Communications With The Machines
Your machine controls send real-time production information to LETS using your existing Ethernet.   For stamping press applications, the Wintriss SmartPAC 1 can be made Ethernet compatible by adding our serial-to-Ethernet converter.   The SmartPAC 2 amd LETS Machine Interface (LMI) already have built-in Ethernet capability.   Either SmartPAC can then be connected to a wireless Ethernet by adding the appropriate hardware (a wireless bridge).

Machines such as welders, injection molding machines, etc., can also be connected to LETS via a machine mounted interface.  Our experts will come to your plant and help you to determine what data you need to collect from each machine, do an audit of the machine's controls, and recommend a range of solutions.   

Here is a description of the software components that make up a LETS Installation:

Data Logger
The data logger is the "engine" that drives the data collection process.   It retrieves the data from each control, sorts it, and puts it into the database.   LETS uses Rockwell’s FactoryTalk Transaction Manager – the industry standard data logger/transaction manager.   It is FactoryTalk’s powerful interfacing capabilities that enables us to communicate with many different types of controls including PC's, PLC's (Programmable Logic Controllers), and even proprietary controls - provided the vendor supplies us with the communication protocol.

The Database
The database stores all of the production information and "feeds" the LETS Analyzer, the Report Server, and the Factory Viewer.   LETS uses Microsoft’s SQL Server Version 2008 database.   SQL Server is the most widely used database in the world.   The Microsoft SQL Server database is highly scalable – it can easily grow with your needs.   If you need to share data with other software, chances are good that someone has written a SQL Server interface.

The LETS Analyzer
The LETS Analyzer allows you to configure reports by date range, shift, machine, tool/part, and/or operator.   For example, you could specify that you want a report showing production data for 4 of your machines, while they were making 10 specific parts, being run by 5 selected operators, on third shift.   Once configured, you can save the settings as a new report.

You can create as many new reports as you wish - there is no limit to the number of report configurations that you can store.   The Analyzer runs on the server, allowing several users to configure reports simultaneously.   For reporting purposes, LETS Analyzer allows you to group your machines together (such as for work cells) and group your tools/parts by customer.

The Report Server
Once you've configured a report using the LETS Analyzer, the Report Server controls the distribution.   Reports can be sent to a printer, sent via email to any recipients that you chose, or posted on your network as HTML documents that can be viewed in a web browser by anyone with appropriate access.

You can also use The Report Server to schedule when reports are distributed. For example, you set the Report Server to post the previous day's Production Summary Report onto your network each morning.   Once you've set up the distribution schedule, the Report Server will automatically generate and distribute the reports.

The Factory Viewer
The LETS Factory Viewer allows you to see at a glance the status of your entire factory.   The overview screen shows the status of each machine (green when running, red if stopped, and yellow for a tool change) as well as the parts count, current tool, and estimated time until job completion.   By clicking on the machine name, you can bring up more detailed job and downtime information.   Best of all, the Factory Viewer runs in your web browser; there is no need to install client software.   Click here for a self-guided demo of the Factory Viewer.

LETS Factory Viewer - Overview Screen

The "Tools" page in the Factory Viewer shows a list of all of your tools, along with their status - Running, Down, or Available.   LETS also keeps an accurate total cycle count (with preset) for your tooling - even when tooling are run in multiple machines.   If a tool has exceeded its total hits preset, the background for the tool listing turns red.


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