Shop Floor Data Collection
Modules
- Computer or Tablet Input
- Touch Screen
- Bar Codes
- Proximity or Bar Coded ID
- Nesting
- Miscellaneous Time
- Tool Issues / Returns
- Time & Attendance
- Alerts
- First Off Inspection
Up until now the typical method used by any shop floor data collection software has been to use desktop computers with touch sensitive monitors or wall mounted dedicated terminals. This has also been the prefered method for the RedAnt data collection system also which uses desktop computers and touch monitors. This is all about to change as we have now developed our data collection software to utilise any touch screen device from a mobile phone to an Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy and that has an internet browser. This is an exciting time for our company as we believe this is the way forward. With 8" devices costing as little as £60, it will be affordable for each employee to have their own wireless portable unit. The time savings are imense when you work out the amount of time employess walk to and from fixed input devices. We have very big plans in the pipeline for this new system and our goal is to have paperless shop floor routing. We are also in talks with a machine monitoring software vendor to link their tablet system to RedAnt for the complete solution.
The shop floor data collection software is easy to use and has been designed with the non-computer literate user in mind. Bar codes can be used if required to minimize data input errors and speed up entrry time. These can be applied to Job Numbers, Operations and Work Centres.
We have developed a nesting system for customers using the likes of cnc lasers where lots of different jobs using the same material can be nested together. Using our algorithms, nesting times can be proportioned across the jobs to give individual realistic production times and costings. This is not specific to laser equipment and can be applied to similar scenarios
Finite scheduler loadings are available for each work centre enabling the employee to see which job is scheduled next. There are indicators showing if a job is still waiting a previous operation or it is ready to proceed.
Using the miscellaneous time option you can analyze non productive time for example work centre down time, shop floor tasks, deliveries and waiting times for inspection etc.
Employees have the ability to issue and return tools as well as consumables. The alternate method is to use one of our many links to popular tool vending suppliers and import tool usage through our stock control module.
Not only does the system record production time bookings but the option exists to use the data collection as a clock in and out system for payroll recording. The clocks can be calculated against shift patterns and holiday entitlements and then exported to Sage payroll.
First off inspection can be recorded against operations and is avaiable for quality inspection from within the main RedAnt system.
Alerts to existing or previous non-conformances can be displayed to the employee when booking on to a job and an email notification issued when they have been read and accepted. This eliminates further quality issues from happening a second time. There are also email alerts for late clockin and when operation times exceed estimated times.
A message can also be sent to an employee from within the RedAnt system the next time the employee uses the data collection software. This is useful to inform night shift personell of changed plans when they are not available to speak to during normal office hours.