Posts Tagged ‘Systems’
The warehouse control system enables an automated warehouse or distribution center to reach peak operating performance. These new technologies remove the inefficiencies commonly associated with under or over element of lean manufacturing and elimination of waste, a warehouse control system pulls product through an automated warehouse or distribution center increasing overall productivity and throughput.
Jerry List, Vice President of Cincinnati, Ohio-based QC Software (www.qcsoftware.com) recently noted that the company’s inclusion in the new directory, “Premier List of Warehousing Software” compiled by Philip Obal for Industrial Data & Information.
According to the author the following personnel in an organization can benefit from this publication: Consultants, Integrators, Information Technology Management, Operation Management, Purchasing Management, Logistics Management, Customer Service Management, 3rd Party Logistics providers, 3rd Party Fulfillment, and owners of the company who are involved in the search for warehouse software.
Some solutions offer that the key to the optimization of material flow by warehouse automation is tracking key performance indicators such as the current and anticipated workloads at workstations in order to make key material routing decisions; inbound and outbound order tasks to make key material release decisions.
Obal suggests that Warehouse Control System is software that directs the material handling equipment via PLC’s and controllers. Sorters, diverters, AS/RS, carousels, robots, and other ME types are controlled by the software. The MHE will perform the operations and the WCS will notify the WMS/ERP system that it has accomplished that task. WCS is used in high volume warehouses and manufacturing plants with heavy automation.
QC Software is the leading provider of Tier 1 warehouse control systems to the warehousing and distribution industries. Since 1996, QC Software, utilizing state of the art technology combined with extensive research, development, and rigorous testing, has developed the QC Enterprise suite of products. Designed to be modular in nature, easily configurable, and platform independent, this highly scalable solution satisfies the needs of any size warehouse.
QC Software, Inc.
Jerry List
(513) 469-1424
In the December issue of World Trade magazine, leading manufacturing journalist, Thomas R. Cutler, described the current nature of “Dynamic Warehousing.” According to Cutler there is ‘buzz’ that heightened concerns about supply chain resiliency are prompting tactics of ‘regionalization’ of the supply chain process, keeping inventory closer at hand, if not necessarily taking possession sooner. The result is making warehousing a key element in enterprise strategy much more so than just five years ago. The concept of renewed centrality of warehouses within supply chains may be a paradigm shift more about how new warehouse control systems are part of lean efficiency, than simply the new role of warehouses in strategic thinking.
Jerry List, Vice President of Cincinnati, Ohio-based QC Software (www.qcsoftware.com) debunks that any paradigm shift has taken place. “When did warehousing ever go away? The most significant impact on warehousing has been the need for real-time warehouse data via WCS (warehouse control systems.) In today’s economy, distribution centers need to be more dynamic to meet the ever changing demands of the global economy. They must constantly re-invent themselves, whether it is simply expanding an existing footprint, adding new operational processes such as value added services, or finding better ways to fulfill orders quicker. Warehouses cannot remain stagnant.”
The ability of a warehouse to be dynamic depends on the configurability and scalability of the WCS.
The warehouse control system enables an automated warehouse or distribution center to reach peak operating performance. These new technologies remove the inefficiencies commonly associated with under or over element of lean manufacturing and elimination of waste, a warehouse control system pulls product through an automated warehouse or distribution center increasing overall productivity and throughput.
Some solutions offer that the key to the optimization of material flow by warehouse automation is tracking key performance indicators such as the current and anticipated workloads at workstations in order to make key material routing decisions; inbound and outbound order tasks to make key material release decisions.
QC Software is the leading provider of Tier 1 warehouse control systems to the warehousing and distribution industries. Since 1996, QC Software, utilizing state of the art technology combined with extensive research, development, and rigorous testing, has developed the QC Enterprise suite of products. Designed to be modular in nature, easily configurable, and platform independent, this highly scalable solution satisfies the needs of any size warehouse.
This post has been deleted at the request of the author
QC Software is the leading provider of Tier 1 warehouse control systems to the warehousing and distribution industries. Since 1996, QC Software, utilizing state of the art technology combined with extensive research, development, and rigorous testing, has developed the QC Enterprise suite of products. Designed to be modular in nature, easily configurable, and platform independent, this highly scalable solution satisfies the needs of any size warehouse.
Manufacturing journalist TR Cutler, profiled QC Software in a recent issue of Industry 2.0. The full feature can be read at http://trcutlerinc.com/Cutler%20Speak%20-%20Nov06.pdf.
