ProtoLink developed a weight compliance system to monitor and optimize the
performance of Ishida and Yamato statistical weighers utilized in the packaging
rooms of a major snack food manufacturer. This project required ProtoLink
to perform a wide-variety of software development tasks, including the
implementation of three custom DDE Servers, a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) for
statistical analysis, a Visual Basic application with associated Crystal
Reports, PLC code, and a Wonderware InTouch application. The DDE Servers
and the Visual Basic application interact with an Oracle database.
ProtoLink also developed a sophisticated Ishida simulator
so that all of the applications could be tested in a laboratory environment.
This project yielded improvements in the monitoring and calibration of
statistical weighers which have saved our client millions of dollars per year
in reduced product giveaway. This ProtoLink-developed system has also
served as the foundation of additional automation projects, including an effort
to optimally control the routing of product through the plants' conveyor
systems.
