I N N O VAT ET H E F U T U R E
The modular control system for the food, drink and
tobacco, as well as the chemical industry
VarioBatch®
»
MWStock Management
PSProduction
and Control
QMQuality
Management
PPProduktion
Planning
Production and
Materials Management
VarioBatch®ü
KLCosts- and
Performance
Accounting
Planning, administration, taxes, weighing, dispensing,
and transport in a systematic way.
What is VarioBatch?
What must a production control system offer in
order to meet the difficult competition factors
of today's industry?
n It must ensure the highest possible degree
of stability, performance and flexibility.
n It must describe complex production process
in such a way that they are easy for the user
to understand.
These requirements have been the basis for the
development of VarioBatch® for many years.
With VarioBatch® you can close the gap between
the enterprise level (ERP systems) and the
field level (SPS) at the technologically highest
level.
With its many interfaces and the open program
code (Visual Studio.NET) VarioBatch® is the ideal
process control system for integration into your
system environment. It begins with small terminals
such as scales, scanners, RFID readers, special
printers and extends to the most varied SPS visu-
alization and inventory control systems up to the
large ERP systems and internet services.
VarioBatch® is a powerful integration instrument
and a high performance production control system,
which reliably administers and controls the most
complex processes in your enterprise.
Its optimally integrated, coordinated module
range offers a high degree of functionality for
medium-size enterprises.
»
Why VarioBatch?
With the assistance of VarioBatch® you guarantee
yourself a valuable competitive advantage over
your competitors thanks to trouble free integrated
production processes. You achieve optimal use of
your resources and the highest possible efficiency.
Furthermore, all processes become more trans-
parent.
Production Level
Incoming goods Outgoing goods
Laboratory
systemERP Enterprise Resources
Planning
Unternehmensebene
P r o d u c t i o n
a n d M a t e r i a l s M a n a g e m e n t
VarioBatch®ü
Quality management [QM]
Costs + Performance Accounting [CP]
Production & Control [HP]
Inventory Control [MW]
Production Planning [PP]
According to 178/2002 EU and ISA S88
Process level
Delivery forward- and backward tracking
“With VarioBatch you make the right management
decision for the long-term.”
Scalability and Stability
The Client/Server Architecture of VarioBatch®
makes it possible for you to scale and expand
your existing installation as you wish.
Communication with external systems and the
control of the production processes are performed
on socket servers. The operation is performed on
VarioBatch®-Clients, which communicate with
one another over the network and visualize all
process data. Control of, and interventions in,
the current processes are also carried out by the
Clients. A communications channel is normally
used for final production, incoming or outgoing
goods ranges. The Clients can be installed at
each computer and can communicate with the
servers. This allows you to supervise and control
the entire enterprise from any location.
The Technology
All data and process conditions are centrally stored
in a database. You can terminate the socket server
during the production process in order to install
a Windows update for example and then restart or
reboot. The process will restart from the exact point
where you stopped.
Thanks to an innovative abstraction layer database
you can select from different databases:
n Oracle
n Microsoft SQL Server
n PostgreSQL
n Pervasive
Also a future transfer to another database system
would be substantially facilitated by the integrated
porting mechanism.
»
Intelligent communications management means
the Communication Server is able to continue
to operate without data loss even after a Client
failure. When the communication partner is avail-
able again, all outstanding messages are sent in
the correct order.
Communication interfaces
The VarioBatch®-Communication Server takes
care of external communication.
Communication tasks can also be transferred
by the freely distributable Thread Pool to socket
servers and certain Clients.
The following listing shows the various interface
technologies of Variobatch:
n Serial communication to "small" terminals
over RS232, RS422, RS485
n DCOM, COM and/or ActiveX-Integration
for terminals, report generators, MS Office or
visualisations
n OPC for communication with SPS or other
terminals
n Classic flat file exchange over network files
n ODBC and ADO for data exchange with other
Windows systems
n Simple communication over TCP IP Ports
n XML over http or smtp
n SOAP Web Services
n SAP Interfaces:
RFC, IDOCS and SAP-GUI (PP-PCS-PI)
“This allows you to supervise
and control the entire enterprise
from any location.”