Experiencing exponential growth, Arbonne, a leading cosmetic distributor, needed to re-engineer its distribution operations. Arbonne achieved this by implementing a third picking line that was fully automated, enabling them to double their output. A major component of this new system was QC Enterprise, by Cincinnati-based QC Software, Inc. (www.qcsoftware.com). QC Enterprise is a warehouse control system, which communicates in real-time with the host WMS as well as the material handling hardware. It manages the entire conveyor routing process and the operational aspect of the picking and shipping (order fulfillment) functions within the distribution center.
The QC OMS (Order Management System) module allows Arbonne to pick orders directly into shipping cartons
Utilizing cartonization logic. This ensures that each carton is not over packed based on product dimensions and weight. When the orders are downloaded to QC Enterprise, the volume and weight of the items are calculated, with a ‘dunnage’ factor for packing materials, and suggests the proper size carton for the order. Also, if it is determined that the order is comprised of more than one carton, QC Enterprise will allocate SKUs in such a way to minimize the route cartons must travel and avoid multiple cartons being diverted into the same pick zones.
Other inefficiencies of the ‘pick and pass’ process were overcome by implementing zone skipping. Cartons traveling on an automated conveyor are now routed only to the required pick zones, decreasing the actual throughput time and drastically reducing the number of times a carton is touched throughout the picking process. “Imagine driving down the road and stopping at every exit, even though it’s not your exit, just because it’s there. That’s what zone skipping prevents,” according to Tom Verzi, vice-president of QC Software.
Modifications to the shipping process were also put into place. This included automatic printing of packing documents and the implementation of QC SMS (shipment management systems) powered by ConnectShip (a UPS product) providing a single server, multi-carrier shipping system. Further streamlining the process involved installing ‘print and apply’ technology which automated the printing of shipping labels and applying them directly to the shipping carton. This eliminated the need for manual shipping stations.
The solutions provided by QC Software (www.qcsoftware.com) enables companies to streamline their warehouse operations with the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry ensuring increased corporate profitability. With a commitment to total customer satisfaction QC Software is the obvious choice for warehouse control, order management, and inventory management needs.
Refrigerant gases are those used in climate control in commercial and business facilities such as warehouses, stores and office buildings. The refrigerants used in commercial heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) or regular air conditioning (AC) units include hydrofluorocarbons (HCFCs), chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) and perfluorocarbon (PFC). HCFCs are used instead of CFCs which are known to destroy the ozone layer of the atmosphere. HFCs do not have any of the organic chemicals chlorine or bromine, but they still do have a possibility of causing ozone depletion.
Refrigerants have been around for many years. Refrigerants are pressurized to condensed them which in turn reduces air temperature. Refrigerants are able to extract heat out of the air and moderate the internal temperatures through the repetitive evaporating and condensing of the refrigerants.
In the 1970s, scientists discovered that certain refrigerants such as Freon and many others in the HCFC category could cause spontaneous, chemical reactions and destroy the delicate ozone layer protecting Earth´s atmosphere. Developments in mandatory refrigerant usage and new regulations were passed to restrict the methods of manufacturing and the ways that refrigerants could be used in common AC or HVAC systems. Refrigerants can not be purposefully vented or let to escape into the atmosphere.
Scientists know that refrigerants contribute to global warming since they have a very high global warming potential (GWP). GWP is a ratio developed to determine which chemical substances and refrigerant gases released into the atmosphere create more warming. These gases are considered Greenhouse Gases (GHGs). The most common greenhouse gas (GHG) talked about the most often is carbon dioxide (CO2) or just carbon for short. Little to many people know, there are many other substances such as many of the refrigerant gases that are used in many AC or HVAC systems that also contribute to Global Warming. Because these are not naturally occurring and the amounts vented are very high, damage to the ozone layer happens as these fluorinated gases degrade into different chemical compounds. How do HCFC refrigerants like R-22 harm the Earth’s Ozone layer.
When refrigerants escape and drift up into the atmosphere, they go through chemical changes which react to the ultraviolet (UV) sunlight. This disintegrates the CFC molecules and rids the molecule of its chlorine atom. The free chlorine atom now reacts with the ozone (O3) molecules in the atmosphere and changes it to oxygen (O2). The reduced oxygen molecule is not as efficient as ozone at filtering out ultra violet radiation. This allows the strong and dangerous ultraviolet (UV) radiation to come through the atmospheric layers and down to the earth. For this reason as well as the greenhouse warming caused by some refrigerant gases, it is important that refrigerant gases are contained and not allowed to escape into the atmosphere.
