Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/02/2011 -- SixsigmaZ is an online resource for quality assurance and operational excellence in the workplace. Quality departments and Six Sigma Blackbelts in nearly every industry realize the value of a good Andon System. At its core, an Andon System consists of a group of visual products and systems that interact in order to communicate information to stakeholders on status and problems within a facility. By quickly delivering information through visual and audible cues, resource loss in the forms of equipment downtime and personal hours is minimized.

Ultimately, a successful Andon System Implementation carries a return on investment of a year or less and leads to greater overall profitability and morale.

According to John Rattray, of Memex Automation, "The term "Andon" is used to refer to a visual system designed to notify management, maintenance, or other workers of a quality or process problem. In essence an effective Andon System will quickly identify to the necessary stakeholders the location and nature of the problem. Leading companies around the world have successfully implemented Andon Systems as part of their Lean Manufacturing philosophies.

Many manufacturing sectors are represented in the Memex Automation customer roster, including:

Aerospace - Boeing, Goodrich, Dowty, Parker Hannefin, Heroux Devtek
Automotive - GM, Ford, Magna, Eaton, Linamar
Industrial - Caterpillar, John Deere, Westinghouse, Vickers, Case, Sanmina
Government - National Research Council, Jet Propulsion Laboratories,
The Royal Canadian Mint

Memex has become the leader in helping manufacturers transform every machine tool into a node on the corporate network in a real-time manner. Mills and lathes are monitored as they work, which helps with maintenance and inventory control. By monitoring production as it happens, companies can increase productivity by reducing downtime between jobs.

Rattray insists, "By monitoring assets such as tooling, raw materials, Work In Progress, computers, vehicles and any moveable assets, companies can know quickly, exactly, and securely where assets are located. We work hand in hand with OEE, Lean and Six Sigma principles. We have been providing innovative shop floor productivity solutions for almost twenty years."

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, a unit of Astrix Networks Inc., was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 12/01/2011 -- "By monitoring assets such as tooling, raw materials, work in progress, computers, vehicles, and any moveable assets, companies can know quickly, exactly, and securely where assets are located," says John Rattray, of Memex Automation. "RFID is eliminating costly mistakes, resulting in fewer manufacturing errors. These errors were due to wrong parts used or wrong specification settings. RFID is being used to locate semi-finished goods and eliminate delays due to lost or hard-to-find inventories. RFID works hand in hand with operating equipment efficiency, lean, and Six Sigma principles."

In a recent issue of Quality Digest there was a profile about the fact that radio frequency identification (RFID) has become an indispensable tool that allows manufacturers to see information about assets in real time. Applications built around RFID help report immediate deviations and exceptions to any process. RFID has allowed companies to build authentication and confirmation into previously error-prone processes.

Active RFID is a proven robust wireless technology employed across a number of vertical markets. 2.45G Hz is the most prevalent frequency range for wireless connectivity. Leveraging on this frequency, active RFID can achieve reliable read ranges of up to 260 ft in free air. The ability of active RFID to proliferate a signal throughout a building is essential in maintaining such reliability. Active tags broadcast their identity to listeners that record the event. Memex tags are housed in water-resistant, high-temperature polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) materials.

RFID allows manufacturers to identify, time stamp, and confirm the location of all measured elements. The technology can help minimize production downtime, optimize material and parts inventories, and improve and maintain optimal labor output. The payback is often measured in weeks and the return on investment is typically 10 percent to 100 percent, depending on the value of the assets tracked.

In addition to improving manufacturing performance, RFID is being used to improve safety. For example, it can authenticate operators to ensure that only properly trained personnel have access to potentially dangerous equipment or sensitive information.

Benefits:
- Real-time tracking of inventory, part kits, and subassemblies
- Maintains current item information on the tag, which eliminates the need for separate paperwork on assembly status and content
- Can automatically notify the central product database when each process has been completed
- Field personnel can use RFID tag information to determine product features, date of manufacture, and revision levels.
- When errors are detected, the ability to track at the item level reduces the impact of quality recalls.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/18/2011 -- Quality departments and Six Sigma Blackbelts in nearly every industry realize the value of a good Andon System. According to John Rattray, of Memex Automation, "The term "Andon" is used to refer to a visual system designed to notify management, maintenance, or other workers of a quality or process problem. In essence an effective Andon System will quickly identify to the necessary stakeholders the location and nature of the problem. Leading companies around the world have successfully implemented Andon Systems as part of their Lean Manufacturing philosophies.

At its core, an Andon System consists of a group of visual products and systems that interact in order to communicate information to stakeholders on status and problems within a facility. By quickly delivering information through visual and audible cues, resource loss in the forms of equipment downtime and personal hours is minimized. Ultimately, a successful Andon System Implementation carries a return on investment of a year or less and leads to greater overall profitability and morale.

Many manufacturing sectors are represented in the Memex Automation customer roster, including:

Aerospace - Boeing, Goodrich, Dowty, Parker Hannefin, Heroux Devtek
Automotive - GM, Ford, Magna, Eaton, Linamar
Industrial - Caterpillar, John Deere, Westinghouse, Vickers, Case, Sanmina
Government - National Research Council, Jet Propulsion Laboratories,
The Royal Canadian Mint

Memex has become the leader in helping manufacturers transform every machine tool into a node on the corporate network in a real-time manner. Mills and lathes are monitored as they work, which helps with maintenance and inventory control. By monitoring production as it happens, companies can increase productivity by reducing downtime between jobs.

Rattray insists, "By monitoring assets such as tooling, raw materials, Work In Progress, computers, vehicles and any moveable assets, companies can know quickly, exactly, and securely where assets are located. We work hand in hand with OEE, Lean and Six Sigma principles. We have been providing innovative shop floor productivity solutions for almost twenty years."

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, a unit of Astrix Networks Inc., was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/17/2011 -- "By monitoring assets such as tooling, raw materials, work in progress, computers, vehicles, and any moveable assets, companies can know quickly, exactly, and securely where assets are located," says John Rattray, of Memex Automation. "RFID is eliminating costly mistakes, resulting in fewer manufacturing errors. These errors were due to wrong parts used or wrong specification settings. RFID is being used to locate semi-finished goods and eliminate delays due to lost or hard-to-find inventories. RFID works hand in hand with operating equipment efficiency, lean, and Six Sigma principles."

