Driving efficiency and sustainability: A journey with connected AI at ORBIS

The Challenge

Manufacturing facilities face significant financial consequences from downtime, with impacts on labor costs, maintenance expenses, and production targets. Until recently, scheduled maintenance remained the primary defense against these losses, offering only limited protection against unexpected failures and performance issues.

Seeking to establish a competitive edge while advancing their sustainability initiatives, ORBIS formed a strategic partnership with Milacron and ei³ to implement "M-Powered," an advanced suite of Industrial IoT and AI applications. This technology initiative aimed to optimize machinery performance, enhance reusable plastics manufacturing efficiency, and deliver measurable environmental benefits.

The Solution

ORBIS harnessed M-Powered's AI capabilities to implement continuous digital monitoring of critical machine components, transforming their approach to maintenance and optimization. The platform converted standard monitoring dashboards into actionable predictive alerts—functioning similar to a vehicle's check engine light—that precisely identified and detailed impending component failures.

This intelligence-driven approach enabled ORBIS to replace components at optimal intervals before failure occurred, yielding substantial energy savings and cycle time improvements. M-Powered's predictive maintenance suite, coupled with robust APIs, delivered automatic alerts that empowered maintenance teams to execute precisely timed preventive actions.

Predicting Heater Band Failures:

• ei³'s continuous 24/7 data collection system analyzed complex machine behavior patterns to identify early indicators of heater band degradation

• Engineers developed a specialized algorithm within three months that detected potential failures through precise analysis of amperage fluctuations and control signal patterns

• Data-driven maintenance decisions guided proactive component replacement based on algorithmic predictions rather than reactive response to failures

Heater band malfunction shown by divergence between response (green) and input (orange), indicating abnormal amperage draw.

Predictive Maintenance for Hydraulic Pumps:

• Symphony wave field sensors integrated with Connected AI algorithms created a comprehensive monitoring system that predicted hydraulic pump failures up to two months before occurrence

• The system identified subtle performance deviations in pump health, enabling precisely scheduled maintenance interventions

• Maintenance teams used these predictive insights to schedule service during planned downtime rather than responding to emergency failures

Pump health vibration analysis showing intensity changes before and after part replacement

Optimizing Feed Screw Settings:

• ei³'s data scientists deployed a sophisticated multi-modal analysis methodology to examine energy consumption patterns in feed screw operations

• The analysis revealed previously undetectable wear patterns on plasticizing screws, providing critical advance intelligence for component replacement planning

• Engineering teams established optimal plasticizing screw velocity parameters based on data-driven performance models

Lynn Hediger, VP Manufacturing and Production at Orbis, explains how ei³’s data-driven insights help maintain machine health

Results

• 1,000 kWh of Energy Savings Per Machine Per Day: Showcased a clear commitment to sustainability, with individual machines saving over 1,000 kWh daily—one machine alone saved more than 18,000 kWh in a single year.

• 7,000 Hours of Downtime Prevented: Achieved across 22 connected machines in the first year, including 144 hours of avoided disruptions through hydraulic pump monitoring alone.

• 1% Reduction in Scrap Rate: Indicated better product quality and more consistent manufacturing processes, resulting in less material waste.

• Enhanced Production Efficiency: Fine-tuning of feed screw settings led to higher throughput, smoother operations, and significantly reduced cycle times.

About ORBIS

ORBIS, a sister company of Menasha Corporation, has been a provider of innovative reusable plastic and steel packaging solutions since 1966. ORBIS caters to diverse markets, primarily focusing on retail supply, industrial, and automotive industries, delivering an extensive range of products from pallets and containers to totes and trays. Headquartered in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, the company employs over 2,600 staff across 55 locations throughout North America and Europe.