Home Company Technologies Services Experience Careers Contact Print This Page Specific Application Experience The Factory Automation Systems approach to system design is, quite simply, to consider each of the overall system objectives, define the specific requirements, and then integrate the system as a whole--considering each component's requirements and limitations. These specific projects represent only a few of the many successful applications of these principles which our staff has completed. Web Coating Line Paper Machine Rewinder Fiberglass Production Lines Roll Forming Machine Fiberglass Mat Winder Machine Control and Operator Interface PLCs and Drive Systems Automotive Inventory Management and Tracking Production Monitoring and Reporting Real-Time Production Scheduling Paint Line Scheduling, Routing and Inventory Control Robotics Real-Time Automated Quality Inspection Web Coating Line Provided PLC system to coordinate drive sections including tension and speed control. The existing drive analog control system was replaced by PLCs to provide drift-free, stable coordination of the various sections. This project included retrofitting controls to existing variable frequency drives, installation of high performance vector drives, integrating the new PLCs with an existing supervisory PLC, and configuration of operator interface terminals. Communication and processing speed requirements were analyzed, and a design was implemented which exceeded all requirements. The PLC system provided a cost-effective, low-risk alternative to replacing the entire system with a digital drive system. Paper Machine Rewinder Provided a system of PLC processors and operator interface terminals to coordinate speed and tension controls and operator interface for a paper machine rewinder. This system included center unwinder, centerless winder, flux regulation, load cell feedback, roll diameter calculations and various operation modes. Fiberglass Production Lines Provided PLC systems to coordinate up to 12 sections of DC drives. Designed and specified motors, feedback devices, mechanical power transmission equipment. Provided turnkey installations including total downtime of less than 36 hours for the entire turnaround. Roll Forming Machine Provided an innovative solution for a metal forming line requiring two motors, properly sharing the load. A cost-effective solution was implemented using one armature power unit with field control to balance loads. Fiberglass Mat Winder Provided turnkey installation for the controls to retrofit a fiberglass roll machine. The manufacturing process required 30 recipes and the ability for the operator to "tune" the recipe during operation and either store or discard the recipe. Additional functions were included (such as Q.C. chop mode) which greatly enhanced the value of the PLC installation. Machine Control and Operator Interface Designed, programmed and installed several complete process control systems including batching, processing and packaging systems. These applications range from PLCs controlling process reactors, to simple PLC systems with recipe management function provided by an industrial software enabler running on a personal computer. PLCs and Drive Systems Our staff has extensive experience in integration of PLCs and variable speed drive systems. Several of our engineers have been responsible for integrated drive systems such as coordinated conveyors, position controls for loaders, position matching, and recipe selection control for variable speed technologies including DC, AC and servo drives. Automotive Our staff has managed the design and start-up of many large automotive conveyor systems including power and free, inverted P & F, skid, and electrified monorail conveyors. Our engineers have designed systems currently in use at General Motors, Ford, Daimler/Benz, and BMW. Inventory Managment and Tracking Complete automated material tracking system integrated from the PLC machine control, operator interface level through an on-line relational database running in a network environment. This application included automatic identification, routing and tracking of material. The various parts were integrated into a single, unified system, with each component optimized in function and inter-operability. Production Monitoring and Reporting System Integrated hierarchical system for production piece counts and maintenance downtime monitoring. System included hourly, shift, daily, weekly and monthly reporting. Statistical methods were employed for meaningful reports. Real-Time Production Scheduling Automated scheduling system to schedule production of automobile based on option content. Our services included total responsibility for integration of a system from automatic identification, network transactions to the enterprise-wide production scheduling systems, routing optimization, production scheduling, and installation. Paint Line Scheduling, Routing and Inventory Control Provided complete control system to monitor build information and maintain a dynamic inventory of completed parts for a paint line. This system is an example of our approach to system integration, with each component of the system considered in the overall design. The PLC maintains the master database because of its reliable, battery-backed memory and its ability to maintain data integrity under a variety of real-world operating conditions. A central computer running an industrial application enabler interfaces with the plant-wide production scheduling system. Operator interfaces interact directly with the PLC. Robotics In the area of robotics, our experienced staff has successfully implemented thousands of robot applications. Our expertise resides in the effective and creative use of end-of-arm tooling and high-density parts presentation to maximize cell throughput and minimize application complexities. We specialize in the design of complete automation cells including infeed and outfeed conveyance, machine tool interfacing, gauging, production reporting and all safety-related equipment. Real-Time Automated Quality Inspection In the area of quality inspection, we have implemented numerous automated quality inspection systems, that use vision, IR or high precision mechanical sensors to provide real-time feedback to lathes and robot tending, for work in progress adjustments to ensure continuous quality control within nominal or SPC limits. Our expertise resides in the effective and creative use of end-of-arm tooling and high-density parts presentation to maximize cell throughput and highspeed communications between discrete machines and gauging systems. Our systems provide real-time color displays and quality control logging for verification of manufacture production quality. © 2014 Factory Automation Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. 5139 Southridge Pkwy, Atlanta, Georgia 30349, USA • 770.996.6955 • Fax 770.996.7186 Get Directions