Memex Automation’s Partner Distribution Channel Delivers New Business

Burlington, ON, Canada – February 4, 2015 – Astrix Networks Inc., operating as Memex Automation (TSX-V: OEE) (“Astrix”), the global leader of manufacturing M2M productivity solutions, is pleased to announce that during its first quarter fiscal 2015, ending December 31, 2014, Astrix has recorded 61 customer orders.

Partner Distributors who have placed orders for the Astrix products include:

  • Mazak, who provided orders for its Fortune 500 type customers, including Lockheed Martin Corp., Raymond Corporation, Oilgear Co., and Witten Company.
  • Newman M2M, who provided orders for GE Power and Energy in South Carolina for 34 of its 300 machines and Sun Hydraulics in Florida.
  • CNC Soluciones, an Astrix partner located in Mexico, provided orders for 19 of its 160 machines from Frisa Aerospace.
  • Pinnacle Machine Tool provided orders for Roadtec in Tennessee and facilitated orders with Fort Walton Machining in Florida as well Mahle USA for 18 of its 300 machines in one of 11 plants.
  • FA Consulting and Technology provided an order from GE Aviation.

“Astrix is very pleased with the amount of orders coming in for the MERLIN OEE machine monitoring solution, especially the increase in activity from our Partner Distribution Channels,” commented Rick Mosca, Chief Operating Officer of Astrix Networks Inc. USA.  “Our Partners are responding to the elevated interest in machine monitoring coming from the manufacturing community. Customers who have done their research have concluded that MERLIN OEE is the best enterprise solution on the market. Our Partner Distribution Channel is very busy and we are excited by the surge in activity.”

Astrix is pleased to report the additional following orders:

  • Cortec Fluid Control of Louisiana, has extended its existing license to 20 machines in one of its three plants.
  • Heroux-Devtek Inc. in Quebec has extended its license to all the machines in the Laval Plant, the fourth of its seven plants.
  • Aerofit, LLC in California has also extended its licenses.
  • Beckwood Press in Missouri has given Astrix a purchase order to install MERLIN OEE on an initial machine as it moves towards offering this feature across all of its machine presses.

Astrix Networks Inc.’s flagship product, MERLIN, enables effective machine communication across the shop floor, speeds up production processes, and can increase machine utilization by an average of 10% to 50%. Plants using MERLIN are able to improve output by more than 10% and related Income from Operations by as much as 20% to 60%.

About Astrix Networks Inc.

Astrix Networks Inc., operating as Memex Automation (TSX-V:OEE) is the leader of manufacturing Machine to Machine (M2M) productivity solutions and the measurement of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (“OEE”) in real-time. MERLIN (Manufacturing Enterprise Real-time Lean Information Network) generates OEE metrics, enterprise-wide, plant by plant, machine by machine. MERLIN is an award winning solution (Frost & Sullivan and Plant Engineering & Maintenance).  Mazak, the largest machine tool builder in the world, uses MERLIN in its plant in Kentucky and re-sells MERLIN.  Okuma America Corporation, a world leader in CNC machine tools, has Memex Automation as a Partner in THINC.  Microsoft selected MERLIN to be its mid-market ERP machine connectivity solution.  Memex is known for offering a complete shop floor communications platform.  For more information, please visit: www.memex.ca.

Media Contacts

Memex Automation
Leanne Rattray, Communications Specialist
Phone: 905-635-1540 ext. 103
Email: leanne.rattray@memex.ca

David McPhail, CEO
Phone: 519-993-1114
Email: david.mcphail@memex.ca

 To see the full press release, please click here.

Software Update: The Value of Virtual Plant Monitoring

Manufacturing Engineering: What can a plant-floor monitoring system do for shops today?

Dave McPhail: The achievable goal is real-time situational awareness and complete visibility of operations, or connected manufacturing. The vast majority of manufacturers today do not measure the results of their shop-floor operational efforts in real time. With a disconnected manufacturing model, they have little or no real-time data to drive excellence and profitability.

ME: Why don’t more manufacturers use monitoring?

McPhail: As with anything new that challenges the present status quo, adoption rates are contingent on manufacturers sharing their successes with others. Most manufacturers purchase and adopt new equipment and processes by identifying and benchmarking their performance against that of their peers.

