Manufacturing Execution System (MES) Integration
A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) connects production system machines
to an ERP system. IFS Cloud can be used as a standalone MES solution or can
be integrated with third-party systems. Examples of supported MES features:
- Manufacturing Part Master data integration APIs
- Sending an outbound message to start and stop machines from
Shop Floor Workbench.
- Fetching the Work Guideline Type Machine Instruction
to a machine, enabling the storage of production parameters in IFS Cloud
- Machine integration to shop Order operations and Work Center
Resource status via APIs in the Shop Floor Connector projection, enabling
the following actions:
- Real-time machine registration of quality results.
- Automated registration of downtime to improve OEE accuracy.
- Operation time and quantity reporting and receiving Shop Order to
stock.
- Fetching the next executable or ongoing operations.
- API reporting on Production Schedules using the Schedule Connector
projection, enables:
- Getting information about the Production Schedules
- Production Schedule reporting
MES Master Data integration
The integration APIs in the ManufacturingPartService and the InventoryPartService
Projections enable the integration of Manufacturing Master data with a third-party
system. These APIs are designed to be used together in sequence to provide the
required Part information.
| API |
Projection |
Description |
| GetParts |
ManufacturingPartService |
This API returns a list of parts and their
connected Routing, Recipes structures and Product structures. The
part list contains information about the structure/routing types, alternates, revisions, phase
in and phase out dates.
A filter option is enabled only to
return the parts which have been updated/changed within a specified
number of days. This regards changes related to the specific part
within the
database tables for the
Main Master Part tab and the Main Inventory Part tab, Routing Header,
Routing Alternate, Routing Operation, Routing Tool, Routing Guidelines,
Structure Header, Structure Alternate, Structure Components or Structure
Guidelines. Deleted lines are not considered
in this time filter. |
| GetPartStructureInformation |
ManufacturingPartService |
Given the input of part number, structures
type, alternate and revision; product structure information is returned.
This includes component information and related work guidelines. |
| GetPartRecipeStructure |
ManufacturingPartService |
Given the input of part number, structures type, alternate and
revision; recipe structure information is returned. This includes component
information and related work guidelines. |
| GetPartRoutingInformation |
ManufacturingPartService |
Given the input of part number, routing type,
alternate and revision; routing infomation is returned. This includes
operation infromation and the related work guidelines and tools. This
API does not support configurable parts. |
| GetPartInformation |
InventoryPartService |
Returns inventory part master data and inventory part characteristics.
This can be filtered to return all parts on a site, a specific part
or parts based on recent changes. |
Refer to the technical documentation & API Explorer for more information.
Outbound Communication
A shop order operation can generate an outbound message
to a machine, effectively instructing the resource to start or stop. The
Send IoT Events to Device option within the Work Center
must be enabled, and a Device ID should be linked to the Work Center
Resource via the Device Map. When Machine Time
is started or stopped
on an operation, it generates an Application Message. This
message contains the operation ID. The IFS Connect functions Routing Rule
and Routing Address can be used to enrich the message via the "Get
Operation Info" API and pass it on to external machines.
Refer to the technical documentation for more information.
Shop Floor Connector Projection
To automate Shop Order activities and quality reporting, these APIs can be
used:
- Start Production & Start Setup (Invoke
action StartOperation)
Start Run Time or Setup Time of the type
Machine Time on a Work Center Resource connected to a specific Shop Order
Operation.
- Stop Production & Stop Setup (Invoke action
StopOperation)
Stop Run Time or Setup Time of the type Machine
Time on a specific Shop Order Operation. This can also be used to close
the operation.
- Report scrap (Invoke action ReportQuantityScrap)
Report produced scrap on a specific Shop Order Operation. Handles
quantity, Scrap Reason and Time of Production. This can also be used to
close the operation.
- Report completed quantity (Invoke action ReportQuantityComplete)
Report produced parts on a specific Shop Order Operation. Handles
quantity and Time of Production. This can also be used to close the operation.
- Start Machine Downtime (Invoke action StartMachineDowntime)
Start a Machine Downtime on a Work Center or Work Center Resource connected
to a site. It is optional to register the downtime cause.
- Stop Machine Downtime (Invoke action StopMachineDowntime)
Stop a Machine Downtime on a Work Center or Work Center Resource.
- Enter Analysis Results for Shop Order (Invoke
action ReportAnalysisResult)
Register analysis results on a Data
Point connected to a specific Analysis Number. The Data Point can set to be completed, if the required
sample size has been registered. Values sent to a Data Point will be handled
incrementally depending on the data type:
- Attribute - Sending a Result will increment the
number of Nonconforming by one and the Result value will be added to
the current value of Nonconformities.
- Categorical - Sending the Category Value ID as
the Result will increment the value in the corresponding result number
by one.
- Variable - Sending the result will register the
value in ascending order of the available result number.
- Receive Shop Order (Invoke action ReceiveOrder)
Receive completed items to inventory on a specific Shop Order Operation.
Non issued components are backflushed if possible. Handles quantity, Lot
Batch Number, Serial number, Location number and Handling Unit ID. When
receiving serial number items you are limited to receive one item at a time.
- Get Operation Info
Returns a list,
based on an Operation ID, containing shop order operation information. Refer
to the API Explorer specification for a complete list of returned
information.
- Get Next Executable Operation
Returns "Get Operation Info" list for the next executable operation
on a specific Work Center and Work Center Resource.
- Get Current Operations
Returns "Get Operation Info" list for ongoing setup and production
operations on a specific Work Center and Work Center Resource.
- Get Shop Orders Information
Returns a list of the Shop Orders information for the Site (Contract)
specified in the API request.
- Get Shop Order Components Information
Returns the list of Shop Order Components information for the Shop Order
specified in the API request.
- Get Shop Order Operations Information
Returns the list of Shop Order Operations information for the Shop Order
specified in the API request.
Refer to the technical documentation & API Explorer for more information.
Machine Instructions
The Work Guideline type Machine Instruction
can hold information used by the machine in the production process. This data
can be fetched with the "Get Operation Info" API.
Production Schedule Connector Projection
These APIs can be used to automate Production Schedule activities:
- Report completed quantity (Invoke action ReportQuantity)
Report a quantity of a part produced on a Production Line. Serial numbers
can only be entered when reporting a quantity of one part. This API
does not support
Background job receiving, Catch UoM, Edit components and Packing Instruction.
- Report progress point quantity (Invoke action ReportProgressPointQuantity)
Report a quantity on a Production Line Progress Point.
- Report scrap (Invoke action ReportScrap)
Report
a scrap quantity of a part on either a Progress Point or a complete part.
- Get Production Schedules (Invoke action GetProductionSchedules)
Get information about ongoing Production Schedule.
- Get Progress Points (Invoke action GetProgressPoints)
Get information about ongoing Progress Point status of a Part on a Production
Line.
- Get Analysis Information (Invoke action GetAnalysisInformation)
Get information regarding inspection analyses given a Site, Part and Production
Line. The inspection can be reported using the ReportAnalysisResult API in the Shop Floor Connector
Projection.
Refer to the technical documentation & API Explorer for more information.