CIM systems.

New developments in CIM include basic, inexpensive systems for production or process monitoring and, at the high end, expanded SPC capabilities and open architecture. Seamless integration between CIM and a management-information system was also seen at the show.

ENTRY-LEVEL PRODUCTION MONITORING

An inexpensive production-monitoring system that provides real-time monitoring, historical recording, and production reporting for up to 64 machines was introduced by Mattec Corp., Loveland, Ohio. ShopPro monitors production rates, speeds, and cycle times in real time. Actual cycle times for the most recent 50 cycles are presented and compared to the standard cycle. The multi-user system gives up to nine people access from anywhere in the plant. Price starts at $5100.

NEW SPC FEATURES

In addition, Mattec added 10 new SPC capabilities and enhanced material-use and forecasting capabilities to the latest version of its ProHelp 1000 process and production monitoring system. New release 1.4 also allows a quick review of all deviations from standards logged in the last 24 hr. New functions reportedly allow SPC to be applied more effectively to short runs. The user can instruct the system to sample a specified number of consecutive cycles and calculate control limits automatically; the system then monitors the run based on those SPC parameters, sounding an alarm when it detects a process trending out of limits. Also, it's now possible to combine the SPC charts from multiple runs of the same part in order to review the changes in weights and dimensions or process variables over the course of time.

For improved material tracking, each job now has one primary input material, which may include a regrind percentage, as well as additional inputs for additives such as colorants and fillers.

FOR PROCESS MONITORING ONLY

For processors who already have production monitoring and want to monitor process variables for SPC or process analysis, Hunkar Laboratories, Inc., Cincinnati, introduced the Power Process Manager (PPM) program. This PC program polls the data-acquisition terminals on up to 32 machines fom SPC data, alarms, and other event data. PPM feeds those data to a concurrently running application program such as Hunkar's SPC-Pro or Expert Manager. PPM costs $1500, and a 10-machine monitoring system with data-acquisition terminals on each machine and SPC-Pro software would run around $30,000.

CIM LINK TO MES 

A technology partnership between Hunkar Laboratories and MDSS, Cleveland, provides easy integration between Hunkar's CIM system and the Factivity manufacturing execution system (MES). As Hunkar explains it, MES software differs from an MRP-II system in that the MES scheduling and resource-management capabilities are kept up to date in real time with data transferred from the shop-floor CIM system. Unlike traditional MRP-II, Factivity automatically compares production schedules with what is actually happening on the shop floor--stoppages, slowdowns, or other problems--and adjusts the schedule and resource files for when materials, tooling, auxiliary equipment, etc. will be required accordingly.

Factivity is not a complete MRP-II system--it does not include payroll functions, for example--but is said to be a more useful production-management tool. It is reportedly plastics oriented, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive--around $28,000 for five users. It has a graphical user interface and runs in Windows on a PC. It includes a Power Scheduler that considers all resources needed for a job--including molds, auxiliary equipment, spare parts, colors, other additives, and regrind. A built-in expert program "knows," for example, that it's preferable to schedule color changes from light to dark rather than in reverse.