At the cutting edge of innovation: MESTEC and the COREF initiative: 5 key product developments

The Connected Reconfigurable Factory. COREF for short. It sounds grandiose and for good reason too, representing a consortium led by Thales UK and part funded by Innovate UK – to help invest government money into cutting-edge manufacturing capabilities.

As for the underlying purpose behind COREF, this is to extend the use and applicability of Industry 4.0 technologies to lower volume, higher complexity environments, with the ultimate goal of helping:

All of which means that COREF represents a unique gathering of the UK’s most innovative manufacturing technologies. A complete architecture for empowering Industry 4.0, and bringing these capabilities together. With MESTEC proudly positioned as the Manufacturing Execution System (MES) sitting at the very heart of the initiative.

Innovation in action

MESTEC is not simply involved in an enablement capacity. As with the other partners in COREF, we’re proactively involved in developing our solution to extend, adapt, and augment – all in line with the demands of the modern manufacturing environment. It’s all about accelerated innovation, which in turn is helping us make some eye-catching additions to the MESTEC solution.

Let’s quickly touch on five of these:

1 Machine interfacing

The focus here is on legacy equipment, and streamlining the configuration and implementation process for enabling cloud connectivity. An action that introduces a host of real-time data into production workflows, thereby making the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) a practical reality for lower volume/higher complexity manufacturing environments.

As a result:

2 RFID tool tracking

With this development, we’re adding the ability to integrate with RFID systems to track the location of tooling around the shop floor. The data this generates can then be compared to daily tasks to help ensure every tool is exactly where it needs to be, and with the right set-up.

A capability that helps manufacturers:

3 Bridging the gap between the manual and automated

A key step in the journey to Industry 4.0, where MESTEC coordinates the sending and receiving of signals to smart tools. An action that enables these machines to automatically run activities in line with established workflows.

Importantly, this includes constant comparison of outcomes with defined processes and specifications. As a result, MESTEC can quickly identify next steps after the completion of these automated tasks – be that progressing a specific component to the next operation or initiating a re-work procedure.

What this means in practice is that in lower volume environments, MESTEC can now act as a bridge between manual-intensive and automated tasks. In doing so, the solution helps boost productivity, reduce errors, and improve quality.

4 Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)

VR and AR tools bring with them great potential for training purposes. Particularly when it comes to knowledge transfer from experienced heads to new starters. Where an operator asked to perform a certain task can quickly access a VR or AR app through MESTEC, and via a screen see how to match up certain items to complete the job.

This innovation will be further extended through integration with Google Alexa Voice Management technology. This is an ambition very much in the development phase at COREF, with the goal being to remove the need for operators to physically interact with certain machine types.

5 Embedded Self-Serve BI

This is a move that helps ensure every employee can access the precise report capabilities they need. Traditionally, MES solutions are built on the premise that customers buy their own Business Intelligence tools. Either that, or utilize the embedded BI on offer – which is the low-cost option, but one that limits reporting options to what’s available.

With BI that is both Embedded and Self-Serve, customers can access most of the reporting options they need ‘out of the box’, and then proactively meet any additional requirements without the need for reporting specialists.

Our goal here being to provide granular-level insights into:

Summing it all up

MESTEC is proud to be a part of the Thales UK-led COREF initiative. Collaborating with the many partners involved, is also helping further our own ambitions for inspiring a wider role for IIoT technologies in different manufacturing environments. Where smarter automation and cutting-edge technology is extending the benefits of MES systems, and boosting productivity every step along the way.

To put this ingenuity to work, simply get in touch – and let’s seek out even more opportunities for driving excellence forward.