ePS Shapes COSI 1.0: A More Connected, Intelligent Future for Corrugated Manufacturing

TePS helped write it and led the technical work behind it. Andre Seifert, Product Manager at ePS, served as technical editor and advisor to the working group. He led the specification's technical development, comparing how machine vendors connect today across hundreds of protocols to find what they share, and proposing the first common structure for machine setup.

ePS builds software for packaging plants, but the problem COSI addresses does not belong to any one supplier. Connecting machines to planning has long held the industry back, and it will only be solved if the people who build the systems help write the rules. Passionate about driving the industry forward and uniquely positioned to support both areas, ePS was keen to give Andre time to share his technical expertise with the working group.

One language to ease connections

For decades, connecting production machinery to ERP and MES systems has meant building individual integrations, each with its own interfaces and data formats. COSI replaces that with a common approach covering performance, setup, quality and maintenance.

It is built on MQTT, a messaging protocol for real-time data exchange, and is vendor-neutral. Board producers, machinery manufacturers and software providers developed it together, and manufacturers keep control of their own data. It also gives the industry a practical route to using the EU Data Act, which established businesses’ rights to access data from connected products but did not prescribe a format for exchanging it.

“COSI gives our industry a shared language for machine data, which until now has been reinvented with every project,” said Andre Seifert, Product Manager at ePS. “The real value comes when plants can capture data from every machine they run, new and old, and turn it into better planning, faster setups and tighter control. Our hardware and software already do that, and COSI makes it easier for the whole industry to build on.”

From standard to plant floor

A standard only matters once it runs on the plant floor. Native COSI support will reach new machines gradually, but corrugated plants run equipment spanning several generations. Using the standard fully means capturing data from every machine, not just the newest – The principle behind the ePS CommandCore platform, designed to connect all areas of packaging production on a single foundation.

By helping to write the specification and building the systems that put it to work, ePS is involved at both ends of that spectrum:

• A common base for every vendor. By comparing hundreds of vendor integration protocols and proposing a setup structure that supports every machine type, Andre helped ensure the standard works for all vendors, not just a few. He also built a simulator, with a plant dashboard, an MES and a plant, that implements the whole standard to show the concept works. The work also gave ePS first-hand insight into where machine data exchange is heading and what the industry requires going forward.
• One data flow across the plant. COSI-ready machines can publish directly to a plant’s MQTT broker. Older machines and legacy corrugators connect through ePS hardware and control solutions. The result is one consistent flow of production data, regardless of machine age.
• Data that feeds planning. Because COSI runs on MQTT, it integrates seamlessly with ePS Control Systems for corrugator control and shop floor data collection. That data already feeds the ePS CommandCore ecosystem today, which connects shop floor control (including AC4D and Escada) with execution in Optima MES and planning in PrintFlow and CorrTrim.

What can plants do now?

Manufacturers don’t need to wait for universal COSI support. Capturing data from existing equipment and connecting it to wider production processes improves visibility, speeds up setups and tightens control today. As native support spreads, the foundations will already be in place.

“The real value of COSI is not simply connecting machines, but making production data accessible and actionable across the entire plant,” said Craig Tait, Chief Product Officer at ePS. “Manufacturers need the ability to access data quickly, regardless of machine age or vendor, and turn it into better business decisions today. By helping shape this industry standard, we are not only supporting greater connectivity, but helping define the future of corrugated manufacturing. Through CommandCore, we are already delivering the connected foundation manufacturers need to realise that value today and adapt as the industry evolves.”

The full technical guidelines and specifications are available from the VDW website