Architecture and Expandability
VarioBatch® is delivered with a section of the
source code and several libraries such as Visual
Studio Project. The source code contains every-
thing your application needs, and/or the function-
ality reflects the area your core business covers
(the module). The basic architecture and the tools
provided are passed in the DLL's and all interfaces
are open.
Thus you can easily adapt your system to
new requirements.
The framework and the components are object-
oriented programmed so that the basic function-
ality is completely encapsulated and the customized
modifications are handled separately. Thus the
number of necessary code lines remains visible
and the development of new functionalities as
well as the adjustment of the objects are very fast
and easily.
Graphic User Interface – people are our
main concern.
The effective use of software stands and falls
with the acceptance of its users – we are con-
scious of this. Therefore with the development
of VarioBatch® we consistently emphasize user
friendliness. Through our many years of experience
and constant dialogue with users we have suc-
ceeded in developing VarioBatch® with a simple
and intuitive graphic user interface that stands
out compared with our competitor's products.
The built-in possibility of personalization is
characterized by the following settings:
n Font type and size
n Column sizes and arrangements
n Favourites tab for the creation of links to
applications needed on a daily basis.
n Multi-level granting of privileges up to the
field and key level (creation, updating, deletion,
execution and visibility)
n Setting number and text formats
n Syntax for selection of database fields which is
displayed in open lists
n Simple report creation
n Extensive filter possibilities
n Online help
n Multilingualism through extended translation
tables, which can be worked on by the user
VarioBatch has a modular structure. It consists
of 5 modules
n Vario.MW (Stock Management)
n Vario.KL (Costs- and Performance Accounting)
n Vario.PS (Production and Control)
n Vario.QM (Quality Management)
n Vario.PP (Production Planning)
All modules can be used either individually and
independently with VarioBatch, but they should
be used as a group to achieve their maximum
effect. The basic functionality is not sector specific
and covers the common requirements of the dif-
ferent sectors of the process engineering industry.
The industry adjustments touched upon are sepa-
rate, in terms of software, from the main module,
i.e. they are not affected by future software
updates – an important detail for their production
and reliability.
Five Modules – One Solution.
“With the separation, in terms of software,
of basic functionality and sector specific adjustments
expensive costs belong to the past . . .”
MWStock Management
PSProduction
and Control
QMQuality
Management
PPProduct ion
Planning
Production and
Materials Management
VarioBatch®ü
KLCosts- and
Performance
Accounting
Module Vario.PSInstallation Configuration in Real Time
Complex Processes – Simple Solutions
Experience how easily you can configure
complex production processes with the help
of Vario.PS using Drag and Drop.
Vario.PS supports you during
n the introduction of new process engineering
production flows
n the expansion of new units, components and
production lines
n quality increase
With Vario.PS you are inthe best possible position
to deal with these or similar demands. Vario.PS
offers you a flexible and high performance con-
figuration environment that allows you to keep
future investment at an acceptable level.
Your production processes are easily put together
with the control formulas graphically by Drag and
Drop (see fig. 1).
These control formulas will not only be used for
production, but can also be used for logistic
processes such as receipt and shipping control,
e.g. Workflows. The control formulas consist of
individual control steps, which are provided with
normative and actual parameters. These are
transferred over a standardised interface to the
SPS. The control step types and their parameters
can be freely defined. Name conventions and
relational entries can create links between
n the interface,
n the control step types,
n the parameters,
n the values from other database tables,
n and the formulas.
A control step can be an active control formula
in several conditions:
n Active
n Interrupted
n Cancelled
n Out of Order
n Broken
This condition is either set
n automatically by the synchronisation rules
with the communication partner
n or at certain times by an action (via the
context menu).
A control step can be processed both by an exter-
nal communication partner, e.g. an SPS, as well
as internally in the system. Internal processing
is usually of advantage if it concerns a Workflow
or simple terminal, which must be processed
manually.
