Page 12 - MetalForming Magazine May 2023

Software for Manufacturing
Datanomix, ProShop ERP Partner
to Deliver Automated Job Costing, More
for the duration of the work; users can place hold points on inspection and auto- matically notify the correct supervisor. The software also manages tool-calibration records and handles all revision controls.
The software provides real-time visibility on all jobs. Users can monitor and view work-status reports across all stations. And, Q.Shop closely imitates existing paper forms, meaning that users need not change their inspection forms, according to company officials, who note that this saves employee training time and enables quick, smooth transitions to electronic ITP systems. QDataHub: www.qdatahub.com
Automated Employee- Scheduling Software
Shiftboard employee-scheduling soft- ware helps manufacturers maximize sched- uling efficiency with tailor-fit automation, thus creating more coverage possibilities with limited labor resources and gaining the ability to attract and retain workers by creating flexible, fair and transparent schedules.
Configurable automation via the software mirrors each plant and unit’s operation, allowing for support of industry-specific scenarios such as production-line changes, job rotations, emergency-response-team assignments and turnarounds, according to Shiftboard officials. Users can automate scheduling steps to match internal proce- dures and union agreements; generate schedules for operation areas, and crew and shift-pattern structures; and auto- block violations of employment laws, union contracts, fatigue rules and internal policies. Intelligent scheduling suggestions are pow- ered by a robust optimization engine.
The software offers the ability to track and accommodate employee schedule preferences, and allows eligible workers to volunteer, pick up, trade or decline new shifts on demand. And, it distributes overtime fairly based on overtime balance, seniority, job classification, shift refusal history, etc., according to company officials, while offering employees secure web and mobile access to check schedules, pick up shifts, request leave and more. Shiftboard: www.shiftboard.com
Datanomix, provider of the Automated Production Intelligence platform, and ProShop ERP, a supplier of digital manu- facturing-management systems, have announced a partnership to help manu- facturers deliver more insights from their operational data. The first of many new features, they say, delivers automated job- costing analytics that compare ProShop target takt times for part production to actual part performance at the machine, via Datanomix. The ability to compare tar- gets to actuals and benchmarks offers clarity on gross-margin performance on a per-part basis relative to operations, while highlighting where the greatest opportu- nities for margin improvement exist.
A ProShop ERP integration now is avail- able inside the Datanomix platform. By enabling this integration, Datanomix auto- matically matches part numbers in the machine code to those from ProShop ERP and extracts target takt times. These tar- gets are integrated into the Datanomix Quote Calibration Report to identify oppor- tunities quickly for margin improvement by comparing the ProShop target takt
times to Datanomix actuals and bench- marks. Pre-packaged filters in the report show exactly which jobs to work on.
“ProShop ERP is built to store and man- age the data that’s vital to running a factory, helping manufacturers make better decisions for their front office and shop floor,” says Paul Van Metre, co-founder and CEO of ProShop ERP. “By partnering with Datanomix, we’re closing a loop that lets our customers tie true costs back into our existing job-costing and profitability workflows by refining the exact machine utilization times to augment current labor, out-of-pocket costs and overhead costs.”
“Knowing how much it really costs to produce parts is the holy grail for precision manufacturers when it comes to job costing and quoting,” adds Greg McHale, CTO and co-founder of Datanomix. “With Datanomix, manufacturers get operations data directly from CNC machines, offering an incorruptible window into actual job performance derived while running parts because there is no operator input required.”
Datanomix: www.datanomix.io
Touchscreen Automation for Sawing
New from TigerStop is SawGear Touch, feature-packed automated-stop software with touchscreen control that reportedly adapts easily to existing saws to cut metal, wood and plastics. SawGear Touch, allow- ing users to dispense with tape measures and manual fences while producing more parts with greater accuracy, according to company officials, includes Downloading, Optimization and Crown+MiterPro software. And, the software, with repeatable accuracy
of ± 0.008 in., can be adapted to upcut, cold, chop and other saws.
Product features include a new touch- screen control, cut-list downloading soft- ware that can hold an infinite number of lists, toggling between metric and Imperial measurements, conversion between frac- tions and decimals, and optional label printing. Language choices include English, Spanish, French, Dutch and German. TigerStop: www.tigerstop.com
Inspection Software Provides Real-Time Visibility
Q.Shop in-process inspection software from QDataHub, a provider of shop-floor data-collection software, manages shop- floor paperwork and monitors quality during manufacturing processes, reportedly stream- lining inspection and test plans (ITPs), and quality reports, and integrating all related
shop-floor documents into one system. It enables users to digitize ITPs, work instruc- tions, MSDS safety sheets and more.
With the Q.Shop in-process inspection software, multiple operators have simul- taneous access to a single ITP and can save data; ITP forms can remain open
10 MetalForming/May 2023
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