GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms this week rolled out a new version of its Proficy Tracker manufacturing execution application, a mainstay of the company’s Production Management suite.
Version 7.5 adds an order execution layer and the ability to handle high-speed assembly in discrete environments. It is the first enhancement to 7.0, which the company unveiled last year, the company said.
Proficy Tracker allows companies to monitor and manage production flow through the use of business rules. The software can dynamically collect and store data about each component and assembly, send control commands to production equipment to process and route materials, and support inspection and rework processes.
According to GE Fanuc, the value-add to end users is the software’s ability to handle lean production initiatives by managing inventory and schedules in real time and using logic to route materials on the production floor. This is beneficial to industries focused on assembly and material handling, such as automotive and electronics, the company said.
“There is a huge switch in mature markets now to take out as much cost as possible, and a lot of that is associated with lean initiatives,” said Rich Breuning, GE Fanuc’s global product manager for discrete solutions, in an interview with Managing Automation. “And the key thing in lean is build-to-order in a just-in-time environment.”
Proficy Tracker’s new order execution management function, for example, can handle changing real-world conditions of the production floor while coordinating with suppliers. In the case of an automotive manufacturer, for instance, the application applies business rules to track the vehicle bodies as they move down different lines and are routed to specific work areas. Proficy Tracker can then tell the controllers on the line equipment &,dash; as the chassis is passing through — what process to perform. Once the vehicle gets to final assembly, the software can provide the bill of materials for different options to be added to the vehicle.
“It’s about making sure the product is made right the first time to reduce rework and scrap,” Breuning said.
Materials are tracked using RFID tags or bar codes that communicate using software developed by GE Fanuc and automaker Nissan, back in 1992. The real-time technology feeds information to Tracker, which provides screens that display tracking paths and item information.
Proficy Tracker also maintains detailed data for all jobs in the system, including content, status, location, and production process cycle counts. Although it tracks materials and components only within the manufacturing site, Breuning said the software has the ability to send out just-in-time triggers to the supply chain “to let them know what needs to be built and with what product options.”
As part of the Proficy Production Management suite, Tracker can be used and augmented by other applications, including the historian and applications that performs OEE calculations.