Efficient production of corrugated cardboard

Central platform for seamless data exchange between systems

The Challenge

So far there have been different databases for the corrugator, which all communicated in different ways, and not with each other. For example, it is not possible to inform about changes in other databases via the running application or to view data centrally. This complex system therefore requires a lot of maintenance and updating effort. In the future, there will be a central data platform for the Corrugator, which will enable standardized data exchange between different applications, based on a unified data model.

BHS

BHS Corrugated is a leading solutions provider in the corrugated cardboard industry with more than 3,000 employees worldwide. BHS has been manufacturing corrugators with a length of up to 180 meter for the production of boxes for more than thirty years.

How we helped

The individually developed IoT-solution, DBM, is the new center for efficient data acquisition and data quality. It synchronizes various interfaces in this complex system and ensures the simple linking of master and process data. This makes it possible to recognize in more detail which machine parameters used which order to run through the Corrugator.

The benefits:

  • Improved data quality and reduced maintenance efforts through standardized, transparent data models
  • High performance thanks to Apache Kafka
  • Scalable, to guarantee the expansion of further functions and developments

Technologies

Apache Kafka C# .NET protobuf Docker Compose

DBM-Plattform

BHS requirement was to create an IoT platform with a central, standardized database that networks loosely coupled systems and enriches data with semantic information. As part of the project, the DBM was developed to act as a single point of truth, improving data quality and reducing maintenance costs.

The DBM is a central component in BHS’s long-term vision of creating a standardized control system for corrugators. Since the milestone release of version 1.0, the system has already been running productively at several customers.

Driving innovation?

Works better together

 

This is the way of working that characterizes XITASO. One example of this success story is our excellent cooperation
cooperation with BHS on the DBM project.

You can find out more about this and the company’s internal release on “Development Insight Day” in our X-NOTES.

The BHS and XITASO project team

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