InSource Solutions Enterprise Events Module Version 1.5 Now Released
InSource Solutions has updated and renamed the Equipment Events Module. The new release of the Enterprise Events Module version 1.5 allows the user to easily capture events on the pla
nt floor, lab system, MES, master data, etc. It also enables you to present actionable results to your users without creating User defined Objects, scripting, or custom programming. Users can completely modify each instance from inside InTouch without the need to visit the IDE!
The new release now has support for System Platform 3.0, along with DB write control.
For more information about the InSource Solutions Enterprise Events Module, please contact your Wonderware Southeast Account Executive or the marketing department at marketing@insourcess.com.
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Who's Using It?
IntraVUE Proves Value Even with IT Networking Tools
As more and more companies start to use Ethernet on the plant floor, it is worth understanding what is required to support these new real-time applications of Ethernet. IntraVUE allows the user to quickly and efficiently understand communication disturbances, in order to keep the real-time applications operating properly and securely. The following statements highlight what some leading companies are saying about IntraVUE.
Paul Sperling, a technical systems manager for the food products manufacturing division of the Kroger Company in Cincinnati, OH, has worked on both sides of the fence and is familiar with both HP’s OpenView and Network Vision’s IntraVUE products. “When you have enterprise tools, there are generally politics involved with who can do what with the software,” said Sperling. “It’s easier to provide the people on the plant floor with intuitive tools that don’t get in the way of what needs to be done. Industrial software also tends to be much more nimble and easy to navigate through. INtraVUE rapidly discovers all the devices on the network and then let’s us easily export the details to a spreadsheet of database to assist with documentation. The biggest driver for us is maintaining the status quo of our production networks. The software has a network validation tool that color codes the network to immediately flag any additions or changes. If there’s an issue, it’s very easy to find and bring forward the device you’re looking for.”
GM, Ford, and Daimler are deploying Ethernet across all its new plants globally. According to an engineer responsible for manufacturing networking strategies at one of these companies, IntraVUE has helped them communicate on all levels. “We’ve set up our industrial manufacturing networks to be a logical extension of our IT networks. Our IT people use HP OpenView to manage the overall network and they’re very comfortable with this. However, there never was an effective interface from the plant floor into the IT management console and therefore no way to get information to the plant floor in a timely manner. We’re supplementing the IT group’s commercial network management system with IntraVUE at the plant level. IT people tend to think in terms of IP addresses, while plant people tend to think in terms of devices. Since IntraVUE provides an IP view, a device view, and a location view all with a few clicks of the mouse, when something goes wrong, IntraVUE helps the plant people to quickly identify the actual devices and their locations from the IP address. Since IntraVUE is based on technology that is familiar to our IT people, but it also understandable to people on the plant floor, it is a tool we can use to help overcome some of the cultural barriers within our organization.”
A major North American forest products company has standardized on Cisco switches and software for its corporate networks. According to a process control engineer at the company’s central research and development center, these require more IT skill than is available at the plant level. “We’ve deployed IntraVUE at our manufacturing locations. It let’s us easily map the process control networks and provide a status of the links to we can understand the traffic and performance of our networks.”
For more information on Network Vision’s IntraVUE products, please contact your InSource Solutions I2 Infrastructure Specialist or the marketing department at marketing@insourcess.com.
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Wonderware Earns Prestigious Service Capability and Performance Certification for Fifth Consecutive Year
For the fifth consecutive year, Wonderware has achieved the Service Capability and Performance (SCP) certification. The Wonderware Technical Support Center team successfully completed the certification proce
ss, involving independent, rigorous measures of best practices in the services industry which represents a benchmark for support organizations around the globe.
“The results of the 2007 assessment audit demonstrate that the Wonderware Technical Support Center is achieving an excellent level of performance relative to the stringent requirements defined in the SCP Support Standard,” said Gordy Stauffer, SCP auditor for Service Strategies Corp. Achieving certification under the SCP Support Standard requires comprehensive on-site audits to confirm that companies meet the requirements of approximately 100 different business elements. Certified organizations must demonstrate their continued commitment to high-performance standards through annual re-certification audits as Wonderware has done for each of the past five years.
The Wonderware customer support and services organization, and the associated network of Wonderware certified support providers, deliver technical support to more than 100,000 customers worldwide. These global support and services teams offer extensive expertise in information and automation solutions across a broad variety of industries. Wonderware certified training providers, application consultants, and certified support providers assist companie
s in achieving the highest returns on their software investments.
To achieve SCP certification, a company must exceed stringent requirements in customer support services. Companies are judged in several categories including customer feedback, services delivery, training, total quality management, sales and services, research and development, and corporate commitment and strategy.
“The SCP audit and certification process confirms Wonderware’s dedication to operational excellence and its commitment to achieving the highest possible levels in customer satisfaction,” said Neal Hatton, Wonderware Director of Technical Support. “This outstanding team of Wonderware Technical Support Center professionals is dedicated to providing the company’s worldwide customers with the highest quality of customer support. This extremely skilled corporate organization provides detailed technical assistance and problem resolution, and backs an expansive network of more than 2,000 individual Wonderware certified support providers that offer day-to-day support to customers around the world.”
For more information about Wonderware and their products and services, please contact your Wonderware Southeast Account Executive or the marketing department at marketing@insourcess.com.
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BradCommunications Receives 2007 Product of the Year Award from Plant Engineering Magazine
Every year, Plant Engineering Magazine honors and recognizes the most innovative products developed for use in manufacturing environments through its “Product of the Year’ award. What sets this competition apart from most in the industry is that the readers cast the votes to choose the winners, not the editors.
The BradCommunications Profibus USB Adapter has been awarded the top honor of “Gold” in the Electrical Motors, Drives, and Controls Category. This USB adapter provides the tools required to quickly and easily create a reliable connection between a laptop, desktop, and Operator Panel PCs using USB technology. Protocols supported include:
-Profibus DP-VO Master and Slave Class 1 & 2
-Profibus DP-V1 Master Class 1 & 2
-S7/MPI Client for Simatic S7, S5, 95U, 115U, 135U, & 155U
The adapter is RoHS compliant and supports the latest standards in USB technology including high-speed USB 2.0.
The “All-in-One” software package includes protocols, graphical console for configuration, diagnostic tools, and a set of data servers: OPC Data Access, Wonderware DAServer (SuiteLink, FastDDE), ActiveX control, and development libraries for various programming environments.
For more information on the BradCommunications Profibus USB Adapter or any other BradCommunications product, please contact your InSource Solutions I2 Infrastructure Specialist or the Marketing Department at marketing@insourcess.com.
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