Shurtape Reduces Cost of New Operator Interface Points by 40 Percent with Thin Clients
“Each time a new interface point is identified it is only a matter of installing another thin client, touch screen, and cable … project costs were reduced by 40 percent” – Ron Griffin, Engineering Services Supervisor Shurtape Technologies
Shurtape’s manufacturing process is constantly changing, forcing them to add and move operator interfaces more often then they’d like. Things became a lot easier when they implemented thin client technology, courtesy of Automation Control Products.
Evolving out of a business started in 1880 near Hickory, North Carolina, Shurtape Technologies, Inc. manufactures a wide range of paper masking, polypropylene, coated vinyl, metalized cloth, and duct tapes. These products service adhesive tape applications in many markets including automotive, HVAC, construction, power, utility, military and aerospace industries.
Using automation, simplicity and efficiency as guiding principles, Shurtape reviews their process with a goal of producing the finest tapes in the industry, while satisfying customer requirements for highly competitive pricing, dependable quality, reliable performance and rapid delivery.
Constant expansion and improvement bring continuing change and system enhancements. Delivering new machine interface screens and display stations on a regular basis is a difficult at any time, but in an active manufacturing facility this must be done with as little disruption as possible. There are also unusual physical constraints faced when new displays and computers are required around an existing production line.
Finding a way to rapidly bring new displays online under these conditions meant that Shurtape had to find a system that would install in limited space and in less time than a traditional PC, while being cost effective and reliable. ACP’s ThinClient solution meets all of these requirements.
Implementing thin client technology
The move to thin clients started in April 2001. The Advantech Corp., Industrial Automation Group’s small fan-less PCs, called UNOs, were located throughout the facility, processing information from as many as eight different PLCs each. Because of the centralized software model inherent in the thin client architecture, new display stations go online in minutes instead of hours. Each time a new interface point is identified it is only a matter of installing another thin client, touch screen, and cable. No new software needs to be installed.
Five Windows 2000 Servers host all the thin clients used at the plant. The small size of Advantech’s UNO coupled with their resistance to vibration and heat makes mounting easy almost anywhere—essential when working in cramped conditions around an active production line.
Thin client benefits
With their old setup, it took approximately three hours to load and configure a PC each time a new operator interface point was required. Using thin clients, a display can be added by simply plugging in a thin client and turning it on. A new terminal server can be configured in less than four hours. Also, in the unlikely event of a thin client failure, downtime is dramatically reduced compared with the time required to correct a PC failure.
Switching to thin clients resulted in project cost reductions of 40 percent, and Shurtape now has the ability to display information across the plant with a low cost, effective solution – and one that is also easy to configure.
One of Shurtape’s business principles is to invest in the most cost effective manufacturing technology that will produce value-engineered products. Automation Control Products is proud to be able to help them meet this goal providing a thin client solution that will save them money for years to come.
About Shurtape
Shurtape, headquartered in Hickory, N.C., is a leading global manufacturer of pressure sensitive tapes. The company operates five manufacturing plants in the United States in addition to seven international subsidiaries. Shurtape’s primary product lines include adhesive tapes made from paper, cloth, plastic films, metal foils and other specialty substrates. The company markets these products to industrial, construction and retail customers as well as to specialty markets, such as arts and entertainment and healthcare. For more information, visit www.shurtape.com.
About Automation Control Products
ACP carries a full line of industrial and desktop thin client products including our custom Thin Client configuration and management software, ThinManager™. ACP is located about 25 minutes north of Atlanta, GA. off of Hwy. 400 in Alpharetta. For more information, visit www.thinmanager.com.
About Advantech Corporation, Industrial Automation Group
Founded in 1983, the Industrial Automation Group of Advantech Corporation is the only complete PC-based industrial automation solution manufacturer offering products such as industrial PCs, workstations, panel PCs, flat panel monitors, heavy environmental PCs, customized PCs, single board computers, data acquisition & control devices and web-enabled products for a wide array of industries. Drawing on the talents of more than 1,800 people, Advantech operates an extensive sales and marketing network in 16 countries and 35 cities to deliver fast time-to-market services to our worldwide customers. Today, Advantech offers over 700 products and solutions, adding 30 new products each year. U.S. operations for the Industrial Automation Group are based in Cincinnati, Ohio. For more information, visit our North American website http://www.eAutomationPro.com/us
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