Goodbye Wires: Bon L Canada measures wirelessly without a hitch.
Starrett DataSure
The wireless age has reached the factory floor at Bon L Canada in Pickering, Ontario, a manufacturer of cast billets, logs and aluminum extrusions. With the DataSure Wireless Data Collection System from The L.S. Starrett Co., vital measurement data are being reliably collected at Bon L without the burden of wires.
Bon L is part of The William L. Bonnell Co., a full-service aluminum extruder that offers a variety of alloys, finishes, fabrication options and casting capabilities. There are six locations in Canada and the United States; the company’s 180,000-square-foot Pickering facility is the first to implement the DataSure system.
Bon L’s previous data collection method was performed manually by operators with paper inspection reports. This method commonly led to input errors and the time consuming need to re-input measurement data for further analysis. Wireless data collection has proven to be a faster, more accurate and easier way to capture and record measurement data.
Wireless data collection removes wiring-related placement, installation and safety issues, while making it easier for the user to bring the gauge to the work, rather than having to bring the work to the gauge. The system consists of three primary elements: miniature radios that are attached to the data output ports of electronic tools, a gateway that connects to a computer, and routers that extend the system’s range and make its radio network more robust. The system gathers data from electronic measuring tools and delivers them to a computer to be analyzed by the user’s statistical process control (SPC) application.
Proprietary technology enables the DataSure system to offer safe delivery of data in the hostile environment of electrically noisy shops. Each measurement is time-stamped and logged into a database, while a signal is sent to assure the user that the data were received. If receipt is not acknowledged at the host SPC system, DataSure will store up to 10 readings and resend them until they are safely recorded.
According to Conchita Ko, quality assurance and process manager at Bon L, “DataSure routers are at the inspection station of each production line. An operator measures the part on that line, and the measurement is sent to the computer system in real time via a radio signal by the push of a button on an end node attached to the back of our gauges.
“The computer program stores the data according to the manufacturing order and die profile,” Ko explains. “Part drawing and measurement specs are displayed on the computer screen for operator reference. The computer also automatically compares measurement results to dimensional tolerances that are preprogrammed in the computer. An alarm will flag an operator if a dimension is out of tolerance, and a rejection notice detailing the specification, out-of-tolerance dimension and the order information is automatically e-mailed to production team leaders for review and immediate disposition. In this automated, reliable manner, we save time and prevent additional out-of-tolerance parts from being made, which are the key benefits.”
However, DataSure is not only used to capture and record gauging measurements. The system also enables Bon L to evaluate production processes and to monitor the wear of die tooling. Part drawings and measurement specs are displayed on the computer screen and can be continuously compared to actual values. Employees can also view production trending data and track die performance by assigned number. Similar to the company’s rejection notice process, the die shop is alerted about dies that may expire soon, allowing Bon L to save money and minimize production time delays in the die tooling area.
There were also practical reasons for selecting wireless data collection. “We chose Starrett’s wireless system over cabled systems because we had major concerns that cables would interfere with some of our long parts. This could create safety problems and operational inefficiencies, which can often lead to increased costs and downtime,” says Ko.
“We appreciate DataSure’s versatility,” says Ko. “We have used both Starrett gauges and another major brand of tools and have found no problems integrating them in the wireless system. At present, nine gauges in total are configured for the DataSure system at our facility.” DataSure can also be remotely accessed via an intranet connection.
The new system has been fully operational for about two months, and employees are becoming more familiar with it daily. The company is pleased with the results thus far, and other Bon L locations are investigating the DataSure system.
Starrett DataSure
- A robust, reliable and easier way to capture and record measurement data
- Safely delivers data in electronically noisy environments
- Faster, more accurate and more versatile than other data collection methods
- Can be remotely accessed via an intranet connection
www.starrett.com/datasure |
