PanoramiControl™ is BDF’s open system for a more efficient glass factory
BDF Industries has introduced its most recent development for Industry 4.0 – PanoramiControl™ – which provides complete vision of the glass plant.
BDF Industries is an international company, based in Vicenza (Italy), leader in glass engineering and industrial automation market and recognized as the first four largest suppliers for engineering solutions and equipment worldwide.
Established in 1906, in the 50s BDF Industries was the first producer of IS machines in Europe and over the years it has developed its business in the Glass Division which currently is made up of four different business units: Melting, Forming, Automation and Energy.
During Glassman Latin America, BDF Industries participated in the Future Glass Forum Conference, with a speech of Mr. Gregori, Senior Sales Account & RPM America, about Industry 4.0. During the lecture in Spanish, BDF Industries presented its open system for a more efficient glass factory: the PanoramiControl™.
This system is a sort of business intelligence that allows the complete vision of the plant thanks to data collection, such as alarms, events, historical and real data. Technologies linked to Industry 4.0 allow significant benefits to be achieved in various areas of glass manufacturing: examples of their use can be found in the management of raw materials, in the optimisation processes of energy sources, in managing maintenance and in the opportunities to improve workstation ergonomics thereby increasing the productivity of personnel.
Achieving these objectives means focusing on the exchange of information between various pieces of equipment within the plant; equipment which is directly involved in the manufacturing process, as well as auxiliary equipment such as compressors, filters and emissions monitoring equipment.
Thanks to its unique position as the only company able to supply clients with a complete glass manufacturing process, complete with design skills and in-house production, BDF Industries noticed how a deep collaborative effort between equipment and plant suppliers enables optimisation in areas that otherwise would be impossible.
One clear example of this can be seen by synchronising channels with forming machines, resulting in many benefits during production changes and allowing an increase or decrease in output. Other points of synergy are linked to the emissions treatment system, if connected to the furnace’s combustion system or to the ergonomics of the SCADA interface.
That is why BDF Industries has developed PanoramiControl™, a management product specifically designed for glass manufacturing plants using an Industry 4.0 approach. PanoramiControl™ provides a view of the entire glass manufacturing process from a single physical control point, allowing integrated, efficient control over each and every piece of equipment.