November 2008

In this installment, the role of the measurement system (encoder, measuring wheel, mounting bracket) in length consistency is examined in-depth.  The key factors in length variance are covered and solutions to common problems described.  This section includes:

• System Calibration
• Encoder Bracket-assembly Mounting and Orientation
• Material Fluctuations
• Encoder Alignment

Mistakes are a part of life. This is especially true when it comes to data entry.

Professional data entry firms typically rely on a double-entry system to achieve a low error rate. With this system, two people enter the same data and the results are compared. If there are any differences a referee (often the second person) decides which entry is correct.

On a roll forming machine with manual data entry, operators are on their own. Even the best will make mistakes. For example, say an operator is 99.9% accurate - how often will he make a mistake? If he is handling 10 orders per day with 5 items each, there are a minimum of 100 numbers he must enter each day (quantity and length for each item). While 99.9% accuracy rate is exceptionally good, it still means an average of an error every 10 days in this case. Many operators have a higher error rate. The urgent question is what is the cost of these mistakes?

Roll forming machines are wonderful at mass producing profiles. Unfortunately, they can also create scrap at a frightening speed if incorrectly programmed or if the wrong tooling or material are used. The cost of such mistakes can vary widely, but the important distinction is whether they were discovered by you or by your customer. If caught internally, there is sometimes an opportunity to use the bad parts on another job (perhaps with some rework) or to sell them as seconds. If the problem is found at the customer or job site, the situation can turn ugly quickly. Not only do you need to rapidly replace the incorrect or missing materials, but you also have to incur potentially high costs to expedite the shipment. More importantly, you are jeopardizing your customer's project or production schedule. This can cost you their future business.

The best way to prevent mistakes is through the use of computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) system such as Eclipse. With CIM, job data is entered once and electronically transmitted from that point on until it reaches the machine controls. All related equipment, such as packaging systems, profile configuration, ink jet printers, bundle labelers, etc. are automatically updated. The machine operator is no longer burdened by data entry, paper shuffling or manual production reporting. For best results, your customer should have an opportunity to verify the order before it is released to manufacturing.

Eclipse also provides robust coil verification to ensure the correct coil is always used on each order. As a new coil is loaded on the machine, the operator scans the barcode for that coil. The XL200 controller checks with Eclipse and the ERP system to make sure the coil identifier is valid and that the coil's material type matches the requirement for the order. Until this information is verified, the operator is prevented from running the machine (of course, this can be overridden by a manager if needed). This coil validation can prevent a very expensive type of mistake which is unfortunately, all too common in our industry.

A relatively small investment in AMS' CIM solution, Eclipse, can prevent expensive and potentially damaging mistakes. Although mistake elimination can be difficult to quantify when putting together a financial justification, it is often the most significant factor when reviewing post CIM-implementation results.

Please contact us today to find out more about how the Eclipse production management system can eliminate mistakes in your operations.

Order Downloading Options in Eclipse

One of the key features that helps manufacturers prevent mistakes is the ability to download production orders directly to the machine controls. This eliminates the possibility that the operator might mis-enter data and reduces the machine downtime that can also result.

The Eclipse production management system, in conjunction with the XL200 machine controller, provides a number of different ways to download order data. These different methods have been developed in response to customer requests. Not all manufacturers operate the same way. Some have several days to plan production while others must respond to customer demands in a matter of hours. In some cases, the machine operators are determining the production schedule and in others there is a dedicated production scheduler. Eclipse has solutions to handle each of these environments.

Push Features
The following methods are initiated from the Eclipse system:

• Manual - The scheduler selects an order or group of orders and hits the "Send" button. The order(s) are immediately sent to the machine.
• Auto-download on receipt - In cases where order data is being downloaded from an ERP or other production system, it is possible to have the order be immediately sent to the specified machine as soon as Eclipse receives the order.
• Date and time - Orders can be scheduled to download to the machine at a specified date and time.

Pull Features
The following methods are initiated from the machine:

