They work 24 hours a day, seven days a week - and have been doing so since 2001. We are talking about the Noax industrial PCs at the Mondi plant in Gronau. Those responsible there purchased the first computers in 2001. Mondi recognized very early on that production processes are more economical and efficient if the appropriate hardware is used to record information. And even back then, the company was already using industrial computers to collect detailed data from production, simplify quality control, ensure traceability and reduce set-up times. A globally active company with around 25,000 employees like the Mondi Group needs modern and robust technology in order not to lose touch. The Mondi Group manufactures paper, hygiene products and packaging materials. The company is represented at fourteen locations in Germany. The branch in Gronau, North Rhine-Westphalia, produces films, packaging materials and components for hygiene articles.

Traceability is essential

Particularly for hygiene products, such as diapers or sanitary towels, meticulous documentation of the production process is of great importance for complete traceability, even if Mondi's products are used as components in products from other manufacturers. To ensure this traceability, the company relies on the industrial PCs. But the robust computers do even more: above all, they are the central element for recording operating and machine data.

Whether via keyboard, touchscreen or barcode scanner - the industrial PCs offer a wide range of operating options.

© noax

When those responsible decided to use Noax industrial PCs in 2001, the stability of the industrial computers was their main argument. Since they were to record, process and store important information, the argument of reliability was paramount, especially for traceability: this is the only way to provide complete proof that all specifications have been observed 24/7.

In addition, the permanent recording of machine and operating data provides a detailed insight into all production processes. This makes it possible, for example, to determine where there is still potential for rationalization.

The recording terminals are located in the immediate vicinity of the production machines. They are available to the production staff there for the manual recording of operating data. However, they can also receive, process and visualize signals directly from the machines. The recording of operating and machine data is part of a Manufacturing Execution System (MES). It can be used to monitor production and detect faults more quickly so that production interruptions are kept to a minimum. In addition to the industrial PCs, the company uses an industry solution specifically for the production of films, paper, nonwovens and high-tech textiles for these tasks.

100 computers, one software

Over 100 industrial PCs from Noax are in use at the Mondi plant. The special feature here is that the same software with the same memory image runs on all devices. The system administrator explains this measure as follows: "We are simply too big to be able to afford a mix of different solutions. Having the same configuration and the same image on the industrial PCs makes our work much easier." The industrial computers provide the employees with considerable support in all processes.

For example, during data acquisition in film production: the film is first sucked out of an extruder with a diameter of around 1.3 meters as a tube about five meters upwards with a draft of air. As soon as it has cooled at the top of the extruder, it is cut into two strips and wound onto rolls. Each roll is registered using a Noax BDE terminal and weighed using a floor scale. The employees use the industrial PC to record the weight, save data and generate machine-readable labels with details of the respective product. Without the industrial computers, these processes would have to be carried out manually, which would require considerable effort. Accounting for rolls is just one of many production steps.

Lint, dust and solvents

Industrial PCs are exposed to numerous stresses during production: These include the flying of small parts as well as the fine mist emanating from printing inks or solvents produced during the manufacture of plastic films. In component production for hygiene products, the hardware has to cope with the extremely fine dust from the cellulose used, which settles everywhere.

Here, as in the other production areas, the completely enclosed design of the Noax systems in accordance with protection standard IP65 has proven its worth, as the system administrator reports: "Initially, we had ordinary office computers in production. However, it wasn't long before they gave up the ghost. We opened them up and discovered that the fans were full of fluff and dust. In contrast, everything in the new computers is clean."

In addition to the fine dust, the vibration of the production machines is transferred to the computers, especially as some of them are mounted directly on the machines with stainless steel arms. However, the industrial PCs have also been able to withstand the constant stress caused by vibrations for years. "This is where the running safety and reliability of the Noax industrial PCs pays off," reports the system administrator. That's why we opted for this manufacturer again when we carried out a hardware generation change in 2015."

With the replacement of the computers, those responsible at the Mondi plant replaced some of the terminals with industrial PCs with a touchscreen size of 21.5 inches and full HD capability.

New 21.5-inch models

While the old devices had a screen diagonal of 12 or 15 inches, the new touchscreens offer more ergonomics and better readability of the data, as the system administrator emphasizes: "Because more information fits on a full HD touchscreen. We can capture more inspection points. What's more, the graphic is always legible with all the details." The new touchscreens offer employees better operation and easier working.

Author: Michael Naumann is a freelance technical journalist from Munich.

The project requirements

Mondi had the following requirements and applications in mind for the computers:

■ Machine data acquisition (MDA)
■ Production data acquisition by employees (PDA)
■ Ensuring traceability
■ Documentation of the individual processing steps
■ Increasing productivity
■ Reduction of set-up and non-productive times
■ Increasing the machine running times
■ Utilization of rationalization potentials

The objectives resulted in the following requirements for the industrial PCs:

■ Use in the entire production chain for packaging materials and hygiene articles
■ Completely enclosed design in accordance with protection class IP65
■ Bright, easy-to-read display with touchscreen
■ Resistant to continuous vibration
■ Use of peripherals such as scanners or label printers
■ Protection against cellulose dust, moisture and solvent mist
■ Reliable operation and stability