Developed in 1996, EIT™ – Efficiency Improvement Tool – has evolved into a production efficiency-enabler available to customers everywhere operating Sidel and other equipment. Designed for and by packaging professionals, the EIT™ system gathers 24/7 production data and provides a wide array of metrics to help users analyze production issues, better fine-tune the line, reduce unplanned downtime, improve working methods and enhance maintenance to ultimately increase the plant's output.
More than data – actionable intelligence
The EIT™ system incorporates various MES (Manufacturing Execution System) functions and comprises multiple modules addressing different concerns: efficiency increase, quality control, waste reduction and benchmark analysis. Tracking production events, detailing unplanned downtime, and enabling a wide range of operational KPIs, the power of the system is in its native intelligence and analysis methodology based on packaging line design principles. This intelligence differentiates Sidel’s EIT™ from other tools. “We know first-hand that ordinary data comparisons are insufficient to pinpoint production issues. The actionable intelligence provided by EIT™ helps put the plant’s output on the fast track and enables real-time decision making,” says Danielle Gagnon, EIT Product Manager.
Once high-priority issues and inefficient sources are identified, EIT™ measures machine downtime impact, even to the fault level, on the line’s efficiency loss. The results enable plant personnel to target quick wins, implement curative actions, and develop proactive measures. What usually requires time and skilled analysis by productivity engineers is now available to plant personnel in real time and in a very visual, intuitive format.
EIT™ 5.0 enhancements: interoperability & flexibility
With its .NET architecture, EIT™ 5.0 offers increased flexibility for customizing reports, integrating end-users specifications and interfacing with ERPs and legacy systems.
Reports have been enhanced with a new look in EIT™ 5.0. A screen filter, based on various parameters and calculations criteria, has been added to optimize ad-hoc reports. By year end, reporting will offer a role-based feature to further tailor the application to the user’s needs.
New modules
EIT™ 5.0 offers additional functionality to enable report standardization in an environment where old and new technology co-exist without requiring complete line upgrades. EIT™ Data Box is a low-cost automated data acquisition solution for machines without PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) or otherwise unsuited for connection into a communication network. The EIT™ Audit Kit is another solution for old technology lines. This module offers a temporary solution whereby data acquisition is done manually and entered via PDA or computer.
The EIT™ Display System is a new module used to display selected information to a giant electronic panel, offering high visibility throughout the plant. The line’s layout and machines’ status are displayed very intuitively through a system of color-coding. Wherever an employee is in the plant, everyone can easily interpret current line status and performance vis-à-vis efficiency targets.
The EIT™ Re-View Module is an outstanding add-on. By installing a Network Camera which points at particular line equipment, one will benefit from getting a 24/7 event capture and visualization of a machine stop and the surrounding circumstances via a Web browser. A very useful means to improve downtime analysis, perform troubleshooting and implement proactive measures.
EIT™ is implemented in more than 150 plants worldwide, including: Food & Beverage, Dairy, Converter, Household & Personal Care, and Pharmaceutical.
Sidel is one of the world’s largest suppliers of packaging equipment and expertise for beverages and liquid products. It has 5,300 employees around the world and is a division of Tetra Laval.