As the results of our early adopters are validated and shared, we are seeing the market open up dramatically. At last September’s IMTS show, our booth was booking a new lead every two-and-a-half minutes and we are now scaling up all areas of our company to meet demand.

ME: How much does it cost to start a shop-floor monitoring program?

McPhail: The cost depends on the method of connection required to access the data generated by the shop-floor-resident manufacturing equipment. For new equipment capable of talking intelligently via Ethernet and using an electronic protocol such as MTConnect or OPC, the cost is $2750-$3500 per monitored asset installed. If the equipment is considered legacy and a hardware adapter is required, the cost is closer to $5000-$5500 per monitored asset installed.

To make an informed cost decision, manufacturers need to understand the value created by effectively monitoring their shop-floor assets. Memex Automation customers typically experience IRR [internal rate of return] greater than 400%, which means that the average payback is measured in mere months.

Using Memex’s MERLIN Operator Portal, operators are empowered with tools needed to quickly solve problems, boosting shop-floor productivity.

ME: What new monitoring tools from Memex Automation can help shops today?

McPhail: We call our award-winning technology MERLIN, an acronym for Manufacturing Execution Real-time Lean Information Network. Our solution includes both connection hardware, if required, and visualization software that, for the first time, allows manufacturers to really see exactly what transpires on their shop floors, in real time, by the second.

MERLIN enables the synthesis and contextualization of three data sources. The first data source is the shop-floor equipment that produces the product. This could be any piece of resident shop-floor manufacturing equipment, such as CNC machines, punch presses, saws, injection-molding machines, packaging equipment, robots, and PLC-controlled equipment. It could also be a “virtual machine,” where the process is completely manual, such as assembly or packaging.

The second data source is the shop-floor personnel that operate the equipment, and perform related tasks. Our MERLIN Operator Portal (MOP) supports a new paradigm in manufacturing where the equipment operator is as valued as an intrinsic resource. Our customers have proven that if the operator is empowered and given the tools to assist in solving problems as they arise on the manufacturing floor, productivity dramatically improves.

The third data source is ERP/MRP. In most manufacturing shops, these complex systems are not directly tied to what is happening on the shop floor. They hold vast amounts of data about sales orders, raw material availability, delivery dates, outsourced vendors/suppliers, costing, and scheduling. In a disconnected manufacturing model, the data that they are presently fed from the shop floor is manually entered, usually well after the fact, which hinders their ability to influence time-sensitive outcomes and make critical decisions.

A connected manufacturing model offers the ability to automatically drive and influence inventory, and procurement, based solely on what is happening in real-time on the shop floor. Another benefit is transparent scheduling visibility based on exactly what has been produced by the company’s manufacturing operations without the delay associated with manual data entry.

ME: What specific metrics are most critical for shops looking to improve productivity?

McPhail: The new buzzword in manufacturing today is OEE. OEE is a distillation of the six-sigma principles of waste, and is the product of three ratios. The first ratio is Availability, which is defined as actual run time/total time, including downtime. The second ratio is Quality, which is defined as good parts produced/total parts produced, including rejects/scrap. The third ratio is Performance, which is defined as actual part-to-part runtime collected/theoretical part-to-part runtime.

Availability is where most companies see the largest and quickest improvement for the effort expended. MERLIN measures nonproductive time into 20 downtime categories per machine. This allows continuous improvement personnel to rapidly determine root causes of equipment downtime and eliminate them by understanding exactly where to look, and exactly what to change to gain additional manufacturing capacity.

Quality and performance are also extremely helpful in improving a company’s overall OEE score. World-class OEE is 85%, which is 95% in each of these categories multiplied by each other. It should be duly noted that the average manufacturing customer we engage with believes its OEE is approximately 65%, when the actual post-MERLIN-implementation initial benchmark is closer to 32%. Once the shock of that typical OEE gap is fully understood, within a few months a MERLIN customer’s OEE improves dramatically. We have several customers that have started at 32%, and attained world-class OEE of 85%.

ME: How can using financial OEE, which you described at MTConnect’s conference, help improve shops’ bottom line?

