Sanitary Article Line Control for OEE Loss Root Cause Prioritization

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Solution Overview

Problem

The production lines for absorbent sanitary articles face challenges due to high construction and structural complexity, leading to inefficiencies and decreased Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) as measured by availability, performance, and quality.

Innovation Solution

An automated control and monitoring system is implemented in the production line, which includes control devices and a central control unit. This system processes data on discard and stop events to classify their impact, identify root causes, and define corrective actions to improve production efficiency and OEE.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If automated control and monitoring system is implemented to manage discard and stop events, then productivity and OEE are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control system segments discard events and stop events into distinct categories, analyzing each type separately. Discard events are classified by cause (e.g., quality defects, material issues) while stop events are categorized by duration and reason. This segmentation allows targeted analysis and resolution strategies for each event type, improving productivity without requiring an overly complex monolithic system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The central control unit acts as an intermediary between control devices and the production process. It collects data from various control devices, processes discard and stop event information, determines root causes, and coordinates appropriate responses. This intermediary role simplifies the overall system architecture by centralizing intelligence while maintaining modular control devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If comprehensive monitoring of all discard and stop events is performed, then quality and reliability are improved, but loss of time in data processing increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction reliabilityVSAvoiddata processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system extracts and focuses analysis on the root causes of discard and stop events rather than processing every individual event detail. By identifying patterns and underlying causes (e.g., recurring equipment failures, material quality issues), the system achieves comprehensive monitoring reliability while minimizing data processing time through targeted analysis.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The control system performs preliminary classification and filtering of discard and stop events as they occur, organizing data by type, severity, and potential cause before detailed analysis. This preliminary action prepares data for efficient processing and enables rapid identification of critical issues, maintaining high reliability without excessive processing delays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If root cause identification and corrective actions are implemented for all events, then quality is improved, but productivity is reduced due to frequent interventions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality controlVSAvoidproduction output
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies different levels of quality control and intervention intensity to different types of events. Critical root causes (e.g., equipment failures, safety issues) receive immediate and thorough corrective actions, while minor or recurring issues are managed with standardized responses. This localized quality approach ensures high manufacturing precision for critical issues while minimizing disruptions to overall productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The control system adjusts parameters such as intervention thresholds, response priorities, and corrective action intensities based on event characteristics. By dynamically changing these parameters, the system optimizes the balance between quality control and productivity, implementing comprehensive root cause analysis only when necessary rather than for every single event.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4560421A1Production line for absorbent sanitary articles
Publication Date: 2025.05.28 GDM
  • EP4560421A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4560421A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4560421A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Production line (100) for absorbent sanitary articles (2) and related control method, in which, in relation to a determined time period of operation of the production line (100), it is provided to: - obtain discard event data indicative of discard events and stop event data indicative of stop events; - process the discard event data in order to classify the discard events according to their incidence on the total number of absorbent sanitary articles discarded during said determined time period and select a limited number of discard events that had the greatest impact on the total number of discarded absorbent sanitary articles; - process the stop event data obtained in order to classify the stop events according to their incidence on a total stop time of the production line during said determined time period and identify a limited number of stop events that had the greatest impact on the total stop time of the production line; - identify discard root causes for the selected limited number of discard events as well as stop root causes for the selected limited number of stop events; - define an action to be implemented with reference to at least one of the identified stop root causes and the identified discard root causes.