»
The order in which the control steps are imple-
mented is defined by their sequence and the
AND-OR synchronisation.
It is also possible to define as many concurrent
branches as required. Using various jump type
you jump to other locations or create loops, as
you know from the program flowcharts.
Control formulas can be active
n at different times
n in different production areas
n in different components
Figure 1: You configure the process flow by Drag&Drop with the help of control formulas
“Your production processes
are easily set up using the graphical
Drag and Drop facility”
We have developed the process control centre
to help you maintain complete control and
overview of your plants. The process control
centre (PCC) is a clear monitor, on which your
plant is schematically shown with all its com-
ponents. The active control steps are indicated
in a single representation mode and can be
operated by the plant operator. The appropriate
programs (the modules) can be reached by the
navigation aids, in order to receive further
information. The layout of the PCC is freely
modifiable and developed with the PCC designer.
Master Data: Your Know-How
The master data covers your entire know-how.
This makes you stand out from your com-
petitors. Security and access control play a
central role.
Article Data
Here you put all your raw goods, materials,
finished products and packaging and provide
these with properties such as:
n Unit quantities,
n Specific weights,
n Tolerance and performance figures,
n Data for batch tracking.
n Quality data such as MHD, laboratory charac-
teristics, Sample quantities, declarations, etc.
Do you have non-standard data? Vario.PS is flexible
and is able to deal with such requirements.
Configuration Data
Here you define
n storage locations, storage sites (parking bays,
silos, cells, tanks, scales, containers . . . ).
n Dependence between storage sites – the mate-
rial flow relations.
n Production lines and their relations to the
storage sites.
Parts Lists and Formulas
Whether according to the semi-manufacture
principle or directly over all process stages – no
problem, Vario.PS leaves both ways open for you.
Formulas can be arranged proportionally or com-
pletely. Several control formulas, that set out the
production method, can be deposited per process
stage. Which is used is decided by the rules
(e.g. min and max values, production line etc.).
Product-dependent parameters can also be
assigned and linked with the parameter sets of
the control steps.
»
Do you often find yourself faced with the question,
which source, which scales and which distribution
quantity you should use to achieve the best
possible range of utilization and performance?
Or what should the maximum mobile batch size
be on the basis of the boundary conditions of the
plant (e.g. container size, arrangement of cells,
minimum and maximum dosage weights)?
With Vario.PS you get the right answers.
„Whether according to the semi-manufacture principle
or directly over all process stages – no problem,
Vario.PS leaves both ways open for you.”
Figure 2: Example of a master formula
Production: Your Business
Suggested production patterns are particularly
important in manufacturing to reduce recur-
ring tasks to a minimum and thus save costs.
Vario.PS supports you during
n computation of the optimal load sizes and
number through all the production stages
n determination of the correct production goal
and alternative goals for the automatic time
bill (silos, tanks, storage areas . . . ),
n the automatic selection of the suitable sources
and groups of aggregates with distribution
optimisation (silos, tanks, storage areas, scales,
intermediate vessels . . . ),
n the input of parameters relating to orders.
If your production extends to several consecutively
linked production lines, Vario.PS oversees and
corrects your inputs for accuracy.
That is to say it is guaranteed that
n you produce from the sources in the following
production line that you used for the interme-
diate product before
n the temporal production cycle and process
synchronisation between the production lines
runs smoothly.
The inventory deduction from the sources and
storage areas takes place automatically or manu-
ally. Manual deductions are usually carried out if
no measuring or control units are connected to the
system. Inventory postings on goals and storage
areas can take place in the same way automati-
cally or manually. The products and/or goods,
which are booked, can display different material
numbers, unit quantities and packing sizes, if this
was defined in the master data.
If packing, transportation and auxiliary materials
were needed for the production of these different
products, these are also assigned and deducted
automatically from the stock. All procedures are
batch-based, in order to ensure complete trace-
ability. Traceability with Vario.PS is not only in
the accounting, but also integrated into the tech-
nical system.