Regulators like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) monitor manufacturing plants and commercial or industrial buildings and the related AC or HVAC systems they contain to make sure the refrigerant gases are not escaping into the atmosphere. Many systems, especially those over 2,000 pounds of refrigerant, are equipped with a gas monitors and auto detection technology to assure the accuracy of the system and its integrity to contain the refrigerants.
Compliance regulations make businesses monitor for system leaks and require repair of any damaged AC or HVAC systems within 14 days. Service maintenance verification is required in addition to detailed service records of all refrigerant usage. All records must be maintained for up to 5 years.
The European Union has been at the top of the list for regulating greenhouse gases and refrigerants. Regular inspections of AC/HVAC systems are made to monitor for leakages. As with the US EPA, inspectors check records for recovery systems. Refrigerants must be recovered in closed systems so that the gases don’t escape into the atmosphere.
The EPA will issue fines to commercial facilities that violate the regulations or are not complying with refrigerant tracking and monitory reporting. In the early 1990s, Section 608 of the U.S Clean Air Acted certification is required for HVAC technicians to fix or maintain systems or to buy more than 20 pounds of refrigerants to recharge the systems.
The US Clean Air Act is a regulation that spells out the EPA’s role in air quality, especially in protecting the ozone layer and the tracking and reporting of Greenhouse Gases. The U.S. Clean Air Act is maintained by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of the US government. The Clean Air Act has had changes made in the 1990s and again in 2008 that are more stringent than when it was first written over a decade ago.
New legislation being writing and being passed in early 2009 and 2010 will further restrict refrigerant gas usage, reporting, and phase out of damaging HCFCs. With continued tracking of carbon emissions and the pending mandatory reporting of carbon, organizations of all sizes maintaining refrigeration systems with more than 50 pounds of refrigerant gas will need to maintain detailed service records.
QC Software is the leading provider of Tier 1 warehouse control systems to the warehousing and distribution industries. Since 1996, QC Software, utilizing state of the art technology combined with extensive research, development, and rigorous testing, has developed the QC Enterprise suite of products. Designed to be modular in nature, easily configurable, and platform independent, this highly scalable solution satisfies the needs of any size warehouse.
Coach has emerged as America’s preeminent designer, producer, and marketer of fine leather accessories and gifts. As part of a major system upgrade in which the facility’s former WMS was being replaced with Manhattan & Associates PkMS, Coach required a flexible WCS system that could interface their new WMS to their existing conveyor system. The WCS needed to be able to efficiently route outbound orders to various pick locations as requested by PkMS. Prior to shipping the cartons are conveyed over an in-line scale for order verification. Cartons that are not within the specified weight tolerance are directed by the WCS to a reject line for manual inspection. To support the manifest requirements of PkMS, the WCS transmits divert confirmation messages in real-time back to PkMS.
Coach is utilizing the QC Navigator™ module of the QC Enterprise™ system. When compared with the original supplier’s solution, QC Navigator was determined to be a better solution, providing twice the functionality at half the cost. When Coach needed additional floor management tools, once again the QC Navigator proved to be the most cost-effective solution as compared to the WMS. The main highlight of this installation was that it was integrated and debugged entirely without QC Software’s staff on-site. With the QC Enterprise™ extensive debug tools, Coach was able to integrate the system themselves with limited remote support from QC Software. Coach was so confident in the QC Enterprise solution that the first time that QC Software’s engineer’s arrived on site was the night before “go-live”!
In 2006 Coach expanded its facility and was easily able to reconfigure QC Navigator to handle the expansion.
QC Software is the leading provider of Tier 1 warehouse control systems to the warehousing and distribution industries. Since 1996, QC Software, utilizing state of the art technology combined with extensive research, development, and rigorous testing, has developed the QC Enterprise suite of products. Designed to be modular in nature, easily configurable, and platform independent, this highly scalable solution satisfies the needs of any size warehouse.
The solutions provided by QC Software (www.qcsoftware.com) enables companies to streamline their warehouse operations with the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry ensuring increased corporate profitability. With a commitment to total customer satisfaction QC Software is the obvious choice for warehouse control, order management, and inventory management needs.
Manufacturing Journalist Thomas R. Cutler profiled Warehouse Control Systems in DM Review. The article can be read in it’s entirety at http://www.dmreview.com/article_sub.cfm?articleID=1065289.
There is a significant shift between warehouse management systems (WMS) and warehouse control systems (WCS) in the area of merging local data warehouses into an enterprise data warehouse. There are suites of software products that provide the tools necessary to efficiently and economically operate a warehouse or distribution center.