In a recent issue of Plant Automation there was a profile about the fact that radio frequency identification (RFID) has become an indispensable tool that allows manufacturers to see information about assets in real time. Applications built around RFID help report immediate deviations and exceptions to any process. RFID has allowed companies to build authentication and confirmation into previously error-prone processes.

Active RFID is a proven robust wireless technology employed across a number of vertical markets. 2.45G Hz is the most prevalent frequency range for wireless connectivity. Leveraging on this frequency, active RFID can achieve reliable read ranges of up to 260 ft in free air. The ability of active RFID to proliferate a signal throughout a building is essential in maintaining such reliability. Active tags broadcast their identity to listeners that record the event. Memex tags are housed in water-resistant, high-temperature polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) materials.

RFID allows manufacturers to identify, time stamp, and confirm the location of all measured elements. The technology can help minimize production downtime, optimize material and parts inventories, and improve and maintain optimal labor output. The payback is often measured in weeks and the return on investment is typically 10 percent to 100 percent, depending on the value of the assets tracked.

In addition to improving manufacturing performance, RFID is being used to improve safety. For example, it can authenticate operators to ensure that only properly trained personnel have access to potentially dangerous equipment or sensitive information.

Benefits:
- Real-time tracking of inventory, part kits, and subassemblies
- Maintains current item information on the tag, which eliminates the need for separate paperwork on assembly status and content
- Can automatically notify the central product database when each process has been completed
- Field personnel can use RFID tag information to determine product features, date of manufacture, and revision levels.
- When errors are detected, the ability to track at the item level reduces the impact of quality recalls.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

SixSigmaZ Profiles Andon Systems and OEE Machine Monitoring by Memex Automation

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) --11/17/2011 -- SixsigmaZ is an online resource for quality assurance and operational excellence in the workplace. Quality departments and Six Sigma Blackbelts in nearly every industry realize the value of a good Andon System. At its core, an Andon System consists of a group of visual products and systems that interact in order to communicate information to stakeholders on status and problems within a facility. By quickly delivering information through visual and audible cues, resource loss in the forms of equipment downtime and personal hours is minimized.

Ultimately, a successful Andon System Implementation carries a return on investment of a year or less and leads to greater overall profitability and morale.

According to John Rattray, of Memex Automation, "The term "Andon" is used to refer to a visual system designed to notify management, maintenance, or other workers of a quality or process problem. In essence an effective Andon System will quickly identify to the necessary stakeholders the location and nature of the problem. Leading companies around the world have successfully implemented Andon Systems as part of their Lean Manufacturing philosophies.

Many manufacturing sectors are represented in the Memex Automation customer roster, including:

Aerospace - Boeing, Goodrich, Dowty, Parker Hannefin, Heroux Devtek
Automotive - GM, Ford, Magna, Eaton, Linamar
Industrial - Caterpillar, John Deere, Westinghouse, Vickers, Case, Sanmina
Government - National Research Council, Jet Propulsion Laboratories,
The Royal Canadian Mint

Memex has become the leader in helping manufacturers transform every machine tool into a node on the corporate network in a real-time manner. Mills and lathes are monitored as they work, which helps with maintenance and inventory control. By monitoring production as it happens, companies can increase productivity by reducing downtime between jobs.

Rattray insists, "By monitoring assets such as tooling, raw materials, Work In Progress, computers, vehicles and any moveable assets, companies can know quickly, exactly, and securely where assets are located. We work hand in hand with OEE, Lean and Six Sigma principles. We have been providing innovative shop floor productivity solutions for almost twenty years."

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, a unit of Astrix Networks Inc., was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Quality Manufacturing Requires Andon Systems and OEE Machine Monitoring Reports by Memex Automation

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) --11/15/2011 -- Quality departments and Six Sigma Blackbelts in nearly every industry realize the value of a good Andon System. At its core, an Andon System consists of a group of visual products and systems that interact in order to communicate information to stakeholders on status and problems within a facility. By quickly delivering information through visual and audible cues, resource loss in the forms of equipment downtime and personal hours is minimized. Ultimately, a successful Andon System Implementation carries a return on investment of a year or less and leads to greater overall profitability and morale.

According to John Rattray, of Memex Automation, "The term "Andon" is used to refer to a visual system designed to notify management, maintenance, or other workers of a quality or process problem. In essence an effective Andon System will quickly identify to the necessary stakeholders the location and nature of the problem. Leading companies around the world have successfully implemented Andon Systems as part of their Lean Manufacturing philosophies.

Many manufacturing sectors are represented in the Memex Automation customer roster, including:

Aerospace - Boeing, Goodrich, Dowty, Parker Hannefin, Heroux Devtek

Automotive - GM, Ford, Magna, Eaton, Linamar

Industrial - Caterpillar, John Deere, Westinghouse, Vickers, Case, Sanmina

Government - National Research Council, Jet Propulsion Laboratories,

The Royal Canadian Mint

Memex has become the leader in helping manufacturers transform every machine tool into a node on the corporate network in a real-time manner. Mills and lathes are monitored as they work, which helps with maintenance and inventory control. By monitoring production as it happens, companies can increase productivity by reducing downtime between jobs.

Rattray insists, "By monitoring assets such as tooling, raw materials, Work In Progress, computers, vehicles and any moveable assets, companies can know quickly, exactly, and securely where assets are located. We work hand in hand with OEE, Lean and Six Sigma principles. We have been providing innovative shop floor productivity solutions for almost twenty years."

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, a unit of Astrix Networks Inc., was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/15/2011 -- In a recent issue of Quality Digest there was a profile about the fact that radio frequency identification (RFID) has become an indispensable tool that allows manufacturers to see information about assets in real time. Applications built around RFID help report immediate deviations and exceptions to any process. RFID has allowed companies to build authentication and confirmation into previously error-prone processes.

