Flextime™ – Plating and Finishing Line Controls
Flextime™ is the fourth generation of sequentially evolving Wet Process Line Controls. Based on the 1st Gen HP 9825, 2nd Gen IBM XT, 3rd Gen HP 9000, Flextime is the 4th Gen and first ever Object Oriented SW solution in the market. Developed and owned by ASC Process Systems, Flextime’s heritage comes from CPC, the name used for the same software worldwide for large industrial Autoclaves, Furnaces, Ovens and Custom work cells Ex. Gillette Razor uses CPC for manufacturing the blades in Germany and Boston.
These installations WW number in the thousands, and because of the huge customer base CPC / Flextime outperforms the other industry software due to its substantial customer demand, providing customers with “best in class” features and freedom to learn and use Flextime objects without learning Ladder Logic programming.
Flextime is used to simulate all lines exhaustively providing customers a guarantee of specified production rates and flexibility. The exact same SW configuration is then interfaced to a PLC and Distance Meters and does the actual control of the plating line and all subsystems with high reliability. GPR WPG also instructs OEMs and end-users how to add specific interlocks to make the hoist/wagons/cranes failsafe in the event of a load crash OR flight bar in the wrong tank.
What is Flextime?
FLEXTIME is a Windows-based, object orientated package configuring for any work cell with a combination of reconfigurable, debugged objects that automatically link to each other, HMI, and Database functions with no programming. To accommodate customizing Flextime to meet the customer’s always unique required personalities, Flextime has high level scripting.
This combination of objects and scripting eliminates all new source code 100% and eliminates recompilation. A 29 hoist system making 46 loads per hour all fits on a 2 Meg “Objects.g” file. Any of the thousands of object.g files will launch on anyone’s computer with the CPC / Flextime Server SW. Of course, it would be useless without the associated PLC program and work cell hardware, but it would launch!
All functions that need to be changed for the wet process line are accessible to the customer in the Flextime configuration. The Siemens or Allen Bradley PLC used only have programming for functions that do not change normally such as manual hoist operations, PID positioning loops for all hoist/wagons/cranes on both the vertical hoisting and horizontal positioning axis, drive faults, etc. The PLC also provides a Data Acquisition function for Flextime, isolating I/O, putting all I/O into one of 4 words, Analog Inputs, Analog Outputs, Digital Inputs, and Digital Outputs that are continuously scanned and updated by Flextime! Mating Flextime PLC programs are standardized and documented and 1/10th to 1/20th less PLC code then PLC centric plating line SW solutions, to the advantage of the customer.
Flextime software provides all the control and scheduling power needed for complete control of hundreds of hoists, tanks, pumps, valves, rectifiers, and every other element on the line. Flextime also provides both powerful full dynamic and fixed-timeway scheduling of the loads to achieve optimal performance and flexibility.
Ease of use
Even though Flextime is extremely powerful, it is also very easy to use. All screens and features are designed to maximize usability and increase operator efficiency. ASC takes great care to keep software operations as quick as possible in order to reduce overall equipment cycle-time.
Excellent reliability
Flextime is designed as a client-server package with proven reliability in the field. We have been delivering PC-based software solutions for more than 20 years and have a customer base that trusts the reliability of our software and systems. Flextime is designed and tested to meet stringent up-time specifications.
Comprehensive reporting
Flextime has an extensive reporting capability that if far more powerful and flexible than those provided with other packages. You can select specific runs by database query and view and/or print trend date in color plot format, numeric logs, quality control reports, pass/fail reports, message logs, and a host of other formats. On-screen zooming and panning on the trend view is also supported.
Remote control/viewing
Flextime is the only package capable of being viewed and control by multiple PCs on the customers network. Unlike other competing products which utilize PC-Anywhere to “take control” of the equipment PC, Flextime allows concurrent operation and viewing of the process by operators, engineers, QA/QC personnel, and managers on the network. As many as 20 concurrent clients are supported.
Multi-media features
Flextime provides a host of multi-media features, including video maintenance training, drill-down maintenance images, part pictures, part diagrams, video chat and email, and other useful control features. These features allow ASC to build maintenance screens which provide images of each component on the equipment (ie. valve, motor, etc.), video of calibration and maintenance procedures for the components, and links to on-line or on-PC product documentation. See sample screens.
Expandable
Flextime control systems can be expanded to control other equipment in the future. Many companies add other equipment year to year and never have to purchase another system. No other company offers this advantage.
Configurable Screens
Flextime has a built-in screen builder that is used by ASC’s engineers and customers to customize the exact look and feel of the system. On installation you can request additional screens and display features, and we won’t charge you anything for it. No other product can match Flextime’s screen building capabilities.
Up to date
Flextime is maintained and updated monthly to provide the most up to date features and capabilities requested by our users. See Documentation section of this website to read current updates.
History of Flextime
In 2000, ASC developed its first objects for the wet process market and added them to the CPC objects based on the capabilities of the previous HP 9000 SW which dominated the industry from 1985 to 1998. Windows PC wet process control was and is primarily in the PLC, with the PC simply provided HMI and Database features. CPC / Flextime is a marked different and successful approach. In 1984 with the 1st IBM XT with either unreliable CPM or Windows cost over $ 10,000. Back then, even the simplest of computer control systems cost $20,000 or more. ASC was determined to develop a configurable package that could be powerful, reliable, and affordable.
Most manufactures at the time believed that software should be designed for the equipment and not for the process. ASC disagreed and took the lead in designing Flextime as a composite processing package first, and an equipment controller second. At the time, ASC actively interviewed process, production, and materials engineers at Lockheed, Northrop, Boeing, GE, and other customer in order to create a “wish list” of necessary features and capabilities. We listened closely and ultimately incorporated every requested feature.
It was also ASC’s position at the time that not only should the PC be used for data-collection and reporting, but it should also be the primary controller of the equipment. ASC’s competitors on the other hand felt that the PC was not capable of direct equipment control, and as a result their software and control system development targeted a PLC control configuration with the PC providing supervision only.
ASC had a different approach. It was our design philosophy to not only have Flextime handle the HMI (human machine interface) and reporting duties, but also provide direct control of every physical motor, valve, and sensor on the autoclave. Within the first Flextime package, ASC invented a unique and power logic programming language that the control engineer could use to tailor the system to a specific piece of equipment. With that feature, ASC was able to take control of not only its own autoclaves, but other manufacturers’ autoclaves, ovens, presses, and practically any type of equipment.
In 1990, ASC expanded Flextime and launched the first multi-equipment version. Named “Flextime-Mult”, the package could concurrently control more than 20 pieces of equipment. This proved to be a very popular package, because customer could purchase a single control system and have advanced PC-based controls on all of their equipment, including smaller equipment. The per-equipment cost for PC-based control was 25% what it would be if a separate control system were purchased for each equipment.
With the advent of Windows NT, ASC developed its Windows version of Flextime which is the foundation for the current Flextime package. Through the years, we have added thousands of new features and capabilities to meet our customer’s needs. We are still listening to our customers and as a result are improving our product everyday.