Enhance Operational Excellence
Operational Excellence
ME360 is the NSG standard program to improve operations towards excellence. Key drivers (21) and results (11) have been chosen among a wider range to ensure utmost focus on the basics and on the priorities of NSG medium term plans.
ME360 is a powerful and effective tool to create awareness of the plant capabilities, in terms of people, machine and process and it provides a road-map to achieve excellence for each of the key drivers. Sites complete a regular self-assessment against the ME360 criteria and develop a Manufacturing Excellence Improvement Plan (MEIP) based on their needs.
NSG is pursuing digitalization as a key part of our manufacturing improvement activities, working to share existing best practice examples around the Group and collaborating with a range of organizations to find innovative solutions to existing challenges.
To support further digitalization of our operations the existing training package for key personnel is being enhanced with the addition of "data science" topics to ensure every site is well prepared to move forward on our digital transformation journey.
ME360 self-assessment tool for operational excellence
Example: AI Furnace Model in Sequoia
NSG operates an inhouse Manufacturing Execution System "Sequoia", which has been a strong foundation for our flat glass manufacturing operations for many years. Sequoia allows process operators and managers to have key information at their fingertips for operation and analysis of our manufacturing processes.
In order to harness the full value of this information NSG float glass experts have been working with machine learning specialists to develop an AI model to assist operators with furnace control. A prototype has been developed using an iterative process with training datasets, letting the model learn from the data, guided by established practical knowledge.
The goal of the model is to achieve yield improvements and fuel savings through detailed optimization of the furnace operation.
Development of an AI model for furnace control