"By monitoring assets such as tooling, raw materials, work in progress, computers, vehicles, and any moveable assets, companies can know quickly, exactly, and securely where assets are located," says John Rattray, of Memex Automation. "RFID is eliminating costly mistakes, resulting in fewer manufacturing errors. These errors were due to wrong parts used or wrong specification settings. RFID is being used to locate semi-finished goods and eliminate delays due to lost or hard-to-find inventories. RFID works hand in hand with operating equipment efficiency, lean, and Six Sigma principles."

Active RFID is a proven robust wireless technology employed across a number of vertical markets. 2.45G Hz is the most prevalent frequency range for wireless connectivity. Leveraging on this frequency, active RFID can achieve reliable read ranges of up to 260 ft in free air. The ability of active RFID to proliferate a signal throughout a building is essential in maintaining such reliability. Active tags broadcast their identity to listeners that record the event. Memex tags are housed in water-resistant, high-temperature polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) materials.

RFID allows manufacturers to identify, time stamp, and confirm the location of all measured elements. The technology can help minimize production downtime, optimize material and parts inventories, and improve and maintain optimal labor output. The payback is often measured in weeks and the return on investment is typically 10 percent to 100 percent, depending on the value of the assets tracked.

In addition to improving manufacturing performance, RFID is being used to improve safety. For example, it can authenticate operators to ensure that only properly trained personnel have access to potentially dangerous equipment or sensitive information.

Benefits:
- Real-time tracking of inventory, part kits, and subassemblies
- Maintains current item information on the tag, which eliminates the need for separate paperwork on assembly status and content
- Can automatically notify the central product database when each process has been completed
- Field personnel can use RFID tag information to determine product features, date of manufacture, and revision levels.
- When errors are detected, the ability to track at the item level reduces the impact of quality recalls.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

At CMTS Memex Automation Aligned with SME and Takes Back Manufacturing

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/15/2011 -- Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

Take Back Manufacturing (TBM) was a theme at the recent CMTS event in Toronto. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) presented a roadmap to take Back Manufacturing. It was shared that North America is rapidly losing prosperity via the decline in this important part of the economy. During the event it was advocated that much more must be done to improve the business environment, improve the focus and approach to better position success within the manufacturing sectors.

In a recent SME press announcement the tone was clear: "Everyone knows the issues and the situation, but little is being actively done to fix it, and this forum has a fresh and much broader representation across many parts of industry, and once the forum has formulated its common view it will be the turn of government and others that set policy to listen.....Stay tuned…" More on the TBM journey at….. http://sme-tbm.org.

According to John Rattray of Memex Automation who supports the initiative, "The goal of TBM is to get Government, Educators and Industry leadership to work closer together to plan the recovery of our declining manufacturing sectors." Rattray's firm totally support the active TBM forum of a broad range of technical societies, management associations, and trade union organizations.

One of the ways in which Memex Automation is actively demonstrating the TBM philosophy is to service on the MTConnect Shop Floor Connectivity Committee. Thought leaders from sixteen companies representing a diverse cross-section of the discrete parts manufacturing industry collaborated in the development of the guide. The committee addressed the most fundamental question shop owners and plant managers when deciding to implement MTConnect.

The guide addresses connectivity issues associated with both new and legacy manufacturing equipment; it provides a structured framework to guide companies through the assessment of equipment and the early planning stages of a project.

The foundation for improving manufacturing productivity starts with easy access to data. MTConnect provides manufacturers with a simple and extensible mechanism to connect manufacturing equipment to software applications used to run the businesses.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

David McPhail of Memex Automation Shares How to Get Started with MTConnect at Manufacturing Conference November 9th

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/08/2011 -- David McPhail, President of Memex Automation is presenting, Getting Started With MTConnect. The MTConnect Institute first ever MC2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference will be held on November 8-10, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference is aimed at promoting the benefits and implementation of MTConnect, as well as showcasing commercially available products utilizing the standard. This session will answer the questions that those who are new to MTConnect want to know, "Where Do I Begin?" and "How Do I Connect My New and Legacy Machine Tools?"

The Business Session with David McPhail will be held on Wednesday, November 9th from 10:15 am- 11:00 am.: With over 20 years of experience in the automation industry, David McPhail has applied his knowledge to developing a toolkit approach to automating machines. Previous to investing in Memex, he was the founder of a premier systems integrator in North America. Mr. McPhail's extensive industry knowledge, contacts and engineering talent allow unparalleled machine control integration, shop floor to top floor.

David McPhail is the co-chair of the MTConnect Shop Floor Connectivity Committee. The foundation for improving manufacturing productivity starts with easy access to data according to McPhail. MTConnect provides manufacturers with a simple and extensible mechanism to connect manufacturing equipment to software applications used to run the businesses.

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability. David McPhail, President & CEO of Memex Automation Inc. proudly serves as co-chair of the MTConnect Shop Floor Connectivity Committee.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/07/2011 -- MTConnect provides manufacturers with a simple and extensible mechanism to connect manufacturing equipment to software applications used to run the businesses. Developed as a guide for shop owners and plant managers exploring the MTConnect implementation process, the MTConnect Institute announced the release of the "Getting Started with MTConnect - Connectivity Guide."

David McPhail, President & CEO of Memex Automation Inc. and co-chair of the MTConnect Shop Floor Connectivity Committee said, "It was a pleasure working with such a talented and energetic team of experts who are all focused on addressing manufacturing productivity issues. By applying the techniques defined in the Connectivity Guide, essentially every piece of manufacturing equipment can now be integrated into a manufacturing data system — empowering productivity improvement on the shop floor for all machines."

This guide is the result of a year-long effort by the MTConnect Shop Floor Connectivity Committee. Thought leaders from sixteen companies representing a diverse cross-section of the discrete parts manufacturing industry collaborated in the development of the guide. The committee addressed the most fundamental question shop owners and plant managers when deciding to implement MTConnect.

The guide addresses connectivity issues associated with both new and legacy manufacturing equipment; it provides a structured framework to guide companies through the assessment of equipment and the early planning stages of a project.

McPhail emphasized, "The guide is a valuable tool for anyone in manufacturing who believes that improving productivity starts with understanding what is happening on the shop floor."

The foundation for improving manufacturing productivity starts with easy access to data can be found with the "Getting Started with MTConnect – Connectivity Guide" is downloadable at http://www.mtconnect.org.