McPhail: Financial OEE, or F.OEE, leverages the power of real-time shop-floor data, and accurate costing data trapped in most manufacturers’ ERP/MRP systems. With F.OEE, Income From Operations [IFO], asset by asset, hour by hour, can for the first time be calculated, visualized and truly understood.

This allows manufacturers to manage their shop-floor operations with a new management tool that helps them understand their equipment’s contribution to their monthly income statement in real-time, not three weeks after month-end when it’s far too late to modify a manufacturing process. Think of F.OEE as a universal metric that is well understood by all—money!

New Releases

SigmaTek Systems LLC (Cincinnati), a developer of nesting software, has released its updated SigmaNest Version 10 for users of plasma, laser, punch, oxyfuel, waterjet, router, knife, tube/pipe and combination cutting machines.

The updated SigmaNest Version 10.2 software adds a Split Window for simultaneously viewing different areas of the workspace.

The updated SigmaNest software adds a number of new features and enhancements that make machine programming even more effective and easy. SigmaNest 10.2 offers a Split Window that allows simultaneously viewing different areas of the workspace. Users can also manually nest parts across the split windows and onto other sheets. This capability provides quick nesting of parts onto multiple sheets. The new software adds several other enhancements including laser destruct; center of gravity tabbing; a quick search parts, sheets, and work order list; horizontal line cropping; and punching enhancements.

CADENAS Part Solutions LLC (Cincinnati) on Dec. 5 released the new parts4cad app for users of the cloud-based design and planning tool Autodesk Fusion 360. The app, created by software developer CADENAS GmbH (Augsburg, Germany), gives engineers access to millions of 3D CAD models from more than 400 certified manufacturer catalogs. The desired components can be configured individually and afterwards integrated directly into existing designs in Autodesk Fusion 360, a solution for 3D modeling that is used by designers and engineers to collaborate on product creations. The cloud-based technology in Fusion 360 allows users to access designs at any time and any location with any mobile device and Internet browser. The part4cad app is available for download for $7.99 from the Autodesk Exchange Apps store. For more information, see http://tinyurl.com/parts4cad.

Acquisitions

ERP developer Epicor Software Corp. (Austin, TX) announced Jan. 5 that it has completed its acquisition of privately held ShopVisible LLC (Atlanta), a cloud-based retail order-management and digital commerce solutions. No financial terms were disclosed.

The acquisition, announced Dec. 11, 2014, expands Epicor’s position as a leading provider of extended omni-channel solutions for midsize and large retail chains. ShopVisible customers include global and domestic retailers and manufacturers such as 3M, Liberty Hardware, Tempur-Pedic, Bluemercury, Hue, Atwoods, and Plow & Hearth.

ShopVisible’s multitenant Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) software will complement Epicor’s offerings in retail transaction, enterprise and analytics systems, and the acquisition will become part of the Epicor Retail suite of solutions. Software Update is edited by Senior Editor Patrick Waurzyniak; e-mail pwaurzyniak@sme.org.

This article was first published in the February 2015 edition of Manufacturing Engineering magazine.

To see the full article, please click here.

Memex Automation has received purchase orders from Domino Machine Inc. for the MERLIN solution

Burlington, ON, Canada – January 30, 2015 – As the leaders of the worldwide manufacturing renaissance continue their push for plant efficiency improvements, Edmonton-based Domino Machine Inc. has issued purchase orders totaling $129,186 for the machine tool productivity solution MERLIN for their complete plant from Astrix Networks Inc. (TSX-V: OEE), operating under the trade name Memex Automation.

Memex Automation’s flagship product, MERLIN, enables effective machine communication across the shop floor, speeds up production processes, and can increase machine utilization by an average of 10% to 50%. Plants using MERLIN are able to improve output by more than 10% and related Income From Operations by as much as 20% – 60%.

“We selected the Memex MERLIN OEE data collection system because we recognized the importance of making decisions based on real data rather than opinions to help us stay competitive in domestic and foreign markets,” said Brandon Walker, Manufacturing Manager.

“We are thrilled to see MERLIN being adopted by a manufacturing leader like Domino Machine Inc.” said John Rattray, Memex Automation’s Vice President of Sales. “Not all OEE solutions are created equal, and after performing extensive due diligence, we are proud that Domino Machine Inc. has joined other leading manufacturers like Mazak, and iMech in recognizing MERLIN’s unique ability to bring machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity from the shop floor to the top floor.”

