About the Author
Plex Systems, Inc., a Rockwell Automation company, is the leader in cloud-delivered smart manufacturing solutions, empowering the world’s manufacturers to make awesome products. Our platform gives manufacturers the ability to connect, automate, track and analyze every aspect of their business to drive transformation. The Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform includes solutions for manufacturing execution (MES), ERP, quality, supply chain planning and management, Industrial IoT and analytics to connect people, systems, machines, and supply chains, enabling them to lead with precision, efficiency and agility.
What Your Clipboard Won’t Tell You, Your Data Will
At the time, it seemed like a good idea. Write down if there are any breakdowns, stoppages, changeovers, or anything that makes a machine stop. Write the time, the date, the reason, and how long it took to restart. Oh, and if you have any scrap from a startup, write that down by pounds and material type on another form. In its day, this method was helpful because it was the beginning of modern-…
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Quality Management in an Age of Disruptive Supply Chains
Once upon a time, it was easier. For decades, supply chains stabilized globally, allowing companies to source components confidently and manage their supply chain plans with Lean methodology. And while supply chain complexity increased during this time, the ability to span the globe and know their materials would arrive on time....
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The Future of Automotive: Your 2022 OESA Supplier Conference Recap
Many conference attendees recently filled the Suburban Showplace in Novi, MI to gain new insights and collaborate with fellow subject matter experts on the evolving landscape that has become the new automotive marketplace. The Original Equipment Suppliers Association (OESA) held its Supplier Conference “The Future of Automotive Is Calling. How Will You Answer?” and it lived up to its expectations…
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Production Monitoring KPIs – Greater Visibility Means Higher Production
The U.S. military uses advanced technology to extend the capabilities of its systems. From satellite images to radar and "eye in the sky" electronic surveillance planes, the goal is to extend visibility past the horizon so troops can see whatever is coming their way. They can see a macro version of a field to view the entire picture or zoom in to look at individual buildings, vehicles, or people…
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Leverage Your Data to Unlock Hidden Capacity and Supercharge Processes
Capital equipment is one of the most significant variables in calculating a manufacturing company’s capacity. The higher the capacity, the more business a company can take on. Optimizing that capacity means a more substantial ROI, which leads to higher profits and less new equipment in the future....
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The People Behind the Platform: Nagesh Kadam, Sr. Technical Support Rep
You might love the Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform™, but do you know those who make it possible? Talented people have been working hard behind the scenes for decades. They’re what make this company great, but few get the chance to step into the spotlight they deserve – until now. This month, say hello to Sr. Technical Support Rep Nagesh Kadam. Tell us about your role at Plex....
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Industry 4.0: Go Big or Go Small - Just Go
Traditionally, large manufacturing companies benefited from scale. They could put money, resources, and in-house expertise into implementing massive enterprise-level software like an ERP or MRP. Smaller companies with limited resources, capital, and expertise under their roof had trouble acquiring the benefits of such software. This disadvantage meant they had to utilize manual data collection,…
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Manufacturing Execution Systems: How MES KPIs Inform and Predict
Global manufacturing is increasing in complexity as new challenges arise, customer expectations change, and best practices evolve. This complexity makes it more challenging than ever to manage a production floor effectively. With traditional manual tracking, this process is inefficient and costly. Today, most companies turn to technology in the form of Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) to…
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When You Don’t Know What’s Broken: Fighting Frightening Manufacturing Monsters
Bumps, clanks, hisses, and creaks. What’s that noise? In a manufacturing operation, just like a Halloween movie, these sounds are always scary. But sometimes, we don’t hear the sounds until they’ve jumped out at us, eliciting a haunted-house scream and a bit of embarrassment that we didn’t see it coming....
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What IIoT Can Do for Manufacturers
It’s no secret that the age of smart manufacturing is here and fully underway. Most industries are already leveraging the power of data-driven insights and the adoption of smart manufacturing platforms....
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