Dave Edstrom, President and Chairman of the Board for the MTConnect Institute said, "This Connectivity Guide will be an extremely valuable tool for shop owners and managers who need to address productivity issues in their manufacturing operations. I am asked the same question almost daily — How do I get started? This guide answers that question. The Connectivity Guide is the first piece to be released in our 'Getting Started with MTConnect' series. Additional documents will be released soon to further support manufacturing companies that are adopting productivity solutions using MTConnect."

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/07/2011 -- Manufacturing journalist, TR Cutler, recently profiled the OEE Calculator by Memex Automation for Industrial Electronics Today. In the article, Cutler interviewed to John Rattray, senior executive with Memex Automation, developers of the leading OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) Calculator. Rattray noted, Output quantifies the increase in Income From Operations (IFO or EBITDA) for Same Sales Volume and Sell Everything scenarios for various improvement criteria. The OEE ROI calculator is a very preliminary 'rough cut' analysis tool for developing a business case (to engage real-time manufacturing performance data for shop floor machines in manufacturing plants). Part of the reason Calculator is 'rough' is because a Plant average is used for several important parameters such as OEE, shift output, and quality rate.

Much greater precision can be developed by using actual OEE data differentiated by product run and by work station. Future monitoring and proactive use of the information provided by an installed system significantly improves accuracy of alternatives; these data assists leadership teams in setting direction and focus to maximize results quickly. Rattray noted that, "First Look results are generated using Small, Medium and Large preselected productivity improvements to show the range of possible results."

The current input values in the OEE Calculator, use hypothetical but realistic values for a machine tool plant. It is estimated that for most manufacturing plants, the Calculator results have a confidence level of eighty-five percent (85%), plus or minus three percent (3%.)

The OEE Calculator does not apply the Theory of Constraints (TOC) therefore, if the proper application of tools and OEE improvement is not achieved at the constraint, then the increase to IFO is also limited. The quality factor usually has more impact than Availability or Speed Factor for bottom line improvement. When waste or scrap is improved, OEE improves; the result, less material needed.

Rattray suggests that users of the OEE Calculator, "Closely account for the change in material since it determines the new amount of total units made and applies the base case unit material cost to the total number of new units required to make the good units for the associated scenario." The Calculator zeroes all of the improvement parameters and individually examines what one (1) OEE point improvement is worth for Availability, Speed Rate, and Quality. This data provides the user an approximation of financial impact on IFO for types of improvement activities.

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, a unit of Astrix Networks Inc., was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/04/2011 -- David McPhail, President of Memex Automation is presenting, Getting Started With MTConnect. The MTConnect Institute first ever MC2 MTConnect: Connecting Manufacturing Conference will be held on November 8-10, 2011, at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati, Ohio. This conference is aimed at promoting the benefits and implementation of MTConnect, as well as showcasing commercially available products utilizing the standard. This session will answer the questions that those who are new to MTConnect want to know, "Where Do I Begin?" and "How Do I Connect My New and Legacy Machine Tools?"

The Business Session with David McPhail will be held on Wednesday, November 9 from 10:15 am- 11:00 am.: With over 20 years of experience in the automation industry, David McPhail has applied his knowledge to developing a toolkit approach to automating machines. Previous to investing in Memex, he was the founder of a premier systems integrator in North America. Mr. McPhail's extensive industry knowledge, contacts and engineering talent allow unparalleled machine control integration, shop floor to top floor.

David McPhail is the co-chair of the MTConnect Shop Floor Connectivity Committee. The foundation for improving manufacturing productivity starts with easy access to data according to McPhail. MTConnect provides manufacturers with a simple and extensible mechanism to connect manufacturing equipment to software applications used to run the businesses.

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992.

Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability. David McPhail, President & CEO of Memex Automation Inc. proudly serves as co-chair of the MTConnect Shop Floor Connectivity Committee.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/03/2011 -- Quality departments and Six Sigma Blackbelts in nearly every industry realize the value of a good Andon System. According to John Rattray, of Memex Automation, "The term "Andon" is used to refer to a visual system designed to notify management, maintenance, or other workers of quality or process problem. In essence an effective Andon System will quickly identify the necessary location and nature of a problem.

Leading companies around the world have successfully implemented Andon Systems as part of their Lean Manufacturing philosophies.

At its core, an Andon System consists of a group of visual products and systems that interact in order to communicate information to stakeholders on status and problems within a facility. By quickly delivering information through visual and audible cues, resource loss in the forms of equipment downtime and personal hours are minimized. Ultimately, a successful Andon System Implementation carries a return on investment of a year or less and leads to greater overall profitability and morale.

Many manufacturing sectors are represented in the Memex Automation customer roster, including:

Aerospace - Boeing, Goodrich, Dowty, Parker Hannefin, Heroux Devtek

Automotive - GM, Ford, Magna, Eaton, Linamar

Industrial - Caterpillar, John Deere, Westinghouse, Vickers, Case, Sanmina

Government - National Research Council, Jet Propulsion Laboratories,

The Royal Canadian Mint

Memex has become the leader in helping manufacturers transform every machine tool into a node on the corporate network in a real-time manner. Mills and lathes are monitored as they work, which helps with maintenance and inventory control. By monitoring production as it happens, companies can increase productivity by reducing downtime between jobs.

Rattray insists, "By monitoring assets such as tooling, raw materials, Work In Progress, computers, vehicles and any moveable assets, companies can know quickly, exactly, and securely where assets are located. We work hand in hand with OEE, Lean and Six Sigma principles. We have been providing innovative shop floor productivity solutions for almost twenty years."

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, a unit of Astrix Networks Inc., was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/02/2011 -- In a recent Society of Manufacturing Engineers' press announcement, the tone was clear: "Everyone knows the issues and the situation, but little is being actively done to fix it, and this forum has a fresh and much broader representation across many parts of industry, and once the forum has formulated its common view it will be the turn of government and others that set policy to listen.....Stay tuned…"

Take Back Manufacturing (TBM) was a theme at the recent CMTS event in Toronto. SME presented a roadmap to take Back Manufacturing. It was shared that North America is rapidly losing prosperity via the decline in this important part of the economy. During the event it was advocated that much more must be done to improve the business environment, improve the focus and approach to better position success within the manufacturing sectors.

