Product category:
Factory data acquisition
News Release from: Mattec | Subject: Production/process monitoring software
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 26 September 2006
Kanban, ERP added to production
monitoring
RFID or barcode-label support, JIT scheduling and seamless integration with ERP are among enhancements now available in the latest production/process monitoring software release.
RFID or barcode-label support, just-in-time production scheduling capabilities and seamless integration with advanced ERP systems are among the enhancements now available to processors in the latest production/process monitoring software release from Mattec Corp ProHelp EPM Version 7.0 is among the productivity-improvement products presented by Mattec on Stand F57 at the PDM 2006 Exhibition in Telford (UK), September 26-28, 2006
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 26 Sep 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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The labels and tags can be generated automatically at the end of a production run or, to eliminate problems with lost labels and mislabeled containers, ProHelp EPM 7.0 also provides new 'on-demand' printing options.
Operators using PC-based cell-controller workstations (which function like an MIU for one or several processing machines), can print a single label at machine-side when each part or box of parts is completed.
Because labels are printed one at a time, there is almost no chance that labels will be lost or applied to the wrong box.
The ProHelp EPM 7.0 ProHelp EPM real-time monitoring system now runs on Microsoft Windows Server 2003, utilizing the latest SQL Server 2005 database to create a powerful tool for use in the plastics injection molding, extrusion, blowmolding and other industries.
The system monitors every cycle of every connected machine in a processing plant and alerts users to changes in production and process conditions, so that critical decisions can be made quickly for optimum productivity and profitability.
Other key features of the new ProHelp EPM 7.0 include: * Kanban scheduling - job creation and scheduling capabilities of ProHelp EPM now function automatically to support Kanban just-in-time signaling systems.
Kanban cards are scanned into the system as parts are consumed and containers are returned, and when a preset limit is reached, jobs are automatically scheduled on a molding machine and shown on the real-time scheduling screen in ProHelp.
Each job is preprogrammed to coordinate delivery of the proper mold, material and set-up instructions to the assigned workstation.
* Andon visual display support - new display options for ProHelp EPM 7.0 now make it easy to deliver information to 'Andon' boards - large-format, high-resolution color LED displays used to provide visual manufacturing awareness to shop-floor personnel.
The displays are user configurable to highlight production performance, machine process alarms, operator help calls and scrap and downtime information.
* Graphical plant-floor display - the ProHelp real-time display, which provides easy visual reference to the status of processing machines, can now be configured using machine-like icons in place of the standard tabular display.
The color of the icon indicates the status of the machine (green for machine running OK, yellow for machine down, red for machine running out of spec, etc), as well as the job number, run-time hours to go, and the like.
Touching the icon on a touch screen display allows the user to drill down for more information.
The machine icons can be arranged on the screen to exactly match the layout of machines in the plant or in a basic grid pattern for touch-screen operation.
* Data integration with CMS Software's ERP system - new integration features allow users of ERP system from CMS Software to deliver manufacturing execution system (MES) data from ProHelp 7.0 to enterprise systems - seamlessly and in real time.
This not only eliminates the need for after-the-fact information uploads, but also allows managers to make inventory control, purchasing, distribution, and other decisions with real-time information.
* Enhanced cavity pressure graphing - ProHelp EPM 7.0 users may view profile graphs for up to four cavity pressure signals, with the option to save, retrieve, or overlay standard graphs on top of real-time graphs.
* More charting and configuration choices - process charts have been improved to allow engineers to view and analyze machine process parameters for the previous 10,000 cycles.
The downtime chart has been improved to chart a wider range of data.
Users entering weight information for the material list in a part ID now have additional calibration options that provide greater precision.
* About Mattec - Mattec is the leading supplier of real-time production and process monitoring systems for plastics injection molding, extrusion, blow molding, metal stamping and other industries.
Headquartered near Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, Mattec has a substantial international presence, with installations not only in the USA and Western Europe, but also in Poland, Lithuania, Slovakia, China, Brazil, and Australia.
Mattec brings together computer hardware, interactive terminals and machine monitors with software that collects, analyses, reports and stores manufacturing information 24h a day, 7 days a week.
With real-time information, production and management personnel can make informed decisions, effectively managing resources, reducing scrap and downtime, and improving quality and productivity.
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