| According to John Rattray, a senior executive with | | | | software during the production shift: cycle counts and |
| Memex Automation recently discussed Overall | | | | runtime "meters" are updated in a real-time file. |
| Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) as a key | | | | - Read and Print Bar Code labels at each machine as |
| performance indicator in the current issue of Tag44. | | | | parts are made: Printed labels can contain choice of |
| In a feature article by manufacturing journalist TR | | | | information such as Product Description, Work Order |
| Cutler, titled Automation Software In Real-Time | | | | #, Operator Name, Date/Time, and Lot Number. |
| Improves Manufacturing Productivity, Rattray | | | | |
| discusses ten direct ways to improve manufacturing | | | | |
| productivity. | | | | Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) metrics of |
| | | | | ANY and ALL machines with a direct hardware |
| - Analyze causes for downtime and rejects: | | | | connection typically increase efficiency by 5 to 20 |
| Record and analyze machine downtime and reject | | | | percent. Memex Automation based in Ontario, |
| events to minimize interruptions and poor productivity. | | | | Canada, details that automating the information flow |
| - Monitor machines in real time: Detect problems | | | | companies can manage productivity. |
| before productivity and quality suffers: see real-time | | | | |
| displays of efficiency, utilization, OEE, yield, rate, cycle | | | | - Send ERP or scheduled work orders and/or CNC |
| time. | | | | programs direct to the machine. |
| - Automate production reporting: Implement | | | | - Receive actual real-time status and Shop Floor |
| automated production data collection and reporting | | | | results immediately back to the Top Floor. |
| from ALL types of production machines. Print standard | | | | - Increase efficiency with information - If a company |
| and custom reports automatically and export data to | | | | can measure it – then it can be managed. |
| Excel, 1-2-3 or Enterprise systems. | | | | - Dashboard for the Top Floor to have real-time |
| - Automate production scheduling, job tracking: | | | | visibility of the Shop Floor. |
| Reduce time-consuming manual production scheduling | | | | |
| and job tracking chores to just a few clicks of a | | | | |
| mouse. | | | | Memex Automation's Universal Machine Interface |
| - Schedule P.M. based on actual machine/tool use: | | | | automatically tracks this information - freeing up the |
| Do not wait for machinery to break or produce scrap | | | | operator to manage the machine. This information |
| before performing maintenance. Instead, be proactive: | | | | is then automatically disseminated from the Shop Floor |
| schedule Preventive Maintenance based on actual | | | | to the Top Floor for visibility, management, |
| machine/tool/component usage: run hours and cycle | | | | accountability, historical auditing and available for time |
| count. | | | | study analysis. |
| - Analyze manufacturing process variable | | | | |
| performance: Monitor temperature, pressure, cushion, | | | | |
| shot size, stroke, shut height, tonnage, inject/fill/hold | | | | Memex Automation Inc., a unit of Astrix Networks Inc., |
| time, etc. Chart as X bar and R or export it to SQC | | | | was created to leverage the research and |
| SPC applications. | | | | development of Memex Electronics, which was |
| - Implement OEE/ISO/Continuous Improvement | | | | founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of |
| programs: Develop real-world production standards to | | | | serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying |
| make job costing accurate. Implement activity based | | | | component hardware, memory upgrades, and |
| costing, Continuous Improvement and OEE programs. | | | | visionary shop floor communication technology. |
| - Manufacturing data collection for ERP, MES, CMMS | | | | Memex products allow a manufacturer to "Automate |
| systems: Close the loop with Enterprise systems: | | | | the Automation" to increase productivity and decrease |
| Automatically download production schedules into | | | | costs. Memex Automation focuses on delivering |
| System's Job Queue, then upload production | | | | value with Real-Time Machine Monitoring and Control, |
| performance/productivity and usage data at Shift and | | | | which utilizes OEE+DNC solutions that boost efficiency |
| Job end. | | | | by up to twenty percent with minimal capital |
| - Export cycle counts and run time to CMMS systems. | | | | investment. Memex is based in Burlington, Ontario, |
| Eliminate manual "meter" reading and data | | | | Canada. |
| collection: ProductionACE can export actual runtime | | | | Memex, Inc. |
| and cycle counts to any third-party CMMS/EAM | | | | |