Traditionally, a WCS executes instructions provided by an upper-level host system, such as an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system or a WMS system. True tier-one WCS software provides advanced management capabilities including inventory control, resource scheduling and order management. The best-of-breed WCS systems are modular in nature, easily configurable and platform independent, with a scalable architecture to satisfy the needs of any size warehouse.
Unlike a typical WMS software solution, WCS directs real-time data management and interface responsibilities of the material handling system as well as provides common user interface screens for monitoring, control and diagnostics.
The focal point for managing the operational aspects of the material handling system, WCS provides the critical link between the batch-time data host and the real-time programmable logic controller (PLC) material-handling system.
The PLC coordinates the various real-time control devices to accomplish the daily workload. At each decision point in the distribution process, the WCS “determines” the most efficient routing of the product and transmits directives to the equipment controllers to achieve the desired result. The decision-making process is often controlled by two separate utilities, the sort manager and the route director.
QC Software is the leading provider of Tier 1 warehouse control systems to the warehousing and distribution industries. Since 1996, QC Software, utilizing state of the art technology combined with extensive research, development, and rigorous testing, has developed the QC Enterprise suite of products. Designed to be modular in nature, easily configurable, and platform independent, this highly scalable solution satisfies the needs of any size warehouse.
The solutions provided by QC Software (www.qcsoftware.com) enables companies to streamline their warehouse operations with the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry ensuring increased corporate profitability. With a commitment to total customer satisfaction QC Software is the obvious choice for warehouse control, order management, and inventory management needs.
Meaning of wind energy: Its sources; Nature of the main wind energy conversion systems
Several factors related to the environment can combine to transform solar energy into wind. The surface of the planet earth is, by nature, not uniform. These uneven earth terrains can only be unequally warmed up by the sun. As a natural consequence, some places on the planet remain cooler than certain other areas. The air in the warm regions weighs less due to lower density levels. Hence, it begins to move up. The void hence created gets soon taken up by the colder, denser air that rushes in from the local areas. This type of motion in air produces a type of kinetic energy (or motional energy). Wind energy can be acquired by properly processing this kinetic energy by completely updated machines. Wind energy turbines and wind mills are the two wind energy conversion systems that are most commonly in use.
The different wind energy conversion systems
Mechanical energy or electrical power can be obtained from properly treating wind energy, by the wind energy generators, according to the specific requirements. Two such generators have been named above. Electricity is obtained from wind energy by using wind turbines. Wind mills can process wind resources to generate mechanical energy. Which one of the two conversion systems is more efficient, or can cut down costs more can be deduced from an in-depth study of these systems.
The way of working of wind turbines is rather easy. A normal wind turbine generally has two to three blades. These blades are put up to a rotor, which is then implanted on to a main shaft. The shaft, in turn, is attached to an electric generator. When the latter starts to move, electric power starts to get produced. Wind turbines that are supposed to generated electricity are usually put up on raised sites that are about 30 meters (or, 100 feet) raised from the ground level. A desirable quantity of electricity can be obtained from these turbines, since the latter get less roiling winds (with greater velocities) at those sites. The number of blades of a windmill is, on the other hand, the most crucial determinant of the efficiency of the latter devices. The ability to produce outputs also varies with the speed at which wind blows in an area. Tjaskers, wind pumps are some of the types of windmills (differentiated on the basis of their functions). Tjaskers are used to pump up water from places which need a smaller head. On the same token, wind pumps are those wind mills that are used in wells or drainage areas for pumping out water. The water thus obtained can be used by human beings. The cattle can also drink this water. A comparative study of the couple of wind energy conversion systems mentioned above is often required to find their efficiency and relative cost levels.
Pros and cons of using wind energy conversion systems
The popularity of wind energy system is currently on a consistent upward trend. The fact that, it uses a free source of fuel – the wind, which is also easily renewable, is a significant cause of this growing popularity. Nor do these systems, unlike their fossil fuel plant predecessors, emit environmentally damaging greenhouse gases that can pollute the atmosphere. Hence, the risks of acid rains or damage of the layers of the layers of the atmosphere (by the greenhouse gases) disappear when these wind energy conversion systems are used. These systems generally are put up on ranches in rural areas, for the best performance. The supply of wind is abundant as well, with no chances of exhaustion as long as the sun remains present. Economic practicality is another advantage of these wind energy units, since farmers can continue earning a steady flow of income from the land they take on lease for setting up these energy units. The wind power units take up only a tiny section of this land, making such income generation possible all round the year.
Despite there are manifold benefits of these wind energy systems, the latter has a notable downside too. Wind flow is an involuntary phenomenon which can be rather irregular, not reaching the required places within the scheduled time. Also, these wind energy units should ideally be built at sites located far away from posh areas. Thus, the places that actually need the electricity from these plants might not get it.
