IAS Adapts Equipment Repair Tool for Smaller Operators International Asset Systems (IAS), a provider of asset-management systems for the global container-shipping industry, has modified its Equipment Repair Cycle (ERC) application for use by smaller container and chassis operators. The tool had previously been adopted by the largest ocean carriers and equipment lessors, for managing their maintenance and repair operations. The new version, known as M&R-In-A-Box, is a standalone, fully supported management system, offering the same level of functionality provided to more complex operations. Users of the ERC application typically achieve savings of 10 to 30 percent in the first year alone, IAS claimed. The system frees up maintenance and repair staff to solve genuine equipment problems, rather than dealing with vendors and data-input issues. M&R-In-A-Box provides internet-based repair estimates for up to 25 maintenance and repair vendors, as well as point-and-click M&R estimate processing, a full suite of M&R management reports, on-site training and round-the-clock support. The system can process estimates from users entering information via the IAS Web screens, or from users that prefer to use in-house proprietary systems, which later export files to IAS. The vendor launched its first version of the Web-based ERC application in 2003. It serves more than 5,500 registered users; in July, IAS marked the system's 2 millionth estimate. http://www.interasset.com/
GE Christens New Customer Application Center in Singapore The optimization and control business of GE Energy has opened a Customer Application Center (CAC) in Singapore. The new facility will provide products and services aimed at improving plant reliability and productivity for the power generation, oil and gas, pulp and paper, cement and mining industries. GE Energy's first CAC in Asia, and the second to be implemented globally, will focus on services related to plant asset management, distributed control and reliability. It consists of a 15,000-square-foot facility which includes a product demonstration center and adjacent training center, providing educational programs, conferences, custom product training and hands-on operation of up-to-date plant-asset management equipment and plant-control system software. The simulation environment allows customers to familiarize themselves with available technologies, while supporting actions to improve plant operations. The center also hosts a remote machinery diagnostics center and facility for engineering and stage testing of machinery protection and control. GE's technical experts will participate in factory acceptance testing, adjusting system design parameters locally as part of each testing program. http://www.gepower.com/
Clarity Adds Flatbed Division to Its Trucking Operations Clarity, a privately owned transportation provider based in Georgia, has opened a flatbed division. The company offers domestic truckload, less-than-truckload, truckload management, transportation management and freight consolidation services. Clarity said it is responding to a growing need among its customer base for flatbeds. The new division is servicing locations in the Southeast, Southwest, Northwest and Midwest. It will soon expand into the West Coast and Northwest regions. Team leader for the flatbed division is Ray Mullins. Clarity's revenues have grown by 111 percent in 2006 versus the same period of 2005, the company said. http://www.clarity123.com/
Brooks Adapts MES Software for Microsoft Windows Platform Brooks Software, a vendor of software applications for discrete manufacturing clients, has enhanced its manufacturing execution system (MES) with a range of new functions. FACTORYworks, the core MES offering from Brooks, is now available on the Microsoft Windows platform. At the same time, Brooks has beefed up 300works, its MES software for highly automated semiconductor manufacturing facilities, or fabs. The changes will improve productivity and make it easier for companies to integrate their execution systems with corporate-level applications, the vendor said. Many of the software's core modules within the MES application suite have been upgraded. The FACTORYworks Work Order Management module allows manufacturers to create a production work order directly from customer-order information contained in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. When used in conjunction with the Brooks Enterprise Interoperability Hub, the module can maintain real-time connectivity to the ERP system. A Manufacturing Bill of Materials (MBOM) module defines where parts will be consumed in the manufacturing process, stores as-built configurations and tracks the entire component genealogy. An Inventory Management module allows the ERP system to pass bills of material to the MES, eliminating duplicate manual entry. Other updated modules include Nonconformance for Manufacturing, Business Objects Reporting, and JMS Message Bus. http://www.brookssoftware.com/
SAP Readies New E-Business Capabilities for Business One SAP AG is introducing new electronic commerce and Web-based capabilities to SAP Business One, extending the suite of applications to meet the needs of small and medium-sized companies (SMEs). According to SAP, customers will be able to set up online stores easily, and deploy customer relationship management (CRM) software via the internet. The new features will provide a unified view of critical information across sales, financials, manufacturing, reporting and customer-service activities, SAP said. The vendor is incorporating the new capabilities through the recently completed acquisition of Praxis Software Solutions, a privately held software company and long-time SAP Business One partner based in Minneapolis, Minn. SAP will integrate the acquired technology and Praxis employees into its Business One applications. Praxis has offered e-commerce and Web-based CRM through two products: NetPoint Commerce, a fully integrated e-commerce package for SMEs who desire to sell and market online, and NetPoint Focus, an online CRM package deploying a Web-based user interface. It adds campaign management and prospecting capabilities to the CRM suite. http://www.sap.com/
