Factory Window 

 

 

Management Level Monitoring and Control Software

Factory Window makes it easy for you to see what is happening in your factory. From on-line monitoring of data using your favourite spreadsheet program to quickly developing customised applications that communicate directly to the equipment in your plant, Factory Window provides you with the information you need to manage your factory.

Overview

Factory Window is a program which provides a link between software applications running under Microsoft Windows and the equipment on the factory floor of most manufacturing companies. Typically, this consists of Programmable Controllers, CNC machines, robots, AGVs, automated warehouses, Man-Machine-Interface systems and other intelligent process controllers. Factory Window is a tool to assist the management level of a company in integrating their monitoring, analysis and management applications with data from the factory.
 

Download a demo copy now!

 

 

 

 

What Problem does it Solve?

Most managers and plant supervisors use personal computers to produce reports, schedules and forecasts based on the information obtained from the factory. Although software such as spreadsheets and databases are typically used to perform these tasks, few of these programs have real-time links to the devices found in the factory. Therefore, data transfer between PC programs and the factory is usually done manually, using data recorded by plant operators on timesheets or other paper documents. This process has many limitations including: 

  • inaccurate data caused by human error when recording on paper or transferring to the PC in the office.

  • insufficient or lost data because plant operators have no time to manually record all the desired data and manage the production process as well.

  • inaccuracies due to lack of time during normal production to record data. Operators must update records from memory or scraps of paper when there is a break in production. To save time, some operators pre-record the information based on experience (ie. forecasting) so that there is not so much to update during actual production - important events affecting production are totally missed when this occurs.

  • time lag inefficiencies due to the batch processing of the data. Data gathered for a particular days production will only be available at the end of the shift. Usually, it will be processed during the next day. This means that a problem highlighted by the data will not be identified and rectified until the next day.

Who should use Factory Window?

Factory Window is for plant management, supervisors and foremen - anyone who is responsible for the performance and efficient operation of a factory. There are many control and monitoring systems for the immediate process control requirements of a plant. Factory Window is situated at the level above these control systems to provide a link between the factory and the PC based tools plant managers use every day for scheduling, analysis and production reporting.
 

 

 

 

 

 

What Applications can Factory Window Handle?

Factory Window provides the link between programs running on Windows and devices on the factory floor. By using standard Windows interfaces such as DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange), ODBC (Open DataBase Connectivity) and Factory Window's API (Application Program Interface), data from the devices in the factory can be directly transferred to Windows application software such as spreadsheets, word processors and databases. In addition, using Factory Window's API, users familiar with C can develop their own applications, using Factory Window to handle all of the communications to the factory devices transparently.

Applications using Factory Window include:

  • on-line spreadsheets showing production details, process variables or downtime   
  • live databases for production trends and historical data 
  • real-time update of warehouse and inventory databases   
  • CNC machine scheduling and program management   
  • recipe and product configuration management   
  • quality control

Application Interfaces

DDE (Dynamic Data Exchange)
Share dynamic factory data with many types of Windows applications. The DDE Server is used to transfer data between the factory device and any application, which can act as a DDE client, such as spreadsheet and word processor programs. Data from the factory will automatically appear in the Windows application, avoiding the need for manual data entry. Data generated by the application can also be transferred to the factory device. 

ODBC (Open Database Connectivity)
This provides access to database systems which support the ODBC standard. Data can be transferred directly from the factory devices into the database and from the database to the factory device. Production data, historical trends, recipe and product configuration management are a few examples of its many uses. 

Factory Window API (Application Program Interface)
This provides a library of C functions, which may be used by end users to communicate with devices in the Factory Window environment. The APIs provide high level services for reading and writing variable data; uploading and downloading sequence programs, recipes, CNC machining programs or other data; event management; as well as many other services. The APIs handle all the communications and co-ordination activities required to complete the service, freeing the programmer to concentrate on the details of the application which will use the data. 

Factory Window Drivers

There are Factory Window Drivers available for a large number of different devices from a wide range of vendors. Devices supported include Programmable Controllers (PLCs), CNC machines, robots, AGVs, automated warehouses, Man-Machine-Interfaces, ID systems, weighing scales and barcode readers. A full list of supported devices is available.

Many different types of physical interfaces to factory devices and local area networks are also supported: 

  • Ethernet and Token Ring Local Area Networks using TCP/IP, Novell IPX/SPX or NETBIOS protocols.

  • RS-232, RS-485, RS-422 or current loop based proprietary protocols.

  • Network based proprietary protocols (ie. those that use a proprietary ISA Bus interface card supplied by the control system vendor).

Expandability

A Factory Window system can be configured to suit a wide range of applications. The smallest system would consist of one Windows PC with a connection from one factory device to a spreadsheet or database. This basic system has virtually infinite expandability by adding as many PCs as needed and linking them all into a plant wide local area network. In this networked configuration, any application on any PC can access the data from any device connected to any other PC. 

Specifications

Factory Window is designed to run on any PC that is compatible with the minimum recommended requirements for Windows or Windows NT. It requires an appropriate hardware interface to the factory device (eg. RS-232C port, network interface card etc.)


 

 

 

 

 

 

Home | About | Services | Products | Projects | News & Articles | Downloads