SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS
Panther through associate company FIRMware develops bespoke automation systems and software applications that bring together traceability and automation technologies to meet special production requirements. Here are some FIRMware's most recent projects.
QUALITY CONTROL BECOMES QUALITY RESULTS
Starting as a genuine traceability solution to record all operator inputs and plant outputs from five collection points, with online printing and identification labels for trace-back, this project with a leading underlay manufacturer went much deeper.
After mining the data mountain the production manager thought of several process improvements that we were able to fully automate and the results were dramatic in terms of yield and product quality which really helps in this competitive space.
We even threw in a special action re-play software tool (see video).
WHAT WENT OUT THE DOOR TODAY?
With manual reports that didn't quite tally-up a premium ice cream producer asked us to read the barcodes of all shippers leaving the production area and had concerns that we'd be no more successful than "the last crowd that attempted it".
Using oscillating beam scanners and a central control panel not only were we able to capture the daily tally by SKU but also provided this to the production manager in an easy-to-consume Excel Spreadsheet that is emailed daily.
TURNING ONE LINE INTO TWO, OR TEN!
Winning a major contract with an airline is a big deal but meeting their packaging requirements quickly became a concern for a local cheese processor.
Working with their local engineering firm we developed a system that counted and accumulated cheese snacks into one of two collection points from the one conveying line while utilising redundant hardware already owned by the plant.
With future-proofing built in with the ability to support up to ten accumulators this producer doesn't need to call us back as it's all in the simple-to-read manual.
ROLLING IN THE DEEP
If you are a large producer of newsprint rolls a long way from the nearest support location then integrating three new printers into an automated process that don't speak the same language as your previous one's ought to make you nervous.
We developed a simple control panel that not only translated the old printers data into the new language but also provided full status reporting and remedial information in the event of problems. If a hardware failure were to occur simply plugging a spare replacement module will activate an automated process which instantly configures that module for the production line it is controlling.