MBrain
A Digital Production System
what is mbrain?
MBrain is what we call a Digital Production System. An enhancement of the typical MES/MOM, if you will.
MBrain adds extensive additional capabilities and a completely different mindset, that is rooted in the actual methods and processes of your manufacturing. ​​
This helps ensuring that any activity you perform in the system is inherently linked connected to the logic of how your product was made.
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We believe that, in order to create a truly Smart Factory, you don't just need connected machines and systems, you also need to digitize method -- whether it is manual, automated or both, to really create a true digital twin of your production.
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Discrete manufacturing
MBrain is built to fit the complex methods of discrete manufacturing.
A production system is critical for managing and monitoring the production process in discrete manufacturing, where items are produced in distinct units, such as automobiles, electronics and appliances. ​
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Given our experience from hundreds of manufacturing floors, MTEK understands manufacturing flows. MBrain is designed to specifically cater to discrete manufacturing methods, because that is the know-how that MTEK brings into the MES/MOM world - and we built the product we always wanted. ​
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With MTEK's no-code approach and out-of-the-box functionality, the system can be configured to support basic batch production, a little more complex single piece flows, or all the way to more advanced takted flows with sequenced material replenishment, commonly used within e.g. automotive.​
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Creating traceability for rework and repairs are often difficult for traditional MES, but thanks to our method centric approach, it is easy to set up a digital thread for such situations within MBrain, not only tied to material but also the process.​
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However, to be successful in discrete manufacturing we believe that an equal amount of effort needs to be spent on material replenishment to the lines. MBrain therefore, has out-of-the-box functionality which allows you to setup buffer control, digital kanban flows and even sequenced material replenishment in anyway that replicates your production setup.​
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Of course MBrain also allows you to combine any manufacturing and replenishment method in any granularity down to single workstations.​
no Code
Enabling a Digital Twin of your production.
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Configuration of classical MES/MOM is generally done by adaptation of the code and special customer releases.​
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MTEK has chosen not to walk down that path since bespoke solutions for each customer are hard to maintain and increases the cost of delivery over time - and both increases time-to-value and means adaptations over time are more costly and time-consuming.​
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Instead, MBrain provides a no-code approach which means that the clients are able to configure out-of-the-box features themselves to mirror their production flow and work methods. ​
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This applies both to how the manufacturing workflows are built, and to things like IT and OT integrations. Combining the method of manufacturing with the adjacent IT system and the shop-floor equipment opens the door for real IT/OT convergence.
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The true magic comes when we combine the power of no-code together with a modern architecture that is able to scales on an enterprise grade level. Allowing our clients to reap the benefits of multi-site capabilities enabled by the cloud, whether in the Client’s tenant or MTEK’s. ​
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Whether you are adding products, scaling to new lines or factories, adding machines or upgrading your ERP. MBrain will help you to scale, run and iterate operations to create and maintain a true competitive edge.​
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Method Centric
Machine Centric vs Method Centric.
IT-Centric / Machine Centric
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MES/MOM products on the market today typically come from one of two ‘directions’​
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It is common for IT vendors (for instance ERP) to move down to the shop floor, adding functionality to an ERPsystem to complement aspects that support the financials aspects (time, material, scrap reporting, routing, BOM imports…to name a few key functions)
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These things are absolutely vital for an MES to function an add value. BUT it doesn’t actually help a manufacturer in addressing the root-causes of the variation (which affects time, material, scrap…etc). We call this an “IT-centric” approach.​
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OR, systems come from the machine side of things – typically addressing the “Industry 4.0” aspects.
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These systems focus deeper on machine data, analytics, OEE and all of those things that are also crucial aspects of an MES/MOM system. However, knowing the status of your machine or the percentage of your OEE will not directly support you in improving any of those metrics.
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​We call this a “machine-centric” approach and while it is important, MTEK would argue it misses a wealth of key aspects that contribute to value creation in manufacturing
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Method Centric
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MBrain is fundamentally focused on the manufacturing method – which is why call it “Method-centric”.​
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The system is built from the perspective of the user; The operator, the Manufacturing Engineer, the Planner, the Maintenance Person, the Quality Engineer..etc. And all features are interlinked (just like workflows in the factory!)
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It covers the aspects of the IT-centric and the Machine-centric approaches, but contextualizes that information in the context of the way products and material moves through the factory, what happens to it, in which sequence, who is working on it, how the change-overs get made, whether maintenance has been carried out properly or to enable quality interlocking between processes in a factory (to give a few examples)
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It is this perspective that means that MBrain does not have to “try” to develop things like a “digital thread”, since all data is collected in the context of the method. The method is that thread that holds it all together.
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Similarly, since everything starts with defining the method/process – the system almost by default & design becomes a digital twin of the manufacturing process.
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The more aspects you decide to include in the system, the richer your data model becomes and the more the value of MBrain will compound in your operation
A Digital Production System
a way to compound value creation
The IT stack in a modern factory is complex, and growing increasingly so by the day.
Even smaller factories typically need to handle many different systems in order to solve their challenges. It can be MES, CMMS, work instructions, TAKT systems, OEE systems, dashboards or daily-standup boards, analytics systems, or Industrial IoT systems.
At MTEK, we believe all of those aspects are inextricably intertwined.
This is why MBrain is designed to be able to cater to many of these aspects. Removing the need for costly integrations and automatically creating a richer data model that will also be more valuable in the context of problem solving, as well as more useful for advanced artificial intelligence tools.