Improving Manufacturing Productivity with the Right Data Infrastructure

Aegex10 IS Tablets + OSISoft Data Infrastructure

The Challenge

Pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities are often classified as regulated hazardous locations because the materials used may be highly combustible, or become combustible during the manufacturing process. Thus, any electronic devices used in these areas must be officially certified “intrinsically safe,” or incapable of causing a spark, for UL Class II Division 1 hazardous areas, where high concentrations of potentially combustible dusts are constantly present.

The Solution

The proposed technology solution for this pharmaceutical manufacturer is: 1. Hardware - aegex10 Intrinsically Safe Tablet Using the Windows-based Aegex10 IS Tablet, operators can access Windows 10 apps, cloud services and third party apps, even in the most volatile hazardous areas (UL Class I,II,III Div 1; CSA 22.2; ATEX/IECEx Zone 1). Certified for UL Class I, II, III Division 1 and CSA 22.2 hazardous locations in North America, as well as equivalent areas in Europe (ATEX Zone 1) and internationally (IECEx Zone 1), the Aegex10 operates on Wi-Fi or 4G LTE from any hazardous location around the globe on a unified platform. The 10.1-inch Aegex tablet is rated IP65 rugged for industrial use, yet is lightweight and priced as low as non-certified devices. Its Windows 10 operating system gives users uniform access to the Microsoft cloud, plus apps and services, including software like that of OSIsoft. 2. Software - OSIsoft’s PI System Based in San Leandro, California, OSIsoft is a leader in operational intelligence and the developer of the PI System. The PI System is a scalable, open data infrastructure that transforms operational data into actionable knowledge, resulting in business transformation. With the PI System, organizations can collect, analyze, visualize and share large amounts of high-fidelity, time-series data from multiple sources to people and systems across all operations. PI System data can be visualized with PI System Tools which allow users to configure data as they want to see it on any device. These tools include PI Coresight, an application server that can be used on a mobile device to offer:

Graphical, configurable dashboard displays for asset data
Comparison of similarities/differences in event and batch data
Ability for users to comment, annotate and collaborate about events
Display notifications for possible Out Of Specification (OOS) Investigation

The Results

With the Aegex10 IS Tablet and OSIsoft software, operators can enter the most volatile hazardous areas (UL Class I, II, III Division 1 or CSA 22.2) and interact with a real-time decision support system without fear of causing an explosion. Using the Aegex tablet and OSIsoft’s PI System, workers can:

Identify sources of variability in the manufacturing process
Meet quality specifications of Critical Quality Attributes (CQA)
Improve control over the process for Critical to Process Parameters (CPP)
Determine overall equipment efficiency (OEE) and yield
Understand asset health to ensure product and process quality
View dashboards to prioritize and address problems
Use data analysis onsite to address issues and improve productivity onsite
Pass the data over Wi-Fi or 4G LTE from PI Manual Logger on the tablet to an Enterprise PI System

With the Aegex10 IS Tablet, operators can also use a number of Windows 10 applications to communicate information to teammates, such as:

Opening Skype for Business to speak and show the item in question
Using Exchange/Outlook to email photos or other data
Uploading information to the cloud

The PI System can be used anywhere in hazardous locations via the Aegex10 IS Tablet. Certain apps are also available offline when wireless networks are not available. The solution is transferable across different geographies since the Aegex10 IS Tablet is certified worldwide. The Aegex10 IS Tablet + OSIsoft solution help the organization to adopt a data infrastructure that removes barriers to data access and sharing, thus transforming decision-making through data-driven insights for operational excellence.

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About Aegex: Aegex is a technology engineering and design company that provides intrinsically safe Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and mobile solutions for hazardous industries. Our globally certified intrinsically safe Windows 10 tablet, sensors and partner monitoring systems, form an IoT platform that manages big data to improve efficiency, safety and productivity in hazardous industrial environments in oil & gas, chemical, pharmaceutical, utilities, public safety, defense and other industries with potentially explosive atmospheres.