ei3 to streamline product changeovers for automated process lines

Montvale, N.J. - ei3 Corp., a provider of online engineering and Web-enabled applications that maximize manufacturing productivity, announced January 30 SiteSetpoint, a new Web-enabled service that speeds product changeovers on automated process lines with digital electronic controls, that the company says eliminates the need for SCADA software on the plant floor.

By Gary A. Mintchell, senior editor February 5, 2002

Montvale, N.J. – ei3 Corp. , a provider of online engineering and Web-enabled applications that maximize manufacturing productivity, announced January 30 SiteSetpoint, a new Web-enabled service that speeds product changeovers on automated process lines with digital electronic controls, that the company says eliminates the need for SCADA software on the plant floor.

As a cost-effective replacement for SCADA software, SiteSetpoint eliminates the process of manually entering long lists of complex settings that control process machinery components and power drive systems. With SiteSetpoint, manufacturing and converting clients can now rapidly queue and download a list of proven settings all at once. This eliminates machine setting error risks, increases process run-time and extends available operator time during product changeovers.

‘With the ability to replace SCADA functionality, SiteSetpoint provides the perfect complement to our existing monitoring, reporting and data analysis capabilities,’ said Brett Smith, CEO of ei3. ‘Every day more companies decide to intensify their focus on core competencies to create better products and improve quality. The introduction of new productivity tools such as SiteSetpoint is helping manufacturers achieve these goals by driving the continuous evolution of factory automation.’

SiteSetpoint’s production control screen is designed to manage changes for each product, and is engaged through a secure Internet connection. The moment a production run for one product is complete, a button on the main control console triggers the download of up to 1,000 settings. The machine’s electronic settings are adjusted to the next product’s recipe, and are ready to run.

‘The value of process line output is too high today to rely on a local SCADA computer for each product change,’ said Spencer Cramer, CTO of ei3. ‘Beyond the productivity benefits, SiteSetpoint empowers operators with more control and flexibility in loading new job settings.’

Delivered through ei3’s client-dedicated wide area network, called SiteLine, SiteSetpoint is currently in use with a number of ei3’s blue-chip manufacturing customers.


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