With Simine Prolog, the new MES solution, the Siemens Industrial Solutions and Services (I&S) Group ensures a complete flow of information which closes the gap between business management on the one hand and production on the other. Mine operators can now monitor all the production processes from mining and comminution to secondary processes such as water treatment or storage and can also profitably optimize these processes on the basis of company goals. Use of this modular MES solution increases productivity and economic efficiency.
To withstand the pressure of competition nowadays, all those possibilities and potential sources of improvement which enable economically efficient and effective production need to be exploited to the full. This is where MES (Manufacturing Execution System) solutions come in. Thanks to their transparent portrayal of production processes, they enable flexible production planning and enhance economic efficiency substantially.
The Simine Prolog system from Siemens is an MES solution which enables effective control of all the production processes in open-cast mining. Its modular structure does not impose any limits on its adaptation to the different processes and requirements in the plant. Thanks to the flexibility of Simine Prolog, existing systems can be integrated and it can be easily adapted to the specific requirements of the mine operator. As a result, the operator can create his own individual MES environment which seamlessly integrates itself into all the production levels such as automation, logistics or power supply. It can also be linked up to the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system.
The advantage of a Simine Prolog environment is not only that it enables higher quality production planning. The inclusive portrayal of all the processes involved also makes it possible for the management to arrive at decisions quickly. Forward-looking planning is now a real possibility and leads to an increase in productivity and greater availability.
Prolog effectively synchronizes, coordinates, analyzes and optimizes all the work processes. The integrated Prolog components provide special functions for these processes. One component, for example, is the “Product Tracking and Tracing” function which monitors the starting material from the mining and transport stages until further processing and the finished product. All the components, even products from other suppliers, can be directly integrated into the basic SIMATIC IT system, which belongs to Simine Prolog. The Simatic IT framework contains all the production logic and the data management system as well as libraries with an abundance of processes specific to particular industries. The mine operator can also add his own functions so that his individual experience can be integrated as well. The graphic display ensures maximum transparency and provides a dynamic overview of the mine’s entire process chain.