However, this disadvantage has not come in the way of the wind energy plants becoming increasingly popular all over the world. Indeed the present day world needs an energy source that can sustain the atmosphere and can be renewed.
It is simply impossible to remain unaware of the innumerable benefits of wind energy conversion systems. It is recommended that you set up such a system at your home, after learning about them from a manual. Such a manual would have detailed stepwise instructions on the installation of the system, the wiring patterns used, the places where cheap components, along with free batteries, can be found, and the necessary safeguards. You will also get to know which part of the home would be ideal for installing the system. Once correctly installed, these wind energy conversion systems give off multifarious financial and ecological benefits.
There is a significant shift between warehouse management systems (WMS) and warehouse control systems (WCS) in the area of merging local data warehouses into an enterprise data warehouse. There are suites of software products that provide the tools necessary to efficiently and economically operate a warehouse or distribution center.
Traditionally, a WCS executes instructions provided by an upper-level host system, such as an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system or a WMS system. True tier-one WCS software provides advanced management capabilities including inventory control, resource scheduling and order management. The best-of-breed WCS systems are modular in nature, easily configurable and platform independent, with a scalable architecture to satisfy the needs of any size warehouse.
Manufacturing Journalist Thomas R. Cutler profiled Warehouse Control Systems in DM Review. The article can be read in it’s entirety at http://www.dmreview.com/article_sub.cfm?articleID=1065289.
Unlike a typical WMS software solution, WCS directs real-time data management and interface responsibilities of the material handling system as well as provides common user interface screens for monitoring, control and diagnostics.
The focal point for managing the operational aspects of the material handling system, WCS provides the critical link between the batch-time data host and the real-time programmable logic controller (PLC) material-handling system.
The PLC coordinates the various real-time control devices to accomplish the daily workload. At each decision point in the distribution process, the WCS “determines” the most efficient routing of the product and transmits directives to the equipment controllers to achieve the desired result. The decision-making process is often controlled by two separate utilities, the sort manager and the route director.
QC Software is the leading provider of Tier 1 warehouse control systems to the warehousing and distribution industries. Since 1996, QC Software, utilizing state of the art technology combined with extensive research, development, and rigorous testing, has developed the QC Enterprise suite of products. Designed to be modular in nature, easily configurable, and platform independent, this highly scalable solution satisfies the needs of any size warehouse.
The solutions provided by QC Software (www.qcsoftware.com) enables companies to streamline their warehouse operations with the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry ensuring increased corporate profitability. With a commitment to total customer satisfaction QC Software is the obvious choice for warehouse control, order management, and inventory management needs.
QC Software is the leading provider of Tier 1 warehouse control systems to the warehousing and distribution industries. Since 1996, QC Software, utilizing state of the art technology combined with extensive research, development, and rigorous testing, has developed the QC Enterprise suite of products. Designed to be modular in nature, easily configurable, and platform independent, this highly scalable solution satisfies the needs of any size warehouse.
The solutions provided by QC Software (www.qcsoftware.com) enables companies to streamline their warehouse operations with the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry ensuring increased corporate profitability. With a commitment to total customer satisfaction QC Software is the obvious choice for warehouse control, order management, and inventory management needs.
There is a significant shift between warehouse management systems (WMS) and warehouse control systems (WCS) in the area of merging local data warehouses into an enterprise data warehouse. There are suites of software products that provide the tools necessary to efficiently and economically operate a warehouse or distribution center.
Traditionally, a WCS executes instructions provided by an upper-level host system, such as an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system or a WMS system. True tier-one WCS software provides advanced management capabilities including inventory control, resource scheduling and order management. The best-of-breed WCS systems are modular in nature, easily configurable and platform independent, with a scalable architecture to satisfy the needs of any size warehouse.
Manufacturing Journalist Thomas R. Cutler profiled Warehouse Control Systems in DM Review. The article can be read in it’s entirety at http://www.dmreview.com/article_sub.cfm?articleID=1065289.
Unlike a typical WMS software solution, WCS directs real-time data management and interface responsibilities of the material handling system as well as provides common user interface screens for monitoring, control and diagnostics.
The focal point for managing the operational aspects of the material handling system, WCS provides the critical link between the batch-time data host and the real-time programmable logic controller (PLC) material-handling system.
The PLC coordinates the various real-time control devices to accomplish the daily workload. At each decision point in the distribution process, the WCS “determines” the most efficient routing of the product and transmits directives to the equipment controllers to achieve the desired result. The decision-making process is often controlled by two separate utilities, the sort manager and the route director.
