A more flexible, reliable and cost-effective solution
by Geoff Hodder, IT Officer, Steel-Line Garage Doors
The fit-PC2 and a 19″ monitor mounted behind a perspex window
There was a requirement for a data capture system at each of the roller door lines to record the serial number, completion date and time, and on which line the door was made.
This information would provide visibility for the production department and branch offices into what was happening on the factory floor. It was also to be used to display daily production targets for the lines to assist them in achieving those targets.
A quote was requested from an external company to build a system, but the quote was deemed too expensive and there was concern that it might not meet all of the requirements.
I was asked to investigate whether there might be a more flexible way to achieve all of the project goals at a more reasonable cost.
I proposed that each line be fitted with a Windows 7 fit-PC2 from Yawarra due to their excellent computing power, small form factor, reliability due to no moving parts, and flexibility for future software development should requirements change.
The fit-PC2 and a 19″ LCD monitor are mounted in a steel case with a perspex window for protection. A Symbol barcode scanner is used to scan the serial numbers and network connectivity is through a wireless network.
The fit-PC2s automatically login to Windows on boot, load Internet Explorer in kiosk mode and open a PHP web page off one of our servers with a single form field allowing factory staff to submit a barcode.
The page displays their daily target and current number of doors completed for the day, as well as a list of branches the line is producing doors for. There is also a management backend to allow production staff to set the daily targets for each line and enquire on barcodes.
I was given approval for a proof of concept on one line which ran successfully for 2-3 months. The project has now been expanded to an additional 4 lines.
The total hardware cost for each line was approximately $2000 which was less than half the price quoted by the external company.
– Geoff Hodder, IT Officer, Steel-Line Garage Doors
Steel-Line Garage Doors
51 Perivale St
Darra QLD 4076
Tel: (07) 3717 6666
Web: www.steel-line.com.au
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