OPC 40084-2 describes the interface between extrusion lines and manufacturing execution systems (MES) for data exchange. MES are used for collecting the information generated by extrusion lines at a central point for easier quality assurance and job and dataset management. The target of OPC 40084-2 is to provide a unique interface for extrusion lines and MES from different manufacturers to ensure compatibility.

The following functionalities are covered:

• General information about the extrusion lines (manufacturer, model, serial number…), current configuration and status of the extruder line.
• Job management: Information on the jobs running on the machine and the parameters of the production and methods to send jobs from the MES to the extrusion line and to release the production.
• Recipe management: Extrusion lines store their configurations in so-called recipes. These include information on nominal process parameters (temperatures, dosing volumes …). OPC 40084-2 allows transferring datasets between extrusion lines and MES for building a central repository of recipes.

Following functions are not included:

• Safety related signals like emergency stop
• Direct control of machine movements by the MES

This part of OPC 40084 deals with extrusion lines and functionalities related to the whole system. Information models for its components (extruder, dies, winders…) are defined in the other parts.