If you could find an investment that paid for itself in six months, you'd be pretty pleased, wouldn't you? Well, David Trowell won't waste your time if he can't do better than that! Seiki System's general manager reckons that for most companies in medium batch manufacturing, (two to three set-ups per shift) payback for his company's DNC/shopfloor monitoring system will he achieved in less. And with the very latest developments involving tighter integration with Hitachi Seiki Seicos CNC units, together with remote alerting, the company is now offering even more capability.
SHOPFLOOR FOCUS
Seiki Systems, established in 1992 currently boasts 228 UK installations with over 2700 machines connected. Wholly owned by Egham, Surrey-based machining centre arid turning centre specialist Hitachi Seiki, the software development company, headquartered in Brighton, Sussex, emphasises its shopfloor focus: Mr Trowell says: "We understand the needs of the shopfloor and the key question 'what do companies need to increase the utilisation of their machines?' is what drives our development." And the simple functional nature of the software underscores the fact that there is a specific target audience.
Furthermore, the approach to the packaging of its software and the offered upgrade path are similarly practical. 'In the early days, we sold a single package. But for many people, it was a '3D solution for a 2D problem': too complex. And when people are confronted by complexity, they tend not to use the system. So we split it into four." The intention for any company should now be an attempt to use 100 per cent of the functionality of the installed package, he suggests. And when it comes time to upgrade to the next level of sophistication, Seiki Svstems refunds the original purchase price of the software! 'Very successful," say's Mr Trowell, adding that this eliminates the inclination to purchase a too highly specified system because funds are available now.
As a measure of customer satisfaction, over 95 per cent of Seiki Systems customers sign up for the annual service contract. He considers first class support to be of the utmost importance: "Shopfloor systems are more critical than any other in terms of their requirement for reliable support. If they are not working, then machines are not working. And while we only supply software, we will often effectively provide solutions to compensate for hardware failures."
FUNDAMENTAL FEATURES
The company's nine products (see below) share some critical features. A particularly important one is the use of Windows Explorer as the 'database'. The change from using a database application to hold all related information in folders accessed and managed through Explorer came with the introduction of Windows 95. Files and links (Windows shortcuts are stored in relevant folders and sub-folders. As all computer users are familiar with Explorer, training and support requirements have reduced, the latter by half, says Seiki Systems' general manager. And the company's software interface includes an Explorer button to fire up the application without the need to go outside the package to do so (as it can do for other applications). Indeed, this interface can be made the default at the shopfloor and can restrict access to only the relevant machine folder holding files or links to files such as programs. operator notes, set-up sheets, schedule and drawings.
Use of links (Windows shortcuts) within folders to access single document offers very powerful document access control. For example, a link could exist to a drawing. If the drawing office put a hold on the linked file by adding a HOLD suffix to the file, Seiki Systems software will understand this and immediately deny access to the whole contents of the folder. "Companies spend vast amounts trying to obtain this sort of control underlines Mr Trowell.
In similar vein, if a folder contains the original CNC program plus an edited returned, but not yet approved, CNC program, access to the programs can be automatically denied: simple and powerful.
And power of another kind is Direct DNC's ability to allow any CNC to view program lists and call and send programs and view lists of programs available without any hardware or software modification.
MESSAGES
At MACH 2000 earlier this year, Hitachi Seiki and Seiki Systems both presented latest and related functionality . Hitachi Seiki Seicos CNCs now feature a Universal User Port (UUP) that allows access to all CNC data. In association with this, the company delivered Hitachi Seiki Machine Operating System (HSMOS) software to allow applications to be built to make this connection useful. Seiki Systems has taken this suffix are and duplicated its existing functionality. Hitachi Seiki and non-Hitachi Seiki machines can thus be sensibly managed side by side. Automatic data collection and analysis of machine activity are taken to a new level with the UUP interface. This so-called FlexLink software has been translated and is now in use in Japan, while its use in other countries is also under discussion.
A feature of both Networked Manufacturing and FlexLink Production Manager systems and higher is their ability to proactivelv inform managers or maintenance engineers of machine condition. Says Seiki Systems David Trowell: "It is common to hear about companies that set up machines to run unmanned into the night, only for someone to come in at a predetermined time or the next day to find the machine stopped an hour after it was set running." Remote messaging is the solution.
It has always been possible to initiate intranet messages that appear on screen, but that means someone has to be at the screen to see them. It is now feasible for Seiki Systems' software to send faxes to a designated number, send text messages to a mobile phone or call any phone and play a prerecorded sound file message (.wav file) to the recipient. The same sound file could also be played at office PCs to draw attention. A video link between shopfloor and office is another new offering. And, by way of similar modem-based technology , the curious can even dial the system to hear a report of machine status. |
