Pharma Impurity Conclave 2023

Monday, December 1, 2014

Giving line efficiency a boost: Gebo’s latest version of EIT puts operators in the driving seat

Gebo Cermex now gives operators real-time access to key plant data to optimize packaging line efficiency and to increase productivity. The company’s EIT (short for Efficiency Improvement Tool) plant intelligence system monitors line events and status in great detail. The scalable system offers a wide range of modules, addressing performance, quality, losses, traceability, energy consumption, video recording along with additional maintenance and alert-trigger functions. The latest version of EIT is enriched with a new module to its suite: the EIT AQ-Clock which is unique in the industry.

EIT can be implemented on any line irrespective of its line integrator or original equipment manufacturer. Developed for key markets such as the beverage, food, home & personal care and even pharmaceutical industries, the system has been designed to optimize performance and to increase reactivity. EIT enables operators to react faster and most appropriately while at the same time reducing waste and energy costs. Gebo Cermex demonstrated the latest version V 6.0 of its line improvement tool including the new EIT AQ-Clock module at BrauBeviale, a fair for investment goods for the beverage industry in November 2014.

A unique value offer on the market
Continuously developed by Gebo since 1996, EIT is now installed in more than 60 countries. The system provides accurate and up-to-date key performance indicators such as overall equipment effectiveness. It also offers a complete set of screens, reports and dashboards. Featuring an easy-to-use online interface, the EIT Reader module, for example, monitors and analyzes each machine’s performance. The added value of EIT lies in its built-in intelligence with tools such as its Root Cause Analysis (RCA) based on the line design principle. It pinpoints any device that has negative impact on the production, up to fault level. By using the EIT Line Audit screen, everyone actively involved in production can effectively discover their quick wins and set their priorities on the machines. “Real-time monitoring of critical events is crucial. EIT detects primary stoppage reasons and offers root cause analysis based on each line’s individual design. This allows operators to take quick and targeted action - and make sure production is up and running again in no time”, emphasized Pierre-Yves Schaal, EIT Deputy Manager Europe, at this year’s BrauBeviale in Nuremberg, Germany.

AQ-Clock: dynamic accumulation monitoring
The EIT AQ-Clock informs its users of any available accumulation space between a specific machine and a malfunctioning machine on the line. It takes the form of a simple countdown highlighted on top of the operators’ dashboard. It tells the operator exactly how long he has to restart his machine before the disruption has an impact on the whole line. Thus, EIT AQ-Clock is a very effective tool for optimizing operators’ reactivity.  This module is part of a new user interface featuring responsive Web design.

Sustainable production
As an additional bonus feature, the system ensures sustainable manufacturing thanks to the ECO EIT. The innovative module monitors and measures energy and utilities consumption at equipment and line level. It gives energy cost per produced unit and correlates various consumptions including power, water, steam or compressed air with line events and production phases.

Line and production optimization at various levels
By providing remote access to actionable production data, EIT constitutes a reliable and supporting tool for commissioning and decision-making on different levels. All involved in manufacturing, from plant floor to general management, get an extensive picture of what is actually happening on the entire plant. The engineering experts will discover the real sources for efficiency loss while the maintenance department can use EIT data to carry out preventive action and follow up vendors’ guarantees. The system also supports plant management by quickly assessing shifts’ performance and the plant’s output. At executive level, highly accurate data can be reviewed for benchmarking, optimizing budgets, capital expenses and vendor selection, thus serving as a truly strategic tool for line and production optimization.

In a complex industry where know-how is everything, Gebo Cermex is formed from the union of two strong brands: Gebo & Cermex, gathering packaging line engineering experience across a range of market segments from beverages and food to pharmaceuticals, via home and personal care. For over half a century, our experts have improved the performance of production and packaging lines in some of the most demanding industries. Today more than 37,000 equipment and system installations bear our signature. We add value to our customers’ business in four dimensions, from equipment design and manufacturing to line engineering, services and asset performance.

Gebo Cermex, headquartered in Strasbourg, France is a people-centric organization with 1,800 employees and over 20 commercial and manufacturing sites in all major regions around the world.