FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
General Questions about the System
Please send us an email to sales@weighingcontrol.com including your address and phone number. We will send your information to one of our distributors and ask him to contact you immediately.
- Some of the features the UWS-ABS offers and that are not commonly offered by other automation companies are:
- PC production scheduling: The system allows production programming of formulas/batches elaboration. Production scheduling can be done per shift, day, week, etc. Up to 300 work orders can be placed at a time.
- PC formula management: The system administrator is in charge of introducing the formulas and required sequence functions into the system (ingredients, quantities, blend/mix, discharge, temperature monitoring, etc). He can also modify, delete or create a formula at any time.
- Complete Traceability & Real Time Reports: The information of the automatic batching process that takes place in the production floor is stored in the non volatile memory of each of the VIC6000 controllers. This information is retrieved by the remote PC every minute for its consolidation. These gives you complete traceability of the production process (production times, materials consumptions, work orders finished, etc.) Eight standard reports can be generated with the UWS-ABS software. The information can be exported to other applications for further manipulation, like Microsoft excel and access.
- No programming required: Our system is always delivered ready to use. It is not necessary to program the controllers for a specific operation sequence. The system is installed already programmed according to your requirements.
- Flexibility/Customization: We offer tailor made solutions for any required function/operation not included in the standard version of the system.
- Adaptation of existing peripheral devices: In many cases, existing devices such as the PC, scales, weigh modules, sensors, etc. can be adapted to our system.
- No dedicated PC required: The PC where the software is resident can be used to run other applications. The UWS-ABS system demands only standard PC resources.
- Windows Network Operation: The system supports network operation, for different users to access it from different PC’s.
- Competitive prices: Our standard System and customization prices are significantly lower than regular prices offered by automation and software /ERP companies.
- Scalability: The system offers integration with any of the UWS-Series platform.
- All sales are made through our distributors. Our distributors are authorized companies with a background in the weighing industry. They are familiar with the manufacturing plants primary concerns and requirements. They will discuss the automatic batching process with you and suggest the best solution for your company.
- A CD with the UWS-ABS software, maintenance and operation manuals.
- A hardware key.
- At least one VIC6000 controller and up to 32 controllers, depending on the amount of controllers purchased.
- Peripheral devices purchased, if any (scanners, printers, scales).
- The system is installed by the distributors. Pre-installation instructions are sent to the customer as soon as the system has been purchased. Pre-installation instructions can be directly by the purchaser or by the distributor at an additional cost. If you are interested, ask your distributor if he is willing to make the pre-installation instructions and how much would it cost.
- Distributors are trained for answering operation questions, configuring the system, solving communication failures and some other common problems that might arise while learning how to use the system and adapting to continuous operation. They also have Weighing Control Systems full support in case they might have technical questions to uncommon operating dilemmas. Usually, operators offer a maintenance service policy for immediate assistance in case any questions or technical support is required. All distributors have replacement parts available in case a hardware spare part is required.
- The return of investment varies depending on the industry and the production control used prior to the installation of any of the UWS Series Systems. In our experience, the ROI has never exceeded one year. There are some cases in which the ROI has been on one month such as the system installed in Campbell’s Soup.
- This system has been installed in the plastics and rubber, paints, flavors and fragrances, food and chemical industries, among others.
- Yes. The UWS- ABS system controls peripheral devices such as pumps, valves, motors, pneumatic systems, etc. As long as the peripheral devices are suited for the type of ingredient you need to control, there won’t be a problem.
- Yes. The system can be expanded at any time.
- The standard version of the system allows 16 digital outputs per controller and two serial ports. Nevertheless, each controller can be expanded to a total of 148 digital outputs and to 4 serial ports. The serial ports are used for the connection of scales, printers and scanners.
- Yes. The Raw Materials Control System, as well as any other module of the UWS Series can be integrated into one solution for complete production process control from raw materials receiving to finished goods shipment.
Operation related questions about the system
- Since the system is very friendly, regularly only one day is required. Training can take longer if a large group of operator’s (more than five) needs to be trained, though.
- This system is very simple to operate. Any person that has finished Elementary School is capable of understanding and operating the system with no problems at all.
- The system is password protected for the access to formulas and ingredients.