»
Based on the many interface possibilities can
n Bag, package and label printer,
n Scanner and RFID reader,
n NIR devices and detectors
be tied to the most different manufacturers and
be selected during automatic operation. Thus
each product change saves you substantial
personnel expenditure during the operation of
the terminals.
„Also with Vario.PS
you maximize your output
with minimum expenditure.
And in the shortest time.“
Figure 3: Data on production loads and the sales products derived from them.
What prevents you from letting the advantages
of complete automation of your production
enter your logistics? VARIO.MW also gives you
the correct answer here.
Vario.MW supports you during
n procurement, purchase, stock receipt
n stock management
n sales, supply, outgoing goods
Procurement, Purchase, and Stock Receipt
Scenario 1:
t The measuring probes in your tanks or silos
determine stocks that have fallen below the
minimum.
t VARIO.MW issues a request from your applied
contract and sends the purchase order request
with the calculated optimum quantity by
e-mail to your suppliers.
t The truck appears before your factory gate the
next day and its delivery documents can be
read by a fixed integrated scanner.
t It automatically gets a smart card (RFID) and a
routing slip back from a small thermo-transfer
printer.
t On the basis of the instructions it drives to a
vehicle weighbridge and – after the light
barriers confirm the correct position – the first
weighing is performed from it's driver's seat
on the smart card.
t A camera transfers a picture to Vario.MW
for archiving.
t The driver receives on screen instructions to
drive to the appropriate receiving location.
t There it is guided by lights and roll gates onto
the correct route.
t The receipt/filling procedure is started using
the smart card for the correct tank/silo, which
was automatically selected by Vario.MW.
t A sample is automatically taken. The attached
printer marks the sample container with a bar
code.
t The connected laboratory system is notified of
this sample.
t After filling up the driver receives the next
instruction at the local terminal.
t He drives back to the vehicle weighbridge and
the second weighing is performed.
t The delivered actual quantity is with the batch
data booked into the tank.
t At the work exit he gets the receipt confirma-
tion printed out and puts the smart card back.
t As soon as the laboratory system confirms the
quality Vario.MW lifts the production barrier
for the tank.
»
Module Vario.MWAdvantage through Automation
Whether fully or semi-automatically – scenarios
of this kind can be complted easily and quickly
with VarioBatch and Vario.MW. The definition
determined by the interfaces between the sub-
processes sets the degree to which their tasks are
to be automated.
Function range:
n Contract administration
n Orders and Requests
n automated receipt procedures for loose
and packed goods
n Supplier statistics
n graphic route planning.
Figure 4:
Bill of Delivery
Position Allocation
Figure 5: Storage Area Holding Management
Stock management
Storekeeping can also be optimally automated
with VARIO.MW. The unloading or emptying of
the tanks and silos is usually done automatically
via from the production process. The loads in the
tanks/silos can be offloaded and/or transferred
according to different models:
n according to FIFO
n according to proportional allocation of the
quantity of the contained loads
n according to an individual customer formula
Automatic offloading is not possible if loads
become inaccessible. The same also applies to
loose goods in storage areas or on stock shelves.
In this case automation can take place by radio
scanners with screens. Inadvertent withdrawals of
loads/pallets with the wrong article number, closed
status, or MHD data are no longer possible.
Scales that communicate always guarantees a
perfect premix as VARIO.MW accurately guides
the operator. The main load cannot be mixed up
due to the RFID- Chips on the containers.
Function range:
n Inventory lists on different detail levels
n Logging of all stock movements
n Inventory programmes
n MHD monitoring
n Inventory reservations
n Long-term storage and balance histories
n Inventory appraisals according to the most
different cost categories
“Accurate operational guidance
avoids errors and increases efficiency”
»
Sales, Supply and Outgoing Goods
Scenario 2:
t Your customers stocks are running low.
t Your customer places his order on the web
t The system transfers the order to a route on
the basis of graphic route planning.
t For production planning this means a release
for the assumption of delivery position in a
new or already existing production order.
t The goods are punctually produced in the
storage cells or filled up, bagged and corre-
spondingly commissioned by VARIO.MW.
t The load and/or supply stands ready for collec-
tion on the planned date, which its own driver
or carrier can see via the web browser.
