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.