About Domino Machine Inc.

Domino Machine Inc. has been a leader in the machining industry since 1967, specializing in custom machining for the oilfield.  Domino Machine is a fast growing company and has a machining capacity up to 7 tons.  Product lines include Rod Blowout Preventers, Hi-Temp Rod Blowout Preventers, Stuffing Boxes, API Products and more.  Not only does Domino Machine source reliable material from overseas but it also maintains overseas manufacturing capability as well.  For more information, please visit www.dominomachine.com/

About Memex Automation

Memex Automation (TSX-V:OEE) is the leader of manufacturing Machine to Machine (M2M) productivity solutions and the measurement of Overall Equipment Effectiveness (“OEE”) in real-time. OEE is the measurement of plant-wide capacity utilization. MERLIN (Manufacturing Enterprise Real-time Lean Information Network) generates OEE enterprise-wide, machine by machine. On April 15, 2014, PEM awarded the Company the 2013 Plant Engineering & Maintenance Award for Best Company Under 50 Employees. Frost & Sullivan awarded MERLIN its 2013 Technology Innovation Leadership Award for Machine Monitoring. Microsoft picked MERLIN to be its mid-market ERP machine connectivity solution. Mazak, North America’s largest original equipment manufacturer of machine tools, purchased MERLIN to manage its plant and now offers it on its price list. Okuma America Corporation, a world leader in CNC machine tools, announced in April 2014 that Memex Automation became a Partner in THINC. For more information, please visit: www.memex.ca.

 For more information, please contact:

Memex Automation
Leanne Rattray, Communications Specialist
Phone: 905-635-1540 ext. 103
Email: leanne.rattray@memex.ca

To see the full press release, please click here.

The 3 M’s – Manufacturing, MTConnect and Massive Data

Dave Edstrom, CTO of Memex Automation, will be giving a talk to the students at McMaster University on Wed Feb 4, 2015, from 11:30 am to 12:15 pm.

The talk will discuss the history of MTConnect and its importance in global manufacturing with specific emphasis on analyzing massive amounts of data. The world of manufacturing has never been as dynamic and exciting with a plethora of hot technologies and concepts from 3D printers, M2M, Industry 4.0 to IoT with companies like Cisco stating that their number one business segment is manufacturing. Why all the excitement and where are the opportunities for students at universities such McMaster University going to be in the near future?

The MFG Meeting

Dave Edstrom, CTO of Memex Automation, will be attending the fifth edition of The MFG Meeting.  The MFG Meeting will bring together the manufacturing community to learn, network and be inspired. This year’s meeting will focus on the power of manufacturing, which is driven by innovation, design, insight, and people. The presentations from industry leaders will provide creative ways to optimize the drivers of manufacturing and provide solutions to strengthen your business.

When: March 4 – 7, 2015
Where: Orlando World Marriott Resort – 8701 World Center Drive, Orlando, FL 32821

The event is organized by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, the National Tooling and Machining Association (NTMA) and the Precision Metalforming Association (PMA).

For more information on the MFG Meeting, please click here.

The Association for Manufacturing Technology

AMT represents and promotes U.S.-based manufacturing technology and its members—those who design, build, sell, and service the continuously evolving technology that lies at the heart of manufacturing.specializes in providing targeted business assistance, extensive global support, and business intelligence systems and analysis. AMT advocates for advanced manufacturing through innovation and R&D, as well as the development of an education initiative known as Smartforce.
www.AMTonline.org

National Tooling and Machining Association

The NTMA is a nonprofit, industry-led association comprised of more than 1,400 member companies in the business of precision custom manufacturing. Founded in 1943, the association has 35 local chapters in cities throughout the United States.
www.NTMA.org

Precision Metalforming Association

PMA is the full-service trade association representing the $113-billion metalforming industry of North America the industry that creates precision metal products using stamping, fabricating, spinning, slide forming and roll forming technologies, and other value-added processes. Its nearly 1,000 member companies also include suppliers of equipment, materials and services to the industry. PMA leads its innovative member companies toward superior competitiveness and profitability through advocacy, networking, statistics, events and more.
www.PMA.org