OEM’s and their suppliers are facing serious risks if they don’t have a comprehensive product traceability system in place. In order to protect themselves, they must have a system that will allow them to track critical components, equipment and processes to a product as it is being manufactured. Historically, implementing traceability systems has been a major undertaking requiring considerable outside resources to design, implement and support the resulting system.A new type of software has been developed to provide end users a powerful, easy to use system that they can install and manage themselves. With simple drop down menus and a graphic editor users quickly deploy these systems with the knowledge they can make changes, add equipment and perform what if scenarios at their convenience without paying for costly outside consultants. Usually with one day of training a competent engineer can configure the software to perform traceability, SCADA or error proofing for their manufacturing facility.
Hallmarks of this new technology are traceability, control, connectivity and graphics
Traceability: Storage of data within a preconfigured SQL Server database. Each part’s attributes along with process parameters and consumed materials are stored in the normalized SQL database. This allows analytical reports to be created for forward and reverse genealogy, and process parameters.
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Control: Most traceability systems simply monitor and store data without the ability to react to this data. Advanced systems allow you to make logical application decisions with a powerful Logic Chart Engine. If/Then logic combined with operators such as (WriteToOpc) allows complex logic to be easily created. If action is required it is communicated/triggered to the appropriate device or system.
Connectivity: Communication bi directionally with a multitude of systems/devices including RS232, Input / Outputs, Ethernet, OPC as well as structured text files. This allows data movement from anything with a port into or out of your system while using a logic engine to make decisions based on the data.
Graphics: A user friendly flexible graphics editor helps users to create desired screens with inputs, outputs, buttons, images and more.
HTEinc. of Auburn Hills, Michigan has developed Plantwatch, a plant data system that affords manufacturers a traceability system that is user configurable and manageable, inexpensive and effective. Companies taking advantage of this new technology to provide control, traceability and error proofing with a system they can manage themselves are automotive, defense and food.
At a powertrain operation in Toledo a system is being used to interface a laser based vision system to a Siemens PLC. It monitors information in the PLC including part serial number, part present and quality data from earlier operations. The system triggers the laser based vision system after feeding it the information gleaned from the PLC. This application was developed in 4 hours.
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Crown Group utilizes Plant Watch’s control feature to adjust a 4-20 ma signal to assure proper coating thickness of their e coat line by determining the type of parts being run with a vision system and adjusting the output from the rectifiers based on a recipe system. This replaces a manual system where an operator watched to see what was in the tank and manually adjusted the rectifier output. The new system improves quality by always running the correct recipe and reduces material cost by not running the rectifier when no parts are in the system.
An automotive plant in Defiance, OH manages the historical data from an X-ray based vision system, creates day and shift reports summarizing the activity of the system and allows user input into the system. It also allows users to manually input data into the PLC thru graphic screens. It communicates with an AB PLC to determine pass\fail. Images and data are deleted after 30 days.
Founded in 1990, HTE has been distributing and integrating products and solutions specializing in Machine Vision Systems, Vision Guided Robotics, AutoID, Traceability, Error Proofing, Direct Part Marking and Plant Floor Data Collection. HTE has provided solutions for Automotive, Aerospace, Food and Beverage, DOD, Packaging, Pharmaceutical as well as other industries.
Contact Information: http://www.hte.net/
Dan Reed dreed@hte.net or Phone (248) 371-1918
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