October 2010 Industry News
Defense Department Contractors Among Those Using the
Software Package That Can Connect to Any Factory Asset,
Harvest Data, Dissect it, and Present Actionable Information
The new Freedom eWARE™ software suite from e-tekx is the
first all-encompassing manufacturing data reporting platform
to provide performance, utilization and availability
feedback from any industrial asset on the plant floor. eWARE™
is a modular and scalable software package for data
acquisition, condition monitoring, energy monitoring, and
cell control, capable of generating reports and analytics
for maintenance, process optimization, and OEE. The new
software, which is MTConnect® compliant, can interact with
smart phones, tablet PCs and similar mobile devices,
displaying machinery status, productivity data, and
machinery analytics for various systems on a plant network.
Unique in the market, eWARE is "target independent",
capable of collecting data from a variety of plant floor
assets – without modification to ladder logic or part
programming – and transforming that data into actionable
information. With installations that include Department of
Defense facilities and contractors, eWARE makes
manufacturing activity and system conditions transparent,
enabling rapid implementation of operational and maintenance
excellence, proven with payback as short as one year.
eWARE consists of five modules for logging, analyzing and
reporting information, plus a control-resident eCONNECT™
interface for each machine that uses a PC front-end control.
For non-PC-based CNC's, PLC's, and manual machines, eCONNECT
runs on a DIN-rail-mounted PC with discrete I/O connections
to specific machine electrics. eCONNECT acts as a data
collection hub and access point for equipment on the plant
floor, and supplies information to the five software
modules: eLOG™, eVIEW™, eMONITOR™, eENERGY™ and eCELL™.
eLOG uses algorithms based on AMT and VDI standards to
categorize time into six different areas: Plant Shut-Down,
Scheduled Downtime, Delay Time, Repair Time, Not-In-Cycle
Process Time and In-Cycle Time. Reports available in eLOG
include: top 25 alerts, top 25 events, top 25 programs by
duration or by count, a daily view of activity over a
24-hour period and a tapestry report for day-by-day or
hour-to-hour comparisons. eLOG allows rapid visualization of
inefficiencies and identification of root causes to
facilitate mistake-proofed process, improved utilization,
condition-based maintenance, and reduced MRO inventories.
Information can be formatted and filtered for specific
departments, such as production, planning, or maintenance.
The software can also send text and email alerts.
The eVIEW module is maintenance-driven and provides
in-depth machine diagnostics and monitoring utilities to
reduce the time needed for diagnosis and repair,
particularly for complex problems. It permits visualization
of machine data and allows setting user-configurable trigger
points for diagnosing problems.
eMONITOR analyzes and displays data on machine and
process health, such as vibration, temperature, pressure,
spindle/axis current, etc., for establishment of a
condition-based maintenance program. Capable of correlating
multiple I/O conditions, eMONITOR allows detection of small
anomalies before component failure, detects process
variation prior to production, and determines whether a
component or process is in a nominal condition.
eENERGY allows plant management to develop an ideal
balance between energy consumption, cycle time, part
programs and tooling by understanding energy consumption
trends related to specific machines, programs and tools. It
can alert manufacturing teams of peak usage thresholds for
purposes of shift balancing, and allows cycle optimization
by energy consumption of each tool.
eCELL is cell control software for automated palletized
manufacturing systems and parallel processing of parts. It
allows management of cell resources and operations to
improve production flows and facilitate "lights out"
operations.
In addition to its software platform, e-tekx can support
users with Lean training, turnkey system integration,
simultaneous engineering, producibility/productivity
analyses, remote diagnostics and a host of other services to
help sustain and maximize improvements.
eWARE is certified as "networthy" for use by U.S.
Department of Defense agencies, armed forces and
contractors. Networthiness certification ensures Automated
Information Systems (AIS) utilizing the Army Network are
developed in compliance with the Clinger Cohen Act and are
secure, supportable, sustainable, and compatible with the
Army Enterprise Infostructure (AEI) (as defined in AR
25-IA). The software provides multiple language support
including: English, French, German, Italian, Korean,
Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish and Chinese.
Want more information? Click below.
MAG
The Shapetracer Laser Line Scanner System with its
Integrated Programming and Post-Processing Software Provides
a Solution for High-Quality, Non-Contact Reverse Engineering
and Inspection.
The requirements for quality assurance have increased
with 3D technologies. Previously all major dimensions could
be taken from a 2D drawing for tactile measurement which is
no longer the case today. Modern 3D drawings include little
in the way of explicit dimensions. The curves of the
free-form surfaces are almost impossible to verify, using
traditional tactile measurement techniques.
Wenzel is providing new advanced 3D measuring technology
to solve these measuring issues and their new “Shapetracer”
laser line scanner is quickly becoming a preferred solution.