• Order number request - The machine operator can request that a specific order be downloaded. If the material and profile codes are not also specified, then everything for the order (that is allowed to run on the machine) will be immediately downloaded. In some cases, this feature is used by manufacturers that are still on a paper-based system. The operator gets a stack of order sheets and must type the order number to request the cut-list. Other customers use this feature as part of a just-in-time flow. For example, a producer of industrial air conditioning units has a roll forming machine that makes frame parts. When a cart containing side panels reaches the machine (from other manufacturing processes), the operator scans a bar- code on the cart and the production order for frames for that particular (and typically custom) air conditioner is downloaded and run. These parts are added to the cart which then goes on to final assembly.
• Kit request - Kits are reusable orders. If the operator requests a kit number, Eclipse will create a temporary order (a copy of the kit) and immediately download it. One customer is using this feature to manufacture floors for grain bins. The floors are round, so the floor pieces are produced in increasing lengths up to the center of the floor then decreasing to the other side of the floor. They have defined a kit for each grain bin diameter. The operator simply requests the kit name for the needed floor size.
• Part request - The operator can request a specific part number from the controller. When Eclipse sees this request, it creates a temporary order and item for the specified part number. This order is immediately downloaded. The initial quantity for the item is one, but this can be changed at the controller. This feature is often used in cases where the operator needs to remake a part with a customer punch pattern that was damaged. If the part is being used to make up for scrap, the bundle number should be set to the appropriate scrap code (Eclipse will then treat this part as scrap and the coil and scrap accounting will be properly updated).
• Manual next in sequence request - For this feature, the sequence of orders run at the machine is set from the office by the production scheduler or MRP. The machine operator simply requests the next order in the production schedule in Eclipse.

• Automatic next in sequence request - This also works from the sequence of orders as set in Eclipse, but the controller makes the requests automatically as needed. Whenever the remaining orders at the XL200 controller drop below a specified threshold (in feet/meters), the controller automatically requests the next order. Multiple orders may be sent if needed to get back over the threshold. The threshold is set by the XL200 parameter, "653: Auto-Request Order Footage".

The last method is probably the most useful when scheduling is done from the office. The operator does not need to worry about requesting orders and only needs to see the next few orders that will be run in the schedule (enough to plan for coil or tooling changes). The production scheduler has total flexibility and can rearrange the production schedule easily and often.

Eclipse and the XL200s also support a relatively new feature that gives the operator a powerful tool to request orders. The Query List feature gives you the ability to define custom order requests. Here are a few examples of these requests: Orders by truck schedule, by customer, by promised date, orders for the current machine configuration, etc. The query lists are all customer-defined and can be multiple levels deep. Because of the power and flexibility offered by this feature, we will have a full article explaining how it works in a subsequent newsletter issue.

Did you know the XL200 series controller can communicate with a PLC? It's true, AMS Controls has incorporated a feature into the XL200 series controller, that will allow Modbus communications with a PLC. While Modbus is not the most sophisticated bus system on the market, it is almost universally supported, thus the reason for choosing this protocol.

The PLC communication feature is an extremely powerful tool when integrating the XL200 controller with a complete machine. The XL200 controller is capable of sending and receiving information from a PLC including inputs, outputs, part length, order number, material code, product code, bundle, quantity, quantity remaining, part length and pattern number just to name a few. This information can be extremely useful in setting up a stacker, to control a rollformer's speed automatically, or to control a dump table, etc.. The applications are endless.

As with any new feature, safety can be an issue. How you program the outputs of the PLC if communication is lost is of concern. AMS has been working to make this new powerful feature as safe as possible. In doing so, we have created a document to assist in implementing the feature. You can find this document here. Our Integrated Services department can also provide starting PLC logic for a small fee.  

All New AMSCONTROLS. COM
On October 21st, the new AMS Controls website hit the web with all-new features, an all-new look and feel, and a lot of new information. We hope this will become a great source of information to help your company maximize efficiency and enhance profitability.

New features will be added to the new website frequently. Your ideas for making the AMS Controls website an even more useful experience are always welcome! Please submit ideas to info@amscontrols.com.

AMS Offers Additional Free Training For Eclipse
Want to get even more out of Eclipse? AMS Controls' industry-leading integrated manufacturing software, Eclipse is a powerful set of management software designed with three decades of experience in mind. This training is an opportunity to focus on Eclipse basics such as settings, adding product codes, material codes, setting up machines, controller setup and tool libraries, creating part definitions and orders and "scheduling basics".
This easy and informative webinar will be held on December 16. Up to 20 attendees can be accommodated, so please respond today for FREE registration.

Leading this training will be Jaycen Rigger, AMS Technical Support Manager. Please email Jaycen today for registration or questions // jrigger@amscontrols.com.

Upcoming Trade shows:
AHR Expo (Chicago): Booth # 1242
AMS Controls will be showcasing the XL220 series controller at the 2009 International Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigerating Exposition in Chicago at McCormick Place on January 26-28. The XL220 controller is specifically designed to retrofit HVAC rectangular duct lines.
AMS' retrofit systems restore new performance adding many years of additional life, easily integrating all major manufacturers' equipment. Offering the latest technology and ability to integrate popular CAD systems, the retrofit package will profitably reduce scrap and mistakes.

AMS Controls' Industry Leading Warranty:
Quality, service, and reliability; are all words that come to mind when considering an AMS controller, information technology integration, retrofit solution for an older metal rolling or folding equipment, or HVAC production control retrofit. With that in mind, AMS has increased its general limited warranty to two years. View our warranty statement.