Managing Automation - March 2009 - (Page 9)

time Production Organizer at the ARC show. RPO is a suite of MES applications that unify and organize the flow of information between production management and production control, the company said. Designed for the refining, petrochemical, and chemical industries, RPO works with Yokogawa’s Centrum VP integrated production control system and is based on the ISA-95 manufacturing execution standard for defining, dispatching, executing, analyzing, and tracking the flow of information throughout the plan-do-check-act cycle of business process improvement. Delivered as Web services, the five RPO packages can be introduced in phases. They are: Workflow Composer VP (standardized business work processes); Production Coordinator VP (tools for accurate scheduling); Production Instructor VP (work order execution); Production Supervisor VP (real-time KPI monitoring); and Production Tracker VP (production planning and accounting reports). Also at the conference: ● Emerson Process Management stepped in with a way to improve asset lifecycle performance: its new Syncade Smart Operations Management suite, real-time production management software for the plant. Syncade uses the modular, scalable, Microsoft.NET framework and addresses resource management (materials, scheduling, personnel training), operations optimization (order management, track and trace, electronic procedural control, and data collection), integrated information (integrating plant floor data with business practices), and quality and compliance (documentation for regulatory compliance). ● Wonderware introduced sustainable industry applications for the facilities management and packaging segments. The Wonderware Industry Solutions for Facilities Management offering features a library of templates, graphics, faceplates, and symbols for the development of consistent, open applications across enterprises. And the Industry Application for Packaging targets food and beverage and CPG manufacturers by delivering integrated real-time monitoring, control, and performance measurement of packaging operations. It was built to help manufactures adhere to safety and regulatory requirements and waste management practices, the company said. ● Mitsubishi Electric and Cognex announced a partnership that will also aid in the sustainability effort. The Cognex In-Sight machine vision sys- tem is integrated into Mitsubishi’s iQ control platform, adding a new level of capability to visual data collection. While the vision system can generate data, it can’t manage it, Cognex officials said. Now, In-Sight — certified with CC-Link industrial networking technology — can be controlled by Mitsubishi’s HMI to improve manufacturing processes. By integrating vision with a multi-discipline control architecture, manufacturers move beyond simple inspection applications and now have a visual connection to the line to improve quality, reduce waste, and ultimately lower manufacturing costs, the companies said. ● And on the wireless front, Cypress Envirosystems, a subsidiary of Cypress Semiconductor Corp., has developed a family of easy-to-use wireless devices that help older plants and buildings save energy and improve productivity. The Wireless Gauge Reader, the Wireless Transducer Reader, the Wireless Steam Trap Monitor, Wireless Freeze Monitor, Wireless Battery Monitor, and Wireless Pneumatic Thermostat all can install in minutes with no process disruption, training, or new enterprise software, the company said. ● Honeywell introduced the Experion LS control system designed for smaller plants to manage continuous process control applications and optimize batch and sequence-oriented applications. Because it requires less engineering effort to configure and is easier to maintain than a PLC or large DCS, Experion LS can help plants save up to $20,000 per year in support per system, the company said. Scan D Back inMA MA MARCH 2008 espite manufacturing companies’ stated intentions to integrate their factory operations with their business systems, few organizations had actually pulled off the feat. Myriad challenges seemed to trip them up, including tying new and legacy systems together and a lack of plant-to-enterprise integration technology from vendors. MA featured three companies that forged ahead and made it to the head of the class. MA MARCH 2004 anufacturers had been consolidating and outsourcing their operations in a slow economy for some time, but the companies best positioned to benefit from an economic turnaround were the ones that had formulated strategies for growth. Streamlining operations afforded savvy companies an opportunity to put technology to wise use, optimize their supply chain management, and build in manufacturing flexibility and organizational agility. M M A M A RCH 19 9 9 anufacturers were investing in new technologies, such as Internet-based controls and ERP systems, but they quickly recognized that their workers didn’t have the skills to use the technology. The answer was to make education and training a top priority. For many companies, that meant teaming up with vendors and local educational institutions to create curricula that covered the new requirements and turned out skilled workers. M SALE CANCELED, i2 SEARCHES FOR ITS FOCUS F ollowing the recent collapse of i2 Technologies Inc.’s plans to be acquired by JDA Software, Jack L. Wilson wouldn’t be surprised if another vendor took a run at the pioneering provider of supply chain management software and services. Wilson, i2’s newly named chairman, president, and CEO, in an interview with Managing Automation, said i2’s relatively strong first-quarter Jack L. Wilson M A M A RCH 19 9 4 ueled by advances in hardware and software, the concept of integrated manufacturing was transforming the manufacturing industry. The latest automation products would be on display at the first International Integrated Manufacturing Show and Conference in Chicago that March. MA, a co-sponsor of the event, presented profiles of exhibitors and their products or services — for example, software to operate, schedule, and control production, quality check products, measure inventory, and communicate shop floor activity to the business. F 9 March 2009 http://www.Microsoft.NET

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Managing Automation - March 2009

Managing Automation - March 2009 Contents Take 1 Sober Outlook, Cost-Cutting Techniques Dominate at Automation Conference Sale Canceled, i2 Searches for Its Focus Accenture Unveils a Service for the Factory Floor Solar Is Bright Spot for MES Player Eyelit Other Industries Outspent Auto on Robots in 2008 Integrators to Play a Bigger Role at ILS Technology Notes Deep Dive Supply Chains Reader Poll Technology Directions Expert Q&A User Resources Special Report Transformation Product Scan Advertiser Index Next

Managing Automation - March 2009

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