The Wenzel Shapetracer is a high-precision line scanner
developed together with the Pointmaster evaluation software
from Wenzel Knotenpunkt. Shapetracer is an extremely compact
scanner that can be connected to the Renishaw PH6M or PH10M
probe head via the Renishaw Autojoint connection and,
consequently, can be adapted to almost every coordinate
measuring machine. In conjunction with the PH10M rotary
swivel head, five axis measurement is available.
From the outset, the Wenzel development team decided that
the laser line scanner should be used on a coordinate
measuring machine with a stable support table, and not just
on a mobile measuring arm. Higher production applications
require automatic measurement of several workpieces which is
only possible on a large stationary measuring machine. In
addition, if probe and sensor changing is to be automated,
the Shapetracer can be cabled via the Renishaw Multiwire
connection so its storage together with other measurement
heads is easily accommodated.
In operation, scanning of the workpiece, where the
operator is supported by the Pointmaster kinematics module
and the software, takes over the full command of the
measuring process. The measuring machine can be completely
and virtually mapped so that simulations of the measuring
process are also possible. A point cloud is generated from
the scan data and, from that a polygon model with homogenous
surface is computed (triangulation). Finally the polygon
model is converted into a CAD model in IGES format. Quality
technicians can receive the CAD data, also in IGES format,
from the design department. Both datasets are aligned and
compared with the software. Pointmaster highlights the
differences between the two models in different colors where
the variances in dimension can be discretionally selected
and marked by flags. All dimensions are listed and
contrasted in the evaluation protocol. This applies
particularly to components with complex inner workings.
These parts must be dissected in order to simulate both the
external and internal contours.
With the Pointmaster software it is no problem to
construct a model from the component scanned in different
directions. The system provides a series of functions, both
for aligning the components and for manufacturing
homogeneous contour transitions in order to remove any cut
surfaces and to add consecutively scanned areas. The
assembly of the contours does not rely on mathematical
tricks, but always uses real data so a highly precise
scanner is a prerequisite. After the CAD model has been
generated the finest surface structures become visible.
Ingrained lettering, for example, appears distinctly and
clearly legible on the display screen.
“Shapetracer provides a measurement accuracy of better
than 20 µm,” explains Giles Gaskell, sales manager for 3D
imaging products for Wenzel/Xspect Solutions. This value is
not a theoretical specification based on specified accepted
boundary conditions. This value was proven metrological with
the aid of verified calibration figures. It is essential to
be aware that, apart from the camera resolution, the
accuracy of a laser sensor is primarily dependent on the
depth of scanning. The greater the scanning depth, the more
inaccurate the result. The Shapetracer was therefore
optimized for a scanning depth of 60 mm in order to obtain
the specified accuracy.”
Overview of the Shapetracer system include:
- Dimensions: 100 x 68 x 58 mm
- Working clearance: 40 mm
- Scan width: 35 mm
- Scan depth: 60 mm
- Scan capacity: 48,000 points/sec
- Measurement accuracy: better than 20 µm
Giles adds, “Because of its compact design, the
Shapetracer is ideal for mounting in sensor changer systems.
Consequently any conventional measurement machine can easily
be upgraded to become a multi-sensor machine".
Want more information? Click below.
Wenzel
Sandvik Coromant has released a free App designed to
provide engineers and machinists with a convenient resource
for calculating cutting data. Once downloaded and installed,
the App helps users optimize performance of their turning,
milling and drilling applications by calculating optimal
setting based on a job’s unique parameters.
“We’re always looking for exciting new ways to meet the
ever-changing needs of our customers,” says Lennart
Lindgren, global vice president marketing and sales. “We
developed this App to provide customers with a convenient
resource that can be accessed anywhere they take their
phone.”
The Machining Calculator App features a help button that
provides additional information on the calculation being
executed and the input needed to generate results. Sandvik
Coromant’s App also contains a process cost comparison that
determines how tool optimization can provide cost and time
savings. The App works with both metric and inch
measurements and is available for both iPhone and Android
phones.
Want more information? Click below.
Sandvik
MIE Solutions has launched a new release of MIE
Maintenance asset management software. MIE Maintenance is a
revolutionary Machine and Equipment maintenance and
preventive maintenance application. This software helps
companies in asset intensive industries maintain their
investments by managing these assets. MIE Maintenance
handles both maintenance requests and predefined maintenance
tasks to notify your maintenance teams to perform work.
Maintenance requests can be denied or approved. Once a
maintenance request is approved a work order is created to
perform the work.
The newly released version includes asset usage and
logging, inventory management, purchase order management,
and a simple to use fixed asset reporting. The rich
interface uses a ribbon bar, tab controls and other ease of
use tools to make implementation and training easy for all
the users. MIE Maintenance uses the industrial strength
database Microsoft SQL Server allowing many simultaneous
users to access and maintain their valuable assets.
MIE Maintenance can be integrated into MIE Solutions ERP
system to better manage the company assets, repair costs,
scheduling and usage of those assets. MIE Maintenance can be
used for free up to 25 assets or up to an unlimited number
of assets with purchase.
Want more information? Click below.
MIE
Solutions
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