Machine-to-machine communication has seen a rapid development in recent years. Brian Tinham examines some of the changing technologies and their implications.
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Production managers quite rightly insist on high equipment reliability and availability. But while many believe this rules out wireless plant and factory communications, Brian Tinham finds that concerns are largely unfounded
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It's not that many years since industry was being pushed from pillar to post over the power of PLCs versus PCs, but all that has changed.
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PC-based automation, in various forms, has been around for decades, but PLCs and related systems remain as popular as ever. Brian Tinham examines the differences and establishes which approach makes most sense where
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The current financial environment means there is a higher premium than ever on engineering resources. Justin Cunningham finds some tools that aim to help the professionals
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Going wireless isn’t just about business communications. Brian Tinham discovers a fast emerging world of mobile production possibilities
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It’s been possible for many years, but with ISA95 the lofty goal of shop floor to top floor integration is easier to attain and even more worthwhile. Antony Adshead reports
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A cool $70 million of additional annual revenues is being recorded by steel producer Companhia Siderúrgica de Tubarão (CST) in Espírito Santo, Brazil, thanks entirely to an advanced planning and scheduling system from Preactor, implemented by local reseller Tecmaran. Preactor schedules operations in line with several rules and strategies, using orders to be satisfied as the input. Some parameters are fixed while others can be modified – for example, availability of pig iron can modify speed of steel production. The rules adopted are primarily: balance orders to keep the casting machines working (with priorities); minimise WIP; and balance the converter machines with casting machines.
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KK Finefoods, one of the largest, fastest growing frozen foods manufacturers in the UK, has been highly commended for its ERP implementation from Ross Systems, which not only now manages its entire manufacturing operations, but has presided over growth and profitability that are the envy of many.
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CESASC’s ERP system has been successfully configured for lean operations business-wide, despite the company serving some of the most demanding industries on the planet
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Chemicals, fibres and plastics manufacturer Acetate Products wins this year’s Best of British Manufacturing IT Award for its outstanding IT-enabled business transformation
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Few suggest that IT should be your first port of call in a lean thinking or TOC initiative, but Andrew Ward finds manufacturers turning to it to cement in their successes
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Paper-based systems are well suited to delivering on the compliance requirement, but they’ve had their day. Brian Tinham looks at Dales Pharmaceuticals’ latest move into the digital age
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Lean thinking, as opposed to lean manufacturing - meaning the application of lean concepts, methodologies and supporting tools, techniques and systems to whole businesses, not just to the factory - continues to grow in popularity. As manufacturers experience worsening competitive pressures from rivals in the UK as well as those around the world, management teams seem to be realising that, while 'going lean' is neither trivial nor short and sharp, it's the only way they're going to survive and hopefully revive their fortunes.
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www.mcsolutions.co.uk has been massively upgraded. Brian Tinham test drives the amazing new free online resource for news, reference and supplier information covering all of IT for all of industry
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When additives manufacturer Holland Colours needed to tighten up its production and supply chain operations it turned to an ERP/APS combo. Brian Tinham reports
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Advanced planning and scheduling systems and lean thinking aren't often bracketed together, but ColArt paints a picture of perfect harmony. Brian Tinham reports
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Two decades of so-called fieldbus wars are coming to a close as far as the business world is concerned. Standards-based digital factory and plant networks are now by far the best way to go, says Andrew Ward
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For larger greenhouse gas producers, European directives have presented real challenges. Brian Tinham reports from Elsta in the Netherlands on its successful transition
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As we need ever greater access to plant and factory systems and machines, ensuring IT security requires special attention. Andrew Ward explains
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Fire fighting may have a lot going for it from the personal perspective, but it's no way to run a business. Brian Tinham examines the roles and scope for modern planning and scheduling systems in enabling and underpinning lean initiatives
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Modern mainstream IT, along with standards-based programming and automation kit plus a collaborative engineering environment, have solved a problem for oilfield development firm Lundin Britain. The company’s decision to operate the Broom oil field as a satellite of the Heather Alpha platform meant that new oil flow computers were required for allocation metering
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US-based materials supply and construction firm Graniterock, a long-term user of business intelligence software for analytics and reporting, has found that extending it to manage its RFID data is working both internally and for customers. Graniterock, which totes truckloads of rock, sand and gravel around, had been using Business Objects’ software for its balanced scorecard work and statistical process control reporting. It also used the system to help with logistics management and to email quotes and job status reports
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Critical data back-up times reduced by 80%, enhanced data protection, much faster disaster recovery times and better business continuity protection are key benefits reported by electronic and industrial products distributor Premier Farnell since implementing new disk-todisk- to-tape technology
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Sony Manufacturing’s auto-insertion PCB production facility at Pencoed, South Wales cut materials and work in progress (WIP) inventory from £1.2m to just £150,000 and annual scrap from £1m to £70,000, dramatically improved stock accuracy and usage prediction, slashed machine downtime and improved velocity of production. Much of that was due to real-time materials and machine management systems – and going even further with shopfloor advanced planning and scheduling (APS) linked to the site’s Oracle ERP
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