- The system also has a parameter to avoid showing quantities to be dosed.
- We also suggest changing the name of some ingredients for key words or codes known only by authorized personnel.
- The system is provided with a standard operation manual. An addendum of customized features is also delivered with the system. You should be able to find the answer to your questions in it. You can also email your distributor. He will be able to answer your email solving the questions you have, or if he thinks it might be something a little bit more complicated, he can give you a call and schedule an appointment.
Software related questions about the System
- 1000 ingredients, An unlimited amount of formulas, Up to 50 ingredients per formula; Do not forget, though that customization can be done to meet special requirements of applications that exceed these limits.
- It depends on the amount of ingredients and formulas each company has. Nevertheless, they can be imported from text files. This procedure has to be done only once during software installation. After that, the catalogs only need maintenance.
- All the formulas modifications or changes are done in only one window. The modification procedure is very simple and fast.
- 160, but if a specific application demands more than 160 work orders to be sent at a time, modifications can be done to adapt the application to the customer’s specific requirements.
- The VIC-6000 controllers send and retrieve information to/from the PC constantly. A parameter is set in the software to establish the period of time (in minutes) in which information will be send to the controllers and historical information will be retrieved. This parameter can be from 1 minute to 999 minutes. There is also an option to send immediately the work orders programmed into the VIC6000 controllers. Work orders are received in the station in a couple of minutes.
- Yes. Tolerance can be set either in % or in quantity and can be changed in the UWS-MBS Software at any time. Each ingredient can have a difference tolerance.
- Historical Record Process.
- Historical Record of Formulas Elaborated.
- Work Orders Programmed.
- Ingredients Catalog.
- Formulas Catalog.
- System Modifications.
- The UWS-ABS system runs under Windows operating system.
- Software upgrades are usually available every two years and the cost varies from 25% to 40% of the original price paid for the software, depending on the version you want to upgrade from.
- No. All the historical information generated in the VIC controllers is stored in the PC in a .dat format, which demands very little space in the hard drive. If the hard drive of your PC has 100 mb available, you shouldn’t have any problems storing one year’s worth information.
- Yes. You can install and run other applications in the PC where the UWS-ABS software is resident. The UWS-ABS application needs to be open at every time though, or else the historical information can not be updated. If in the evening the PC is turned off, historical information will be kept in the VIC6000 controller’s non-volatile memory, until the PC is turned on again.
- Yes. Customized automatic import/export can be done at an additional cost in most cases. It is also possible to make periodical data imports into the UWS-ABS software if the file is in txt format and follows a predetermined data sequence (provided by WCS) in order for data to be imported correctly.
- Yes. It is possible to save the information and export it to excel, access, word, or as a text file. Customized automatic import/export can also be done at an additional cost in most cases.
- The number of users is unlimited, but only one user is allowed at a time in the module options of formulas or ingredients.
Hardware related questions about the System
- Up to 32 stations can be installed in the same network.
- The standard version offers control and readings of instrumentation and peripheral devices like valves, pumps, vibrators, blenders, gates, motors, sensors, scanners, label printers, alarms, etc.
- Almost any brand of electronic peripheral devices that have a serial port or 20 mA current loop can be adapted into the system. In the case of scanners and printers, we rather work with PSC and Symbol scanners and Datamax printers.
- No. Specifications of the cable required are given once the system is purchased. If desired, though, the cable can be provided by the distributor.
- No. The controller is intended for heavy duty and industrial environment. That is the reason for the stainless steel NEMA 4X enclosure, but not for washdown environments.
- Yes, but every cabinet should be installed with a purging system.
- We suggest preventive maintenance to be done every six months. This helps identify potential problems (such as network cable damage, unregulated power source, worn out components, etc.) that can be corrected before they represent a real problem.
- The only component that suffers the most is the membrane keypad with a lifetime average of 3 years at normal conditions work with appropriate maintenance.
- Membrane keypad
- Power supply
- Main Board
- Relays board
- Fluorescent display
- USB hardware key
- ISPRO RS-232/RS485 converter
- Spare parts are sold by distributors. They usually have a small inventory of the most important components of the VIC6000 controller. If for some reason the distributor is out of stock, the lead time should be of one week approximately.
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