Bosch introduced its latest Industry 4.0 solutions for visualizing and analyzing machine data. The Starter Edition of the Pharma Manufacturing Execution System (MES) can be used on several machines and systems to monitor machine status and process parameters. Also, downstream Data Services allow you to troubleshoot error causes more quickly, and to ensure more consistent product quality, according to the company.             
           

“Bosch’s Industry 4.0 solutions are tailored to the special requirements of the pharmaceutical industry and deliver full transparency for all process and machine data,” said Dr. Christian Hanisch, project manager Industry 4.0 for pharma at Bosch Packaging Technology. “The ability to record and evaluate essential machine and process data helps our customers maintain high machine availability and performance – and to make real-time decisions based on hard facts.” Bosch also shows how augmented reality specifically supports machine operators during commissioning or maintenance.         
           
The Pharma MES Starter Edition with browser-based user interface consists of three main components: plant operators receive essential data on their overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), for condition monitoring of plant status or processes, and on important events like alarms or downtimes, simply and in real time. Using a structured and intuitive dashboard view on the respective machines, the system displays information on essential machine and production data, such as number of filled containers or OEE. The data is made available on the customer’s network via a web service and can be viewed on mobile devices or desktop PCs.

The Pharma MES Starter Edition records information from various production units and stores it centrally. The data gathered by the software can be subsequently analyzed to lay the groundwork for process optimizations, for instance to enhance plant availability or performance. It also provides operators access to historical data, allowing them to compare past and present data sets.