A: The integration of a production line LCD display system with ERP or MES relies on a "middleware plus standard protocol" approach. The Kanban screen does not connect directly to the ERP database; instead, it uses MES or an independent integration service as a data intermediary to push work order, material, and quality data to the display via interfaces. Implementation can be viewed in three layers.
1. Clarify the data flow. ERP handles work order release, material availability, and BOM information. MES manages process progress, WIP status, and equipment and quality data. The LCD Kanban is essentially a display terminal that subscribes to real-time work order status and WIP quantities within MES, rather than querying the underlying tables of ERP. A common practice is for MES to provide RESTful APIs or message queues (such as MQTT or Kafka), allowing the Kanban side to periodically pull or subscribe to push notifications based on work order numbers or production line IDs.
2. Select interface protocols. Most production line Kanbans support HTTP/HTTPS, Modbus TCP, and OPC UA. Integration with MES prioritizes JSON-formatted HTTP interfaces, aligning fields such as work order number, product part number, planned quantity, completed quantity, yield rate, and current process step. If direct PLC connection is required on-site, OPC UA should be used. ERP generally does not connect directly to the Kanban to avoid exposing the ERP database to the workshop network.
3. Synchronization frequency for WIP and quality data. It is recommended to refresh WIP quantities and defect rates every 30 seconds to one minute. Event-driven data, such as work order switching or material shortage alerts, should use push mechanisms. A hypothetical electronics factory implemented a solution where MES updates a WIP snapshot after each station scan, and the Kanban polls for the latest value. This ensures real-time performance without placing excessive pressure on the database.
4. Linkage between exceptions and ESOP. When MES determines that the yield rate for a specific work order falls below a threshold, the Kanban not only changes color for warning but also triggers the corresponding ESOP work instruction page, allowing operators to verify process parameters immediately. This functionality relies on a rule engine built into the Kanban system, where rule conditions are triggered by the quality inspection interface of MES.
Summary recommendation: First confirm whether the MES vendor offers standard APIs, then define the data retrieval frequency and field mapping table for the Kanban. ERP should serve only as the data source and not connect directly. Before full-scale deployment, conduct a small-scale joint debugging test on a single production line to ensure work orders, WIP, and yield rate data flows are functioning correctly before expanding.