Geomagic Releases Latest Version of Product Design Software Geomagic has released Geomagic Studio 9, the latest release of the vendor's digital reconstruction software for product design and analysis. Studio 9 includes 3D feature-based modeling, advanced color texture generation and greater versatility with user-defined patch layouts. According to Geomagic, it can automatically create accurate models from any physical part, making the tool suitable for emerging applications such as mass production of customized devices, build-to-order manufacturing and digital asset archiving for automatic recreation of legacy parts. Components include the auto-detection of 3D features, a redesigned macro system with the ability to add logic and flow control to automation scripts, and a system that enables users to define their own workflow processes to reduce or eliminate time-intensive tasks. In addition, Studio 9's Draw Patches feature allows for the easy creation and editing of patch layouts. And the Advanced Color feature offers the capability to convert per-vertex color models to new representations that use texture maps to retain the full-color resolution. Training time on the new software is just two days, Geomagic said. http://www.geomagic.com/
SAS Cargo Inks New Marketing Cooperation Deal With Air China SAS Cargo is boosting its capacity between Scandinavia and China, through a new cooperation agreement with Air China. Beginning in September, SAS will draw on the capacity of a Boeing 747-200F freighter, adding about 100 tons a week of cargo from China. Demand for service on that route is “very high,” the carrier said. Kenneth Marx, president and CEO of SAS Cargo Group A/S, called the China trade “the most important market for air cargo just now.” Air China's freighter will land three times a week in Copenhagen, Denmark, with stops in both Beijing and Shanghai. The deal also gives Air China the option to buy capacity on SAS's own aircraft to China. Since 2001, SAS Cargo's capacity between Scandinavia and China has risen by 500 percent, the airline said. http://www.sascargo.com/
Advantech Develops New Ruggedized Embedded Box Computer Advantech has introduced the ARK-7480, an application-ready, embedded box computer supporting Intel Pentium or Celeron D Processors up to 2.8 Ghz. Housed in a cast-aluminum chassis, the ruggedized unit is designed for scalable performance and flexible I/O expansion, the company said. One side provides easy access to all connectors, in addition to allowing for easier horizontal or vertical mounting. Included are anti-vibration card holders for PCI I/O expansion cards, as well as hard-drive cushions providing protection against vibration and shocks. As a result, Advantech said, the ARK-7480 can handle such applications as machine automation, and can be easily integrated in industrial environments or control cabinets, ATMs, kiosks and the like. An integrated Intel controller utilizes Intel Extreme Graphics 2 technology with display memory and optimized shared memory architecture. http://www.advantech.com/
Glacier Combines Rugged Computer With Forklift Battery Changer Glacier Computer, a manufacturer of rugged industrial PC-compatible devices, has combined its GX 1000 touchscreen computer and PSLR 1000 barcode scanner with the EBatt forklift battery-changing station from Materials Transportation Co. All EBatt systems use the Glacier touchscreen computer and scanner as their primary input and output devices for the battery room user of the system. The PSLR 1000 laser scanner was designed to meet the demands of tough industrial applications, Glacier said. EBatt systems are a series of motive power-asset control and monitoring systems. Manufactured by the Prophecy Division of Materials Transportation Co., they are designed to give companies complete control of their battery rooms. The user-friendly systems guide personnel through the entire battery-room transaction, including providing information on which battery is ready for use. EBatt translates all data collection during battery room transactions into a comprehensive suite of reports. http://www.glaciercomputer.com/
Omron Links With Web-based Reseller for RFID Hardware Omron RFID, a manufacturer of radio frequency identification (RFID) products, has opened up a new marketing channel for its tags and readers, through a new agreement with Web-based reseller RFIDSupplyChain.com. The latter is a provider of RFID technology to manufacturers and other end-users within the supply chain, many of whom must comply with retail and U.S. Department of Defense mandates. According to the partners, the agreement will improve the availability of Omron's RFID products by providing rapid and accurate shipping. The deal is especially notable in light of the growing popularity of UHF Gen2 labels and readers, as well as new RoHS-compliant HF readers, the companies said. The new e-channel enables the immediate shipping of less substantial volumes of RFID labels for use by companies with smaller production volumes, or those just starting an RFID evaluation project within their facilities. http://www.omronrfid.com/ http://www.rfidsupplychain.com/