According to John Rattray of Memex Automation who supports the initiative, "The goal of TBM is to get Government, Educators and Industry leadership to work closer together to plan the recovery of our declining manufacturing sectors." Rattray's firm totally support the active TBM forum of a broad range of technical societies, management associations, and trade union organizations.

One of the ways in which Memex Automation is actively demonstrating the TBM philosophy is to service on the MTConnect Shop Floor Connectivity Committee. Thought leaders from sixteen companies representing a diverse cross-section of the discrete parts manufacturing industry collaborated in the development of the guide. The committee addressed the most fundamental question shop owners and plant managers when deciding to implement MTConnect.

The guide addresses connectivity issues associated with both new and legacy manufacturing equipment; it provides a structured framework to guide companies through the assessment of equipment and the early planning stages of a project.

The foundation for improving manufacturing productivity starts with easy access to data. MTConnect provides manufacturers with a simple and extensible mechanism to connect manufacturing equipment to software applications used to run the businesses.

Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/31/2011 -- According to John Rattray, senior executive with Memex Automation, developers of the leading OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) Calculator, "Output quantifies the increase in Income From Operations (IFO or EBITDA) for Same Sales Volume and Sell Everything scenarios for various improvement criteria. The OEE ROI calculator is a very preliminary 'rough cut' analysis tool for developing a business case (to engage real-time manufacturing performance data for shop floor machines in manufacturing plants). Part of the reason Calculator is 'rough' is because a Plant average is used for several important parameters such as OEE, shift output, and quality rate."

Manufacturing journalist, TR Cutler, recently profiled the OEE Calculator by Memex Automation for Industrial Electronics Today.

Much greater precision can be developed by using actual OEE data differentiated by product run and by work station. Future monitoring and proactive use of the information provided by an installed system significantly improves accuracy of alternatives; these data assists leadership teams in setting direction and focus to maximize results quickly. Rattray noted that, "First Look results are generated using Small, Medium and Large preselected productivity improvements to show the range of possible results."

The current input values in the OEE Calculator, use hypothetical but realistic values for a machine tool plant. It is estimated that for most manufacturing plants, the Calculator results have a confidence level of eighty-five percent (85%), plus or minus three percent (3%.)

The OEE Calculator does not apply the Theory of Constraints (TOC) therefore, if the proper application of tools and OEE improvement is not achieved at the constraint, then the increase to IFO is also limited. The quality factor usually has more impact than Availability or Speed Factor for bottom line improvement. When waste or scrap is improved, OEE improves; the result, less material needed.

Rattray suggests that users of the OEE Calculator, "Closely account for the change in material since it determines the new amount of total units made and applies the base case unit material cost to the total number of new units required to make the good units for the associated scenario." The Calculator zeroes all of the improvement parameters and individually examines what one (1) OEE point improvement is worth for Availability, Speed Rate, and Quality. This data provides the user an approximation of financial impact on IFO for types of improvement activities.

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, a unit of Astrix Networks Inc., was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/28/2011 -- Developed as a guide for shop owners and plant managers exploring the MTConnect implementation process, the MTConnect Institute announced the release of the "Getting Started with MTConnect - Connectivity Guide."

David McPhail, President & CEO of Memex Automation Inc. and co-chair of the MTConnect Shop Floor Connectivity Committee said, "It was a pleasure working with such a talented and energetic team of experts who are all focused on addressing manufacturing productivity issues. By applying the techniques defined in the Connectivity Guide, essentially every piece of manufacturing equipment can now be integrated into a manufacturing data system — empowering productivity improvement on the shop floor for all machines."

This guide is the result of a year-long effort by the MTConnect Shop Floor Connectivity Committee. Thought leaders from sixteen companies representing a diverse cross-section of the discrete parts manufacturing industry collaborated in the development of the guide. The committee addressed the most fundamental question shop owners and plant managers when deciding to implement MTConnect.

The guide addresses connectivity issues associated with both new and legacy manufacturing equipment; it provides a structured framework to guide companies through the assessment of equipment and the early planning stages of a project.

McPhail emphasized, "The guide is a valuable tool for anyone in manufacturing who believes that improving productivity starts with understanding what is happening on the shop floor."

The foundation for improving manufacturing productivity starts with easy access to data. MTConnect provides manufacturers with a simple and extensible mechanism to connect manufacturing equipment to software applications used to run the businesses.

The "Getting Started with MTConnect – Connectivity Guide" is downloadable at www.mtconnect.org.

Dave Edstrom, President and Chairman of the Board for the MTConnect Institute said, "This Connectivity Guide will be an extremely valuable tool for shop owners and managers who need to address productivity issues in their manufacturing operations. I am asked the same question almost daily — How do I get started? This guide answers that question. The Connectivity Guide is the first piece to be released in our 'Getting Started with MTConnect' series. Additional documents will be released soon to further support manufacturing companies that are adopting productivity solutions using MTConnect."

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992.

Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/28/2011 -- According to John Rattray, of Memex Automation, "The term "Andon" is used to refer to a visual system designed to notify management, maintenance, or other workers of a quality or process problem. In essence an effective Andon System will quickly identify to the necessary stakeholders the location and nature of the problem. Leading companies around the world have successfully implemented Andon Systems as part of their Lean Manufacturing philosophies. Quality departments and Six Sigma Blackbelts in nearly every industry realize the value of a good Andon System.

At its core, an Andon System consists of a group of visual products and systems that interact in order to communicate information to stakeholders on status and problems within a facility. By quickly delivering information through visual and audible cues, resource loss in the forms of equipment downtime and personal hours is minimized. Ultimately, a successful Andon System Implementation carries a return on investment of a year or less and leads to greater overall profitability and morale.

