With the acquisition of Parex, Sika also acquired know-how in the area of plant digitalization, supporting operational efficiency right down to the shop floor: namely a software program called Galileo that is widely used at the vast majority of Parex production sites.
Galileo is used as an industrial management tool for production and operational efficiency monitoring. It provides insights on production via automatic data collection in real time on a local, regional and global level from all existing SCADAs, PLCs, historical servers, and any other production process-relevant data source.
The system was originally developed many years ago and installed as a machine software in some sites in France. Based on this, additional layers were developed over the years and implemented step by step.
So, although it is called Galileo in the singular, as a matter of fact it is made of multiple elements which allow for different levels of installation and can be custom-adapted to local needs.
As of 2020, Galileo is widely used at Sika locations. Not all of them have the same exact system in place and each one uses it in a slightly different way. Basic installation considers just the machine software. The next level allows for data acquisition, big data and analytics. In addition, there are also some Galileo modules which are used at some sites but are now available and integrated in standard ERPs.
Galileo allows the standardization of operational terminology and data analysis in all production sites, improves quality, maximizes utilization and efficiency of equipment and increases productivity. It is also possible to perform a productive benchmark study between various sites.
Analysis of these data enables users to quickly and easily identify bottlenecks on production lines, and therefore guide capital investment, develop action plans, and monitor results. Experience has shown that implementing Galileo in a production line increases productivity by some 30%, at low investment costs.
Opting for Galileo as the reference production tool enabled Sika to quickly implement a highly automated, reliable and efficient tool that is continuously undergoing improvement. Furthermore, with Parex and Sika being successfully integrated, Sika can leverage Galileo to achieve its strategic targets.