As soon as the driver is at work, he similarly goes
through scenario 1 of a fully automatic process.
t By transponder/display guidance he accepts
the allocated goods.
t The loading into its chambers is already pre-
pared and takes place automatically. Mistakes
with the packed commodity cannot occur since
VARIO.MW waits for the correct barcode scan
result.
t The driver picks up the delivery slip. This contains
his geographical route.
t The ERP system receives the necessary data for
invoicing.
Functionality range:
n Contract administration
n Order collection and requests,
n geographical route planning with a
map & guide,
n Commissioning and Load Planning,
n automated outgoing goods (packed goods)
and shipments (loose goods)
n Invoicing.
Figure 6: Label for Articles with Declaration
Whether you are responsible for storage or
orders – VARIO.PP effectively supports your
production management.
In its primary and secondary requirement planning
Vario.PP considers
n current stocks with minimum and optimal
stock data,
n open raw materials orders
n assigned routes/supplies and open finished
goods orders (customer)
n open production orders
The resultant inventory and need development
was resolved over the following three days and an
infinite period of time.
Whereupon construction was suggested for lot size
planning of production orders with date data. These
data can be revised and generated automatically
as production orders.
Alternatively production orders can be placed
directly on the summary of homogeneous products
at the route and/or supply positions for manufac-
turer's orders.
VARIO.PP offers marketing for long-term procure-
ment or delivery horizons.
Via the three formula variants
– sliding average values
– exponential smoothing of the first order
– exponential smoothing of second orders can
be set up for the following periods from past
consumption and/or issued quantities.
Formulas change regularly. This can lead to
inaccuracies during marketing for raw materilas.
In order to counteract this, a classification can
be made of the raw materials by the forecast final
product sales volumes. This happens with the
assistance of the parts lists.
Module Vario.PPProduction Planning
»
Orders for production can be sorted – with con-
sideration of the available machine and plant
resources, cleaning procedures and the mainte-
nance intervals – temporally in the scheduling.
Date deviations for the planned dates of delivery
are visualised.
VARIO.PP processes the approved orders and
supervises constantly during production the given
temporal sequence processes – and this for all
production lines.
So that during production sufficient material is
present in the source stock piles/silos/tanks/cells,
VARIO.PP can provide preparation lists for your
personnel.
The VARIO.PP module connects the departments
of sales, purchases, controlling and production
and eliminates communication bottlenecks.
“Vario.PP is efficient
production planning
with maximum delivery reliability
for your customer.”
Figure 8:
Production Planning
Figure 9: Quantity Planning for Primary and Secondary Needs
ISO9000, GMP, HACCP ... whatever might
come, with VARIO-QM you are taking the
right step, securing quality for the future
For quality assurance VarioBatch® with its mod-
ules .PS, .MW and .PP makes a large contribution.
Vario.QM continues to develop the power spectrum
of the Vario family with the following functions:
n Production of detailed production protocols
(normative and actual parameters of control
steps, start and end times, tolerance monitoring,
load blockages and releases, actual value pro-
tocols in different time intervals of one second
up to one hour).
n Individual factory data collection
n Long-term archiving of all transaction data
from .PS and .MW modules
n Bi-directional load backtracking, tracking for
tracing
n Build-up by recursive trees over all the produc-
tion stages
n Preventive delay monitoring according to
GMP+.
n Connection to the laboratory system for the
delivery of laboratory samples and receipt of
laboratory data for central protocol adminis-
tration
n Connection to formula optimisation systems for
the assumption of new formula versions
n Automatic composition of maintenance plans
with consideration of maintenance intervals,
limit value excess of intervention and control
frequencies. The data are selected directly from
the aggregate objects of the SPS.
n Long-term archiving of maintenance orders
with picture and film information.