Many manufacturing sectors are represented in the Memex Automation customer roster, including:

Aerospace - Boeing, Goodrich, Dowty, Parker Hannefin, Heroux Devtek

Automotive - GM, Ford, Magna, Eaton, Linamar

Industrial - Caterpillar, John Deere, Westinghouse, Vickers, Case, Sanmina

Government - National Research Council, Jet Propulsion Laboratories,

The Royal Canadian Mint

Memex has become the leader in helping manufacturers transform every machine tool into a node on the corporate network in a real-time manner. Mills and lathes are monitored as they work, which helps with maintenance and inventory control. By monitoring production as it happens, companies can increase productivity by reducing downtime between jobs.

Rattray insists, "By monitoring assets such as tooling, raw materials, Work In Progress, computers, vehicles and any moveable assets, companies can know quickly, exactly, and securely where assets are located. We work hand in hand with OEE, Lean and Six Sigma principles. We have been providing innovative shop floor productivity solutions for almost twenty years."

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, a unit of Astrix Networks Inc., was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Memex Automation Supports SME and Takes Back Manufacturing

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/26/2011 -- Take Back Manufacturing (TBM) was a theme at the recent CMTS event in Toronto. The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) presented a roadmap to take Back Manufacturing. It was shared that North America is rapidly losing prosperity via the decline in this important part of the economy. During the event it was advocated that much more must be done to improve the business environment, improve the focus and approach to better position success within the manufacturing sectors.

In a recent SME press announcement the tone was clear: "Everyone knows the issues and the situation, but little is being actively done to fix it, and this forum has a fresh and much broader representation across many parts of industry, and once the forum has formulated its common view it will be the turn of government and others that set policy to listen.....Stay tuned…" More on the TBM journey at….. http://sme-tbm.org.

According to John Rattray of Memex Automation who supports the initiative, "The goal of TBM is to get Government, Educators and Industry leadership to work closer together to plan the recovery of our declining manufacturing sectors." Rattray's firm totally support the active TBM forum of a broad range of technical societies, management associations, and trade union organizations.

One of the ways in which Memex Automation is actively demonstrating the TBM philosophy is to service on the MTConnect Shop Floor Connectivity Committee. Thought leaders from sixteen companies representing a diverse cross-section of the discrete parts manufacturing industry collaborated in the development of the guide. The committee addressed the most fundamental question shop owners and plant managers when deciding to implement MTConnect.

The guide addresses connectivity issues associated with both new and legacy manufacturing equipment; it provides a structured framework to guide companies through the assessment of equipment and the early planning stages of a project.

The foundation for improving manufacturing productivity starts with easy access to data. MTConnect provides manufacturers with a simple and extensible mechanism to connect manufacturing equipment to software applications used to run the businesses.

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.


Memex Automation
http://www.memex.ca
John Rattray
jrattray@memex.ca
1-866-573-3895

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/25/2011 -- AxOEE is a Manufacturing Productivity Tool for Real-Time Monitoring enabling and Increased Productivity. According to John Rattray, of Memex Automation, "One of the important products we will feature this year is AxOEE. AxOEE allows information output to large ("Marquee") displays. There is real?time, color?coded information about machine and Job status, Job Parts to Go, Job Hours to Go, Reason for stoppage, Operator help call, and more data which, can be transmitted to a Marquee via Ethernet, anywhere in the plant." These benefits can be viewed at CMTS at Booth 1135 today.

The AxOEE tool is:

Cost Effective

Practical & Proven

Expandable

Plant-wide, enterprise enabled.

All machines - CNC, non-CNC, PLC, Presses, Injection Molding, etc.

AxOEE Machine Monitoring OEE Dashboard Software

Key features to be displayed at CMTS, booth 1135 include:

Job Queue – directly connected to any ERP package for scheduling work orders Visual Job Board – for graphically displaying and manipulating jobs.

Active Status 2D Floor Plan – for a visual layout of the plant floor with current machine status, supporting most common imaging formats, including JPG, DXF, DWG, BMP, QIF, and TIF.

Report Writer significant enhancements – SAP Crystal using XML, with Extract, Transform and Load functionality.

Automated Report Scheduler – for sending out reports on a scheduled or real-time with rules basis.
Latest Software Development tools from Microsoft – Visual Studio 2010, DotNet version 4, Windows 7 compliant.

MS-SQL full database support running with Windows Server 2008.

New Look and Feel customization features – for doing specialized display skins and user interface.

Customization of Dashboard features – for making it fit to a customer's specific requirements.

Multiple Language support.

More than 600 manufacturers and distributors will feature cutting-edge technologies and ideas that speed new product development time, cut costs, and deliver world-class quality through Thursday, October 20 at the Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show (CMTS). This is Canada's ultimate manufacturing event at the Toronto's Direct Energy Centre. Live demonstrations of the latest machine tools, automation technologies and production methods give manufacturers the chance to break through the everyday clutter of information to make informed purchase decisions. Beyond the show floor, attendees will experience a timely and relevant keynote, interactive town hall panels, and numerous opportunities to expand attendees network and fine-tune technical knowledge.

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, a unit of Astrix Networks Inc., was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Memex Automation Proud of Significant Contribution to MTConnect Institute Connectivity Guide

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/21/2011 -- Developed as a guide for shop owners and plant managers exploring the MTConnect implementation process, the MTConnect Institute announced the release of the "Getting Started with MTConnect - Connectivity Guide."

David McPhail, President & CEO of Memex Automation Inc. and co-chair of the MTConnect Shop Floor Connectivity Committee said, "It was a pleasure working with such a talented and energetic team of experts who are all focused on addressing manufacturing productivity issues. By applying the techniques defined in the Connectivity Guide, essentially every piece of manufacturing equipment can now be integrated into a manufacturing data system — empowering productivity improvement on the shop floor for all machines."

This guide is the result of a year-long effort by the MTConnect Shop Floor Connectivity Committee. Thought leaders from sixteen companies representing a diverse cross-section of the discrete parts manufacturing industry collaborated in the development of the guide. The committee addressed the most fundamental question shop owners and plant managers had when deciding to implement MTConnect.

The guide addresses connectivity issues associated with both new and legacy manufacturing equipment; it provides a structured framework to guide companies through the assessment of equipment and the early planning stages of a project.

McPhail emphasized, "The guide is a valuable tool for anyone in manufacturing who believes that improving productivity starts with understanding what is happening on the shop floor."

