X-Trim

Introduction

X-Trim® is a world-class trim optimisation system developed and fine-tuned over many years by Greycon. X-Trim effectively and seamlessly combines leading-edge optimisation performance with detailed functionality that addresses real-world problems with great intuitiveness in its graphical user interface. For more information click here to see the X-Trim 2-page brochure or read below; even more information is available in our White Papers section (registration required).

X-Trim is adept at handling:

• Reels or sheets
• Fixed or variable diameters
• Multi-machine & multi-site situations
• Optimising in-line primary processes (e.g. paper machine --> winder) and from stock

X-Trim offers solutions to all these situations and many more. X-Trim is easy to implement and use, saves money and provides a return on investment often measured in days or weeks. As an important component in a production planning and scheduling system, X-Trim complements and connects to:

• Commercial order fulfilment systems
• Advanced Planning & Scheduling systems - X-Trim uniquely offers a certified interface to SAP
• Manufacturing Execution Systems

There are over 250 plants world-wide and more than 100 customers in the paper, packaging, film, corrugating and metals industries using X-Trim to optimise their production. See Greycon Clients List for some of the customers. X-Trim is fully internationalised, including metric & imperial units and compatible with Far Eastern character sets.

Detailed Functionality

Parallel Processing on Multi-Core Platforms

Users can simultaneously launch multiple algorithm searches, fully exploiting multi-core processors. Each search can have its own machine and algorithm parameter values.

Constant-, Variable- & Multiple-diameter Problems

X-Trim can solve problems where all reels (whether produced for the end-user or those that will go through a converting process) have:

• The same, common, diameter
• At least some of the reels can be produced in a continuously variable range, or where the material is not reeled at all, but is sheeted in-line
• At least some of the reels can be produced at a number of pre-specified, fixed, diameters

Multi-primary Machine Problems

The program handles multiple primary machines, whether these represent multiple paper machines in different sites or master stock of different sizes.

Given an order that may be split across more than one primary machine, the program determines how best to split it according to optimisation criteria (see below) and run length constraints.

When splitting an order across multiple primary machines, X-Trim takes into account:

• The site or facility where the primary machine is located
• The minimum quantity of this order that can be produced at this site; the program can work with either a minimum quantity or a multiple (e.g. truckloads).
• Whether the whole of the order or just part of it can be split between sites and/or paper machines
• The incremental transportation cost for producing this order at this site
• The specific caliper / density for the grade on each primary machine (orders are specified by weight or reel count)
• Minimum and maximum primary machine run lengths for load balancing

Associated with each paper machine there is an operating cost and the value of waste; these are used for global optimisation.

A separate document, X-Trim Multi-Site Functionality is available upon request.

Simple, Bi- and Quad- Winders

X-Trim supports simple, bi- and quad-winders. Bi-winders can process multiple reel lengths simultaneously, provided they are placed in alternate stations:

Quad-winders can process up to four different lengths at the same time:

Faults / Bad Spots

The user may specify that one or more regions of the primary process has an unacceptable fault:

X-Trim will produce optimal solutions, trimming around the defective areas:

Utility orders can be defined which can be placed on top of faults:

Anvil / Backing Roll Constraints

The system can address slitting processes that involve pre-setting knife positions with anvils. In this case the knife change minimisation option also takes into account anvil changes.

Stock Roll Conversion Module

The Stock Roll Conversion Module is specifically designed to address those trim situations where the primary rolls are not obtained through a fixed-width process such as a paper machine, but are obtained from external suppliers, typically in a variety of sizes. X-Trim supports trimming around defects on the stock reels. This module is typically used in situations where the primary production is separated from the slitting by a buffer.

Different Secondary Processes

Secondary machines can be:

• Rewinders
• Simplex / Duplex / Triplex in-line and off-line cutters
• Off-line Coaters
• Extruders
  
• Metallisers

Position Constraints

Each order may have a position constraint, such as "not at the edge" for situations where the profile characteristics of the paper machine are perceived to be non-uniform. X-Trim supports many variations of the same theme, including:

• Distinguishing between front / back (or left / right) edges
• Defining a minimum distance from the edge
• Allowing up to a user-specified percentage of an order to come from an edge position
• For off-line coaters and extruders, have position constraints on the parent reels

Multi-packs

Some of the reel orders may require multi-packing, e.g., they must always appear in patterns in pairs (or other multiple) so that they can be palletised. X-Trim supports several variations of the same theme, including

• Multi-pack defined as a range, e.g. 4:5.
• Multi-pack as a semi-soft constraint, with limited violations allowed

Transportation Mode

The multi-site optimisation module also supports alternative transportation modes for each order / site combination and X-Trim recommends the most appropriate transportation mode, based on the detailed timing information that is available in each solution and the associated cost and transportation duration.

Knife Change Minimisation

Sophisticated mathematical optimisation can post-process a solution to achieve minimum knife changes, with demonstrable savings of up to 35%:

Order Spread Minimisation & Hot Loading

In some mills there is relatively little space between the paper machine winder and the despatch bay. It is therefore sometimes important that orders are not too spread out in a solution, because otherwise some of the orders will lay on the mill floor, waiting for the other components of this order.

Problem Advisor

This module performs sensitivity analysis on the orders, indicating which ones should have their maximum quantity increased and which ones should have their minimum quantity reduced.

International Support

X-Trim clients are to be found all over the world and this has required a number of advanced features:

• Units of measure can be metric and imperial. Three flavours of imperial units are available, decimal inches, (50½ is written as 50.500), 32nd (50½ is written as 50.16) & fractional (50½ is written as 50 1/2)
• The user may change any of the text that appears anywhere in the program. The Greycon Administrator (a utility supplied as part of the system) contains functionality to perform this translation. The user may also change language at run-time. New languages can also be defined, including multi-byte Far Eastern languages:

• The system uses the Windows regional settings formats for the display of numbers and dates.

Technical Requirements

X-Trim is available on Windows Vista / Windows XP and the corresponding server products. X-Trim is compatible with Windows Terminal Server and Citrix.

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