Over the last few years, we have enhanced our MES system with new functionalities designed to respond to the most common challenges of the chemical and cosmetics companies with which we collaborate. In this article we highlight some of the best examples.
The chemical and cosmetics industry is known for carrying out production processes in a changing, complex and highly demanding regulatory environment.
However, companies in this sector must not only respond to high levels of safety, quality and transparency, but also to the needs and preferences of consumers.
In fact, it is an industry in which thrive those companies with sufficient capacity to anticipate demand patterns and launch innovative and attractive products with a very short time to market.
Competitive pricing is another major positioning factor. To this end, manufacturers in the chemical and cosmetics industries share the same challenge: to optimize resources and simplify processes in order to counteract the rising cost of raw materials and energy.
Digitization to minimize costs and risks in the chemical and cosmetics industry
The introduction of new technologies in the factory has enabled companies in the chemical and cosmetics sector to control their production in real time, reduce costs and, above all, minimize risks in the supply chain, from the receipt of raw materials to the shipment of final products.
Below, we focus on the benefits of one tool in particular: Mapex’s MES system. Read on if you want to discover some of the functionalities with which we respond to the requirements of these manufacturers.
6 features of the Mapex MES system for companies in the chemical and cosmetics industry
1. Mixing process guide
The Mixing Process package is designed for companies that perform manufacturing processes that include the manual execution of a formula. Thanks to this new functionality, recipes are no longer spread out on paper documents or Excel files, but are displayed on screen.
Our goal here is to help companies ensure that operators execute the steps of the formula accurately, in the expected order and respecting the limits established for the components to be added and the rest of the process parameters; that the final product is of the quality expected by the customer, and that reprocessing is avoided as much as possible.
The package is linked to the Traceability module and the Mapex IIoT platform to take full advantage of its benefits. For this reason, each step can be related to the consumption of a BOM product, to a theoretical time, to a specific process variable (temperature, velocity, etc.) or to additional observations.
Our platform also records the information of each step to be consulted later through the historical report. From its analysis, performance indicators can be extracted to drive continuous improvement, as well as to anticipate and adjust the calculation of costs and delivery times when developing a new product that shares characteristics with another that has already been manufactured.
2. Silo management and traceability
Automatically linked to the work centers, this package is very useful to control the traceability of any liquid, solid or gaseous material that is stored and managed through silos, tanks or reservoirs during a production process.
FIFO logic can be applied to monitor the traceability of the consumption of the materials stored in the tanks, or you can incorporate the consumption logic that best suits your production process.
Connected to the Mapex Traceability module, the silo is automatically emptied in real time as the work center increases production. The system detects batch changes and makes the corresponding traceability cuts without operator intervention.
The package includes the configuration of one or more SCADA screens to view in real time the status of all silos. Each tank has its own detail screen from which it is possible to visualize capacity and quantities, and to execute all movements.
3. Management and calibration of measuring instruments
This new functionality of the Mapex Quality module helps companies manage the entire life cycle of their measuring instruments, increasing quality and production safety in the chemical and cosmetics industry.
With our platform, companies can register their quality and laboratory instruments; set up internal and/or external calibrations and verifications; establish and monitor preventive maintenance actions; and attach all types of documentation. Check out this article to learn more.
4. Laboratory and sample collection
Package of the Quality module used especially by our customers in the chemical and cosmetics sector to manage the collection of laboratory samples, either from a machine screen, a quality control or the laboratory screen itself.
The software incorporates the following sample options: validate or cancel, perform the QC plan, reprint a label or generate Certificate of Analysis (CoA) reports.
5. SPC analysis
The third functionality that we have recently added to the Mapex Quality module is the Statistical Process Control (SPC) tools. These help to reduce process variation, establish a predictable and consistent level of quality, and decrease scrap, rework and inspection cost.
In fact, SPC is one of the main process control methods used in the chemical and cosmetics industry. Thanks to our MES system, it is now easier to analyze both numerical quality control results collected through the Quality module and process variables obtained through the IIoT platform. For more information about the SPC Analysis package read this article.
6. Requests for materials
Designed for all types of industrial companies, this package enables chemical and cosmetics manufacturers to reduce costs by optimizing inventory management and meeting their customers’ delivery deadlines.
The Mapex platform establishes a communication flow between the shop floor and the warehouse, both for the supply of raw materials and for the picking of products. In addition, the software generates a historical report through which you can analyze the times of each of the material requests and implement continuous improvement actions whenever necessary.
Leading brands in the chemical and cosmetics industry rely on our MES system to improve their production processes. SPB Global, RNB, Colorobbia or Delta Tecnic are some examples. If you are interested in this article and would like more information about these or other functionalities, please fill in the contact form you will find here.