The foundation for improving manufacturing productivity starts with easy access to data. MTConnect provides manufacturers with a simple and extensible mechanism to connect manufacturing equipment to software applications used to run the businesses.

The "Getting Started with MTConnect – Connectivity Guide" is downloadable at http://www.mtconnect.org.

Dave Edstrom, President and Chairman of the Board for the MTConnect Institute said, "This Connectivity Guide will be an extremely valuable tool for shop owners and managers who need to address productivity issues in their manufacturing operations. I am asked the same question almost daily — How do I get started? This guide answers that question and more. The Connectivity Guide is the first piece to be released in our 'Getting Started with MTConnect' series. Additional documents will be released soon to further support manufacturing companies that are adopting productivity solutions using MTConnect."

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability. David McPhail, President & CEO of Memex Automation Inc. proudly serves as co-chair of the MTConnect Shop Floor Connectivity Committee.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/19/2011 -- Apply the Theory of Constraints principle by monitoring and identifying a constraint. Improve operator productivity and satisfaction by helping them perform faster and reduce their data collection overhead using automatic and accurate tracking systems. OEE - Overall Equipment Effectiveness is the key performance indicator that drives this machine monitoring process.

AxOEE is a Manufacturing Productivity Tool for Real-Time Monitoring enabling Increased Productivity:

Cost Effective

Practical & Proven

Expandable

Plant-wide, enterprise enabled.

All machines - CNC, non-CNC, PLC, Presses, Injection Molding, etc.

AxOEE Machine Monitoring OEE Dashboard Software

Latest Release (October 2011), key features:

Job Queue – directly connected to any ERP package for scheduling work orders
Visual Job Board – for graphically displaying and manipulating jobs.

Active Status 2D Floor Plan – for a visual layout of the plant floor with current machine status, supporting most common imaging formats, including JPG, DXF, DWG, BMP, QIF, and TIF.

Report Writer significant enhancements – SAP Crystal using XML, with Extract, Transform and Load functionality.

Automated Report Scheduler – for sending out reports on a scheduled or real-time with rules basis.

Latest Software Development tools from Microsoft – Visual Studio 2010, DotNet version 4, Windows 7 compliant.

MS-SQL full database support running with Windows Server 2008.

New Look and Feel customization features – for doing specialized display skins and user interface.

Customization of Dashboard features – for making it fit to a customer's specific requirements.

Multiple Language support.
Memex understands the need to be more competitive and get the maximum throughput with machine assets in manufacturing. To be able to "visualize" how machines are operating allows clients to react quickly to situations. Measuring what actually happens on the shop floor fine tunes processes using lean manufacturing techniques. According to John Rattray, of Memex Automation, "One of the important products we will feature this year is AxOEE. AxOEE allows information output to large ("Marquee") displays. There is real?time, color?coded information about machine and Job status, Job Parts to Go, Job Hours to Go, Reason for stoppage, Operator help call, and more data which, can be transmitted to a Marquee via Ethernet, anywhere in the plant." These benefits can be viewed at CMTS at Booth 1135.

More than 600 manufacturers and distributors will feature cutting-edge technologies and ideas that speed new product development time, cut costs, and deliver world-class quality from Monday, October 17 — Thursday, October 20 at the Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show (CMTS). This is Canada's ultimate manufacturing event at the Toronto's Direct Energy Centre. Live demonstrations of the latest machine tools, automation technologies and production methods give manufacturers the chance to break through the everyday clutter of information to make informed purchase decisions. Beyond the show floor, attendees will experience a timely and relevant keynote, interactive town hall panels, and numerous opportunities to expand attendees network and fine-tune technical knowledge.

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, a unit of Astrix Networks Inc., was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992.

Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

CMTS Starts today Featuring Memex Automation at Booth 1135

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) --10/18/2011 -- More than 600 manufacturers and distributors will feature cutting-edge technologies and ideas that speed new product development time, cut costs, and deliver world-class quality from Monday, October 17 — Thursday, October 20 at the Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show (CMTS). This is Canada's ultimate manufacturing event at the Toronto's Direct Energy Centre. Live demonstrations of the latest machine tools, automation technologies and production methods give manufacturers the chance to break through the everyday clutter of information to make informed purchase decisions. Beyond the show floor, attendees will experience a timely and relevant keynote, interactive town hall panels, and numerous opportunities to expand attendees network and fine-tune technical knowledge.

According to John Rattray, of Memex Automation, "The term "Andon" is used to refer to a visual system designed to notify management, maintenance, or other workers of a quality or process problem. In essence an effective Andon System will quickly identify to the necessary stakeholders the location and nature of the problem. Leading companies around the world have successfully implemented Andon Systems as part of their Lean Manufacturing philosophies. Quality departments and Six Sigma Blackbelts in nearly every industry realize the value of a good Andon System. At it's core, an Andon System consists of a group of visual products and systems that interact in order to communicate information to stakeholders on status and problems within a facility. By quickly delivering information through visual and audible cues, resource loss in the forms of equipment downtime and personal hours is minimized. Ultimately, a successful Andon System Implementation carries a return on investment of a year or less and leads to greater overall profitability and morale."

CMTS will allow attendees to learn more about the Andon System Implementation and how a trial financial OEE solution with Memex Automation will quickly transform every machine enterprise-wide.

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, a unit of Astrix Networks Inc., was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992.

Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/17/2011 -- AxOEE is a Manufacturing Productivity Tool for Real-Time Monitoring enabling Increased Productivity:

Cost Effective

Practical & Proven

Expandable

Plant-wide, enterprise enabled.

All machines - CNC, non-CNC, PLC, Presses, Injection Molding, etc.

AxOEE Machine Monitoring OEE Dashboard Software

Latest Release of the AxOEE key features will be displayed at CMTS, booth 1135 include the following:

Job Queue – directly connected to any ERP package for scheduling work orders Visual Job Board – for graphically displaying and manipulating jobs.

Active Status 2D Floor Plan – for a visual layout of the plant floor with current machine status, supporting most common imaging formats, including JPG, DXF, DWG, BMP, QIF, and TIF.

Report Writer significant enhancements – SAP Crystal using XML, with Extract, Transform and Load functionality.

Automated Report Scheduler – for sending out reports on a scheduled or real-time with rules basis.

