Enhanced IDCS helps companies improve profitability

Ishida Europe has launched an enhanced version of its IDCS (Ishida Data Capture System), which recor…

Ishida Europe has launched an enhanced version of its IDCS (Ishida Data Capture System), which records and analyses data from every pack that goes across an Ishida checkweigher. The company says that its new IDCS II can typically pay for itself with only a few weeks of use.

Thanks to its simple and powerful data monitoring and analysis capabilities

IDCS II helps to improve overall equipment efficiency (OEE), monitor packing line performance, enhance the profitability of production lines and generally enable food packers and processors to manage their operations more efficiently.

IDCS II provides fully customisable real-time information that constantly monitors line performance in terms of availability (how much of the available time is the production line actually running?), performance (is the line producing the expected number of packs?) and quality (how many of the packs produced fall within the required quality parameters?).

The combination of these three elements provides an OEE percentage that uniquely identifies how efficiently a production line is running, and IDCS II can show this value for a factory, a production line, or a particular product at any time frame, in order to identify potential areas of improvement.

IDCS II can be used to spot where product is being wasted or given away, identify reasons for downtime or quickly calculate the impact on accuracy or giveaway if line speeds are increased. Comparisons can be made between operators, different shifts or time periods, or different lines, machines or products, and the information can be tailored to specific reporting requirements, with reports, displays, graphs and charts produced to suit individual preferences. The data can also be made available as part of wider reporting systems such as SAP and SCADA, and can play an important role in enterprise resource planning (ERP).

The web-based system means there are no differences or incompatibilities between software generators and IDCS II can also provide the data to help ensure companies are meeting legislative requirements such as average or minimum weight compliance as well as delivering the openness and transparency necessary for traceability purposes.

IDCS II is able to work across desktop computers, laptops, notebooks and touchscreen devices such as tablets; information can be exported or e-mailed in a wider range of established formats including Word, Excel, PDF and CSV.