Mobile material logistics software!

A live, hands-on demonstration of the Aegis FactoryLogix mobile material logistics module, inStock will be possible at next week's APEX in Las Vegas (NV USA), (March 25-27). Visitors will learn how this simple and intuitive handheld scanning solution significantly improves operational efficiency and accuracy in stockrooms that typically rely on fixed computer terminals or paper-based material management.

inStock utilises the convenience of a pocket-sized Motorola MC40 mobile computer with a modern, touchscreen interface to scan inventory into valid/approved stock locations, providing users with instant access to each part instance, quantity and location.

When material is required for a job, inStock users are guided through the kitting process with digital pick lists that are grouped by their destination on the factory floor, and sorted for efficient picking in the stock area. Once assigned to a kit, this material is removed from stock and its location is tracked through the entire manufacturing process, and available for immediate lookup.

“inStock leverages the decades of materials logistics expertise of our colleagues from our diplan acquisition in 2012” explains John Walls, Chief Technology Officer at Aegis. “Our engineering teams in the US and Germany worked closely to integrate the diplan software with our FactoryLogix Manufacturing Operations System, which then allowed us to rapidly develop the mobile application our customers were looking for.”

Digital process terminal and line attendant

Aegis Software is to unveil a unique touch-screen device to ensure a controlled process and provide a powerful and yet simplified interface to factory information systems. Visitors to the Aegis booth at APEX (San Diego CA USA, 28 Feb-1 Apl 2012) will see first-hand how inForce monitors and controls the process, informs operators, saves energy and workspace, and reduces the infrastructure cost and complexity of best-in-class factories.

inForce is a multi-function bridge connecting your Aegis software system to operators and equipment throughout the factory. It provides a turn-key touch screen operator interface, an intuitive user information center, a scanning and tracking terminal, and the means for an Aegis MOS system to physically control the process.

“inForce radically improves the simplicity, economics, and functionality of a factory information solution. Implementing a factory information system normally involves PC hardware costs, IT maintenance costs for those PCs, high energy consumption, and sizable workstation real estate. Our vision was to provide scanning on lines in an assured manner and to provide and interactive operator terminal without having to place PCs at every single process station”, commented Jason Spera, Aegis CEO. “inForce does this by providing a plug-and-play, auto-maintaining, compact and simple interface that provides many of the features where normally a PC would be required. As well, it functions as a bridge for the MOS system to physically reach into the process and control conveyors. ”

The inForce full-colour touchscreen display delivers operators useful alarm and production status information without the need for a PC. Wherever an interface to an Aegis MOS system is required, its compact console can be mounted using standardized VESA arms, under shelves, or even on a tabletop like a self-standing picture frame. The interface also supports audio to further enhance operator information. inForce enables your Aegis system to physically control conveyor flow, acquire barcode scans, and ensure accurate and complete WIP data transactions even on conveyorized lines. An optional light tower is available to extend the range of inForce’s visibility to operators where required.

Capabilities and Options
Operator Interface, Barcode Tracking & Conveyor Control
Ensure every unit is scanned accurately on a conveyorized line, stop the line automatically when Aegis alarm conditions occur, and inform operators about line status at each station. In this configuration, the inForce console is mounted where visible at the conveyor point of use, connected to your scanners and the Interface Module. The interface module is placed on the floor and electronically connected to your conveyors via SMEMA, the factory Ethernet, and power.

Conveyor WIP Monitoring Only
Track the counts of units moving through conveyorized lines for WIP quantity monitoring without specific barcode identifier capture. In this configuration, only the inForce Digital Line Attendant Module is integrated to power, the conveyor, and Ethernet. (Coming soon via automatic firmware update)


Workstation MES Interface
Most processes include workstations that require only unit scanning and ‘pass/fail’ entry at a given point. More advanced functions requiring a full PC user interface are not required at these stations. For such situations, inForce eliminates the need for a costly, bulky PC and provides the operator a simplified and compact interface at their workstation. (Coming soon via automatic firmware update)

Light Tower Option
Where broader visibility to the status of an inForce-controlled station is required, an optional light tower integrates directly to the inForce Line Attendant Module.

Unique Benefits
Interactive and Informative
With a full-color touchscreen display that responds even to gloved hands or a stylus, inForce does not simply control the process, it informs the operator as to status and the ‘why’ behind the control decisions enforces. An interactive, informative solution for your operators to keep lines running efficiently.
Vivid LED alarm lighting, audio prompts, and even optional light towers ensure operators are instantly made aware of problems.

Low Energy Consumption
inForce consumes a fraction of the electricity required to support a PC or even a thin client or all-in-one shop floor PC.

Simple, Automated, and Central IT Management
From a central server application, all inForce settings can be adjusted and immediately all endpoints update automatically. The simple act of placing new firmware on the server automatically updates each endpoint.

Visually Announces Your Lines are State of the Art
Every manufacturer takes pride in their lines. inForce’s elegant custom housing and its vivid and dynamic display announces to visitors or customers that your factory is at the pinnacle of information management and process control.

Easy Setup and Maintenance
With a full touch screen display, configuring the initial setup and ongoing IT maintenance is simplified.

Assured Barcode Acquisition
Since inForce is actually a mini Windows-based computer, it is capable of implementing continuous barcode scanning for a moving conveyor. As failsafe, if a barcode is not acquired, the system stops conveyor movement and informs the operator why.

Flexible Mounting Options
The inForce console design accommodates a vast array of mounting options to make installation easy. It’s articulating and locking rear bracket can swing out to act as an integrated desktop stand. If you wish to use any VESA arm or mount, such as used with all PC monitors and TVs, it is VESA compliant. Or, pass the provided ballistic strap through the bracket slots to fasten it to a surface. And of course, the provided mount holes enable direct-attachment when desired. It even mounts under-shelf.

CE Certified
CE certification ensures safety and reliability in factory environments that are often particularly hostile in terms of EM interference.

Future Proof & Expandable
inForce is more than a single-use device. It is a true miniaturized computer incorporating a compact Windows operating system. As a true computer, inForce may be a conveyor control and MES portal today, but can evolve to deliver richer and broader functionality in the future through updates.

Test software combines electrical & mechanical analysis

During APEX 2010 Las Vegas ( NV US; 6-9 April 2010), ASTER Technologies, are to introduce the first Design for Test (DfT) software to combine electrical and mechanical analysis.

It has been developed to address a new vision of the DfT market that has to solve the many challenges that developers face today, such as: shrinking release cycles, budget compression and improvement in product quality.

TestWay, the world-wide reference coverage analysis tool that allows users to quantify and qualify the test coverage for a wide range of inspection and test equipment, has been enhanced to address the problem for companies that subcontract the manufacture and test of their products, but need to know how to optimize the physical test access in order to achieve maximum test coverage.

The “probe analyzer” is an interactive, rules-based routine specifically designed to assist the Layout engineer or Test developer to identify any possible probe location based on the copper surface, which is useable for a physical access. Access constraints, spacing checks, test points assignment, use of the largest probe size, pin offset and Agilent’s bead probes are taken into account in accordance with company specific guidelines

Once the potential probe placement has been identified, TestWay can estimate the test coverage for ICT and FPT based on the measurement capabilities of the targeted test equipment. The “probe analyzer” also generates a comprehensive accessibility report that clearly states whether adequate probe locations were identified for each net, highlighting mechanical rules violation, so that this information can be fed back to design to support improvements. By reading the access report interactively with the layout viewer, colour coding is used to assist the design and test engineer to graphically browse the non-testable nets in the design.

TestWay provides a sophisticated level of coverage analysis by allowing users to define the test line and combine ICT or FPT with complementary test techniques such as AOI, AXI, BST, FPT, ICT, MDA and Functional Test. It estimates the theoretical coverage aligned to various test strategies, prior to test development, in order to identify areas where test coverage can be improved, so that electrical rules could be applied to identify DFT violations that limit the test efficiency.

The ability to estimate coverage that is aligned to the mechanical layout constraints of the PCB, allows users complete visibility of what can realistically be achieved, so that the effectiveness of the completed test programs can be realized.

Christophe Lotz, Managing Director of ASTER Technologies, said, “Within the new electronic world where the people who design is no longer the same as the people who produce, the market expects a new generation of tool that is useable by both groups. Now, design & test engineers can identify in a matter of minutes, a missing test point, and understand the consequences in terms of test coverage”.

ASTER proposes a wide range of products that support electrical DfT and test coverage analysis. This allows users to select a configuration, which meets their immediate requirements. TestWay is a scalable product from TestWay Express for coverage estimation and measurement, up to TestWay-Classic that provides additional features such as a fully programmable environment capable of supporting customer’s rules checking, test optimization criteria, advanced reporting and Boundary-Scan test generation.