Latest Software Development tools from Microsoft – Visual Studio 2010, DotNet version 4, Windows 7 compliant.

MS-SQL full database support running with Windows Server 2008.

New Look and Feel customization features – for doing specialized display skins and user interface.

Customization of Dashboard features – for making it fit to a customer's specific requirements.

More than 600 manufacturers and distributors will feature cutting-edge technologies and ideas that speed new product development time, cut costs, and deliver world-class quality from Monday, October 17 — Thursday, October 20 at the Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show (CMTS).

This is Canada's ultimate manufacturing event at the Toronto's Direct Energy Centre. Live demonstrations of the latest machine tools, automation technologies and production methods give manufacturers the chance to break through the everyday clutter of information to make informed purchase decisions. Beyond the show floor, attendees will experience a timely and relevant keynote, interactive town hall panels, and numerous opportunities to expand attendees network and fine-tune technical knowledge.

According to John Rattray, of Memex Automation, "One of the important products we will feature this year is AxOEE. AxOEE allows information output to large ("Marquee") displays. There is real?time, color?coded information about machine and Job status, Job Parts to Go, Job Hours to Go, Reason for stoppage, Operator help call, and more data which, can be transmitted to a Marquee via Ethernet, anywhere in the plant."

These benefits can be viewed at CMTS at Booth 1135 in Toronto starting October 17th.

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, a unit of Astrix Networks Inc., was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/12/2011 -- Memex understands the need to be more competitive and get the maximum throughput with your machine assets in manufacturing. To be able to "visualize" how machines are operating allows clients to react quickly to situations. Measuring what actually happens on the shop floor fine tunes processes using lean manufacturing techniques. According to John Rattray, of Memex Automation, "One of the important products we will feature this year is AxOEE. AxOEE allows information output to large ("Marquee") displays. There is real?time, color?coded information about machine and Job status, Job Parts to Go, Job Hours to Go, Reason for stoppage, Operator help call, and more data which, can be transmitted to a Marquee via Ethernet, anywhere in the plant." These benefits can be viewed at CMTS at Booth 1135 in Toronto starting October 17th.

Apply the Theory of Constraints principle by monitoring and identifying a constraint. Improve operator productivity and satisfaction by helping them perform faster and reduce their data collection overhead using automatic and accurate tracking systems. OEE - Overall Equipment Effectiveness is the key performance indicator that drives this machine monitoring process.

AxOEE is a Manufacturing Productivity Tool for Real-Time Monitoring enabling Increased Productivity:

Cost Effective

Practical & Proven

Expandable

Plant-wide, enterprise enabled.

All machines - CNC, non-CNC, PLC, Presses, Injection Molding, etc.

AxOEE Machine Monitoring OEE Dashboard Software

Latest Release (October 2011), key features:

Job Queue – directly connected to any ERP package for scheduling work orders

Visual Job Board – for graphically displaying and manipulating jobs.

Active Status 2D Floor Plan – for a visual layout of the plant floor with current machine status, supporting most common imaging formats,
including JPG, DXF, DWG, BMP, QIF, and TIF.

Report Writer significant enhancements – SAP Crystal using XML, with Extract, Transform and Load functionality.

Automated Report Scheduler – for sending out reports on a scheduled or real-time with rules basis.

Latest Software Development tools from Microsoft – Visual Studio 2010, DotNet version 4, Windows 7 compliant.

MS-SQL full database support running with Windows Server 2008.

New Look and Feel customization features – for doing specialized display skins and user interface.

Customization of Dashboard features – for making it fit to a customer's specific requirements.

Multiple Language support.

More than 600 manufacturers and distributors will feature cutting-edge technologies and ideas that speed new product development time, cut costs, and deliver world-class quality from Monday, October 17 — Thursday, October 20 at the Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show (CMTS).

This is Canada's ultimate manufacturing event at the Toronto's Direct Energy Centre. Live demonstrations of the latest machine tools, automation technologies and production methods give manufacturers the chance to break through the everyday clutter of information to make informed purchase decisions. Beyond the show floor, attendees will experience a timely and relevant keynote, interactive town hall panels, and numerous opportunities to expand attendees network and fine-tune technical knowledge.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Burlington, Ontario -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/12/2011 -- According to John Rattray, of Memex Automation, "The term "Andon" is used to refer to a visual system designed to notify management, maintenance, or other workers of a quality or process problem. In essence an effective Andon System will quickly identify to the necessary stakeholders the location and nature of the problem. Leading companies around the world have successfully implemented Andon Systems as part of their Lean Manufacturing philosophies. Quality departments and Six Sigma Blackbelts in nearly every industry realize the value of a good Andon System. At it's core, an Andon System consists of a group of visual products and systems that interact in order to communicate information to stakeholders on status and problems within a facility. By quickly delivering information through visual and audible cues, resource loss in the forms of equipment downtime and personal hours is minimized. Ultimately, a successful Andon System Implementation carries a return on investment of a year or less and leads to greater overall profitability and morale."

More than 600 manufacturers and distributors will feature cutting-edge technologies and ideas that speed new product development time, cut costs, and deliver world-class quality from Monday, October 17 — Thursday, October 20 at the Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show (CMTS). This is Canada's ultimate manufacturing event at the Toronto's Direct Energy Centre. Live demonstrations of the latest machine tools, automation technologies and production methods give manufacturers the chance to break through the everyday clutter of information to make informed purchase decisions. Beyond the show floor, attendees will experience a timely and relevant keynote, interactive town hall panels, and numerous opportunities to expand attendees network and fine-tune technical knowledge.

CMTS will allow attendees to learn more about the Andon System Implementation and how a trial financial OEE solution with Memex Automation will quickly transform every machine enterprise-wide. Attendees should visit Booth 1135.

About Memex Automation Inc.
Memex Automation Inc., http://www.memex.ca, a unit of Astrix Networks Inc., was created to leverage the research and development of Memex Electronics, which was founded in 1992. Memex continues its tradition of serving the discrete manufacturing sector, supplying component hardware, memory upgrades, and visionary shop floor communication technology. Memex products allow a manufacturer to realize the impact of OEE Profitability.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm