As Industry 4.0 manufacturing increasingly demands deeper data insights into operations, MiVue®, New Berlin, Wisconsin, a division of the ACS Group, is expanding its plant monitoring capabilities across a broad range of ACS brands for the plastics industry.
MiVue digital manufacturing connection kits provide plastics plant managers with more insight into their equipment by providing a wealth of robust production data, including material usage. Data-driven understanding of their processes improves plastic processors’ uptime, reduces costs and improves service and maintenance operations.
“For the past year, MiVue has been beta tested with AEC gravimetric blenders and desiccant bed dryers, receiving excellent feedback from customers,” said Mark Johansen, vice president of marketing and product management at ACS Group. “Based on that success, we’re expanding its capabilities.” MiVue now will be available on VacTrac® Plus DiO conveying controllers, Accumeter Loss-in-Weight blenders, GH Gravimetric Feeders and GH Hopper Inventory Monitors and T50 Central Granulators.
MiVue’s cellular router connects injection molding and extrusion machines with auxiliary equipment through secure and encrypted data transmission. Featuring powerful analytics and cloud-based data storage, MiVue software can be used on any web-enabled device. Users receive text and email alerts to keep processes running smoothly.
Plastics processors who incorporate MiVue into their operations will reap numerous Industry 4.0 benefits including:
- Improved uptime via alerts that allow equipment operators to react quickly to problems, analyze downtime types and reasons, and perform predictive maintenance by using data and analytic tools before problems arise.
- Reduced operational costs through expanded process insights that improve quality control, reduce scrap and control material usage by allowing users to set up material lists and generate material usage reports.
MiVue now will offer monitoring of additional key performance metrics across ACS Group brands including:
- Accumeter Continuous Loss-in Weight Blender: Blend recipe, blend component weights (target and actual), material used, system states.
- GH Gravimetric Feeder and GH Extrusion Control Hoppers: Recipe, throughput, operation mode.
- T50 Central Granulator: Granulator motor current, capacity utilization, bearing temperatures, motor run hours and motor states.
- VacTrac Plus Controller: Pump run hours, oil change alarm, pump starter fault alarm.
MiVue connection kits can be installed with new equipment, retrofitted with older equipment and incorporated into custom system integration projects.
For more information, visit www.mivue.com.