OMAC Packaging Workgroup and OPC Foundation Collaborate on PackExpo 2007 Demonstration

Research Triangle Park, NC (31 May 2007) - The OMAC Packaging Workgroup
(OPW) and the OPC Foundation are teaming up to provide an "Integrated Packaging Line" demonstration for PackExpo 2007, held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, October 15 - 17.
The demonstration is meant to educate and inform the packaging community about the ease of integrating various packaging line functions (control, HMI, MES, ERP) when utilizing the OPW Connect-and-PackTM guidelines.
These guidelines make packaging operations more productive, enabling the implementation of effective business strategies ranging from supply chain management to product marketing.
OPW Connect-and-PackTM Guidelines provide a common look and feel on each of the packaging line functions (control, HMI, MES, ERP). This commonality provides the benefits of reduced engineering cost, reduced training cost, and improved asset utilization from the resulting transparent access to all relevant machine data. PackML and PackTags, part of the OPW Connect-and-PackTM Guidelines, provide a common machine language and defined set of packaging tags that enable the common look and feel. The PackTags enable effortless communication between the different packaging line functions (control, HMI, MES, ERP), while employing the industry standard OPC communications over Ethernet.
 
The participating technology providers will be implementing one or more of the functions utilizing the PackML and PackTags guidelines; consequently, each will be communicating with all other control demo functions while employing OPC over Ethernet. The communication configuration will only require configuring the OPC data tags to point to the appropriate PackTags in the control function, demonstrating the ease of integrating multiple technology providers while applying OPW Connect-and-PackTM Guidelines.
The OMAC Packaging Workgroup has been promoting their "Connect-and-PackTM" theme through the development of their "Guidelines for Packaging Automation," developed to make the parts of an integrated packaging line more plug-and-play. The latest version is available at www.omac.org/packaging.
To learn more about the guidelines, or to participate in future demos, visit www.omac.org.