said machine units in said second sub-level,

determining a time period related to said performance indicator level,

receiving a time period value related to said time period,

determining a measurement device output related to said performance indicator,

receiving at least one measurement device output value related to said measurement device output, and

determining said performance indicator based on said measurement device output value and said time period value.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said processing system is related to three time periods, the three time periods being:

a total time, the total time being all hours within a certain time period,

an available time, the available time being all hours within a certain time period except idle time, and

an available production time, the available production time being available time except planned shutdown.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of said processing lines is related to four time periods, the four time periods being:

a total time, the total time being all hours within a certain time period,

an available time, the available time being all hours within a certain time period except idle time,

an available production time, the available production time being available time except planned shutdown, and

an operating time, the operating time being available production time except for line specific stops.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of said machine units is related to five time periods, these five time periods being:

a total time, the total time being all hours within a certain time period,

an available time, the available time being all hours within a certain time period except idle time,

an available production time, the available production time being available time except planned shutdown,

an operating time, the operating time being available production time except for line specific stops, and

a production time, the production time being operating time except machine unit specific stops.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining said performance indicator is performed by an external device.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising forwarding said performance indicator to an external device.

7. A method for detecting an inefficiency in a processing system, said method comprising:

determining a processing system performance indicator for said processing system according to claim 1,

if said processing system performance indicator differs from a processing system reference value, determining a processing line performance indicator for at least one of said processing lines in the processing system according to claim 1,

if said processing line performance indicator differs from a processing line reference value, determining a machine unit performance indicator for at least one of said machine units in said processing line, and

if said machine unit performance indicator differs from a machine unit reference value, identifying a machine unit related to said machine unit performance indicator.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising sending a notification that an inefficiency has been detected for said machine unit.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising identifying that a processing line related to said processing line indicator differs from a processing line reference value.

10. A method for adjusting a processing system, said method comprising:

detecting an inefficiency in said processing system according to claim 9, and

changing at least one setting for said machine unit being identified to be related to said machine unit performance indicator that differs from said machine unit reference value.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

after said step of changing, determining an updated machine unit performance indicator according to claim 1,

determining if said updated machine unit performance indicator differs from said machine unit performance indicator, and

if said updated machine unit performance indicator differs from said machine unit performance indicator, changing again at least one setting for said machine unit.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

transferring at least said machine unit performance indicator to a reference database, and

receiving information on which setting that should be changed and to what said setting should be changed.

13. A computer program comprising computer program code adapted to perform the method according to claim 1 when said computer program is run on a computer.

14. The computer program according to claim 13 embodied on a computer readable medium.

15. A control device configured to determine a performance indicator for a processing system, said processing system being divided into a number of processing lines comprising a first sub-level, said processing lines being divided into a plurality of machine units comprising a second sub-level, said control device comprising:

a request receiver configured to receive a request for a performance indicator,

a processor configured to determine a performance indicator level by determining if said performance indicator is associated with said processing system, one of said processing lines in said first sub-level, or one of said machine units in said second sub-level, and to determine a time period related to said performance indicator level,

a time period value receiver configured to receive a time period value related to said time period,

said processor being further configured to determine a measurement device output related to said performance indicator,

a measurement device output value receiver configured to receive at least one measurement device output value related to said measurement device output, and

said processor being further configured to determine said performance indicator based on said measurement device output value and said time period value.