With VARIO.QM you achieve complete trans-
parency, which far exceeds the legal docu-
mentation obligation. Not only this, VARIO.QM
brings you a step closer to genuine glass
production!
Module Vario.QMQuality Management
»
“Quality management and
complete transparency with Vario.QM.“
Figure 10:
Maintenance
Programme
Figure 11: Forwards-Backwards Load Tracking
It is the usual practice to calculate production
costs over time estimates. This often leads to sub-
stantial inaccuracies since unforeseeable events
occur fairly often with production. Here is the
module for Vario.KL.
Vario.KL has at its disposal all the actually result-
ing production factors and thus achieves substan-
tially more detailed pre- and re-calculations. The
results are accurate product evaluations and thus
new sales margins.
Vario.KL drafts the control formulas, which illus-
trate the production processes. In the control
steps can cost centres, performance figures, vari-
able and fixed costs be assigned. Together with
n the control step data,
n the material values from storage
n the different cost categories and
n the actual times
the load produced again is evaluated and the
value is divided among the products that are
derived from it.
Vario.KL contains various functions for cost
objective accounting and cost centre accounting.
You can select production processes, which are
relevant for you via the freely definable filter
possibilities. Aids for the correction and/or adjust-
ment of the costs are also contained in the cost
centres and materials master data.
A further highlight of Vario.KL is the prognosis
calculation. With the prospective paragraph num-
bers, those calculated with the Vario.PP modules
and the liquidation of the parts lists, the costs of
the following periods can be determined very
precisely.
VARIO.KL creates the basis for perfect control
and supports you with important financial
decisions.
Module Vario.KLCosts and Performance Accounting
“Vario.KL: The basis for perfect control.“
dalli
RKWSÜDRaiffeisen
Kraftfutterwerke
Brot u. Kuchen
Spezialitäten
Anlagenbauer
Animal Nutrition
Bakeries, Baked Goods and Food
Baustoffe Adhesive
Detergent, Hygiene and Household Cleaners
Farben und Lacke
Cosmetics
Fireproof Products and enamels
Our Products in Daily Use
Secure for yourself in the future crucial competition advantages with the use of VarioBatch®.
Here is a small selection of satisfied VarioBatch®-users:
PLANKSTADT
SANDHAUSEN
SCHWET-
ZINGEN
HEIDELBERG
Kreuz
Heidelberg
Kreuz
Walldorf
Kreuz
Mannheim
Ausfahrt
Heidelberg/
Schwetzingen
gip
Gewerbepark
Hardtwald 9
A5
A5
A5
B291
B39A6
A6
A6
Ausfahrt
Wiesloch/
Walldorf
Ausfahrt
Schwetzingen
gip mbh
Gewerbepark Hardtwald 9
D-68723 Oftersheim
Telefon 00 49 (0) 62 02 / 9 78 75 - 0
Telefax 00 49 (0) 62 02 / 9 78 75 - 10
internet: www.gip-automation.de
e-mail: [email protected]
m+r automation – gip mbh
Unteroewisheimer Straße 6
D-76698 Ubstadt-Weiher
Telefon 00 49 (0) 72 51 / 96 08 36
Telefax 00 49 (0) 72 51 / 36 79 57 2
e-mail: [email protected]
OFTERSHEIM
Engineering
Product Requirement
Specification Planning,
Documentation Assembly,
Start-up Maintenance,
Service Advertisements,
Appraisals
Hardware
PC, IC, SPS S7, Allen Bradley,
Control gears, Network
Weighing and Dispensing
systems, Radio Scanners,
Hand weighing system, RFID
Operating System
Windows 2003
Standard Software
Production Control System VarioBatch®
Individual Software Solutions
Process visualisation
WIN CC, InTouch, iFIX
Process Control Systems
PCS7, Freelance, InBatch
Databases
Postgresql, Pervasive,
Oracle, SQL Server
Services
Allgemeiner Elektroservice
Umstellungen von S5 auf S7
GIP-Spectrum
»
