1.
What is PI and how does it work?
- 2. What kind of reports
will PI provide me?
- 3. How can I show
others the reports?
- 4. How does PI gather
the data?
- 5. How does PI connect
to my assets?
- 6. What if my asset
is not networked or does not have a controller with
OPC capabilities?
- 7.
What does a PI license entitle me to?
- 8.
Can I add a new asset after the initial
configuration?
- 9.
How long will it take me to integrate a
PI system?
- 10.
What type of information will PI show
for a machine?
- 11.
How does PI handle all the different products
I run?
- 12.
How can PI improve my overall performance?
- 13.
How long will it take me to familiarize
myself with PI?
- 14.
How many people does it take to run PI?
- 15.
What type of input can be entered by operators
and managers?
- 16.
How many PI Interfaces can I install?
Are there licensing fees?
- 17.
What does a maintenance contract entitle
me to?
- 18.
Is there any security built into the PI
software?
- 19.
Where is the database stored?
- 20.
How large does a PI database get?
- 21.
How long can a database be stored for?
- 22.
What are the minimum PC requirements?
- 22.1
Server Hardware Requirements
- 22.2
Server Software Requirements
- 22.3
Client Hardware Requirements
- 22.4
Client Software Requirements
-
23. Will the implementation of PI affect
my existing asset performance in any way?
- 24.
Will I have to make modifications to my
PLC programs?
- 25.
Can PI write data to my PLC?
- 26.
Can I pull parameters from within PI to
another database or program?
- 27.
What happens to data during a power failure?
- 28.
What happens to a machine when it is taken
offline?
29. What are the new features of PI 6.1?
30. How do I backup my data?
1.
What is PI and how does it work?
Performance
Index (PI) is a software package designed to analyze packaging
line data received from line sensors via programmable
logic controllers. Data from all of the machines on a
packaging line is brought together to create a comprehensive
picture of performance for the entire line. The data is
then presented to the user in an easily understood graphical
interface. back to top
2.
What kind of reports will PI provide me?
PI
comes with a wide variety of pre-configured reporting
options to the end user that include customizable Production
Reports, Utilization Reports, Downtime Reports and Yield
Reports. All reports can be broken down by Month, Week,
Day, Shift, Hour, PRC (Product Run Cycle), SKU (Stock
Keeping Unit), Product Code, Batch Code or Formula Code.
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3.
How can I show others the reports?
All
forms of reports can be either exported to Excel in the
form of a table using PIs built in Export to Excel. All
reports can also be printed directly from the PI Interface.
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4.
How does PI gather the data?
The
PI server computer has a physical connection to the controls
network through the transmission media in place on the
controls network. The PI server must also contain an OPC
server to allow the PI Data Crunch program to access data
from the plant floor. The Data Crunch program acts as
the gateway between the controls network and the SQL database.
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5.
How does PI connect to my assets?
PI
typically operates as an OPC (OLE for Process Control)
client. If the controllers for the machines within your
facility are capable of connecting to an OPC server then
PI will be able to access information within your machines.
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6.
What if my asset
is not networked or does not have a controller with
OPC capabilities?
Zarpac
frequently works with clients to determine the best networking
options available based on the current line architecture.
Solutions can range from adding special modules, upgrading
hardware or simply networking the existing hardware. Contact
Zarpac and we would be happy to assist you in finding
out what will be required to connect.
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7.
What does a PI license entitle me to?
PI
licenses are distributed on a per line basis. This means
a license must be purchased for each line that PI is to
be installed on. With the full license the client is entitled
to install up to twelve machines/unit ops. The rest of
the setup such as machine counters and faults are always
open to the client administrators to modify at their discretion.
Multiple lines can reside in each PI Interface but each
must have their own license. If a partial license is purchased
(less than 5 machines on a line) the line license is limited
to the number of machine purchased. back
to top
8.
Can I add a asset after the initial configuration?
Yes.
If a full line license is purchased, PI allows the client
to add new machines to a line database up to a maximum
of twelve machine/unit ops. If additional machines are
still required contact Zarpac for special licensing requirements.
Additional machines can be installed either on their own
or as an additional service that can be provided by Zarpac.
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9.
How long will it take me to integrate a PI system?
A
typical PI installation can be up and running within 8-12
weeks. back to top
10.
What type of information will PI show for a machine?
By
default PI displays four primary machines states - Running,
Down, Starved and Blocked. Running indicates that product
is physically moving through the machine. Down indicates
that product movement has stopped due to a fault within
the machine itself. Blocked indicates that the machine
outfeed has been stopped or paused due to a downstream
condition. Starved indicates that the machine infeed has
been stopped or paused due to an upstream condition.
In
addition to these primary states PI also has the ability
to track when the machine is Unscheduled, in Changeout
or not running due to a planned stoppage which is known
as Policy.
PI
also supports custom states that can be defined by the
customer. back to top
11.
How does PI handle all the different products I run?
PI
can be setup to automatically detect changes in product
or can be manually entered. Each product or SKU (Stock
Keeping Unit) can be configured to have separate speed
expectations, case configurations and cost considerations
for each machine. back
to top
12.
How can PI improve my overall performance?
PI
gives a long term historical record of performance. Over
time, trends in machine behavior develop and these trends
can be used to dictate corrective action on a piece of
equipment. Typically PI will help improve performance
by 5-15% within the first year. back
to top
13.
How long will it take me to familiarize myself with PI?
PI
is a very intuitive program that has been designed to
provide maximum functionality while not intimidating users
by providing simple navigation to eliminate confusion.
It is recommended the first installation within a facility
undergo training courses which have been structured to
three different types of users, Operators, Managers and
Administrators. back to
top
14.
How many people does it take to run PI?
Once
PI has been initially installed the system will essentially
run by itself. Each facility should have two or three
administrators of the system who are familiar with the
basic principles of how PI system works from a technical
perspective. back to top
15.
What type of input can be entered by operators and managers?
From
any PI Interface operators and managers are able to enter
comments for shifts and every state within any machine
on the line. The PI Interface is easy to use and the operators
never have to leave the main screen to enter comments.
In addition operators are able to provide further detail
to machine fault conditions to attempt to get to the root
cause of the fault. Every fault condition can be assigned
an Area, Category and Cause as defined by the client for
each machine on the line. back
to top
16.
How many PI Interfaces can I install? Are there licensing
fees?
PI
allows the client to install an unlimited amount of PI
Interfaces. There is a one time licensing fee for the
connection to the physical asset but this does not relate
to the number of interfaces that can be installed. back
to top
17.
What does a maintenance contract entitle me to?
The
maintenance contract includes telephone support for technical
questions about the PI program operation and functionality.
The maintenance contract also entitles customers to free
upgrades of the program as they become available.
The maintenance contract does NOT include integration
assistance, formal training or training materials or any
support of computers or PLC networks. Telephone calls
may be received during business hours from 9am to 5pm
EST.
Every
new installation is granted a maintenance contract for
one year from the date of installation. After the first
year expires an annual maintenance contract can be purchased
from Zarpac. Contact Zarpac for details.
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18.
Is there any security built into the PI software?
PI
has four levels of security Operator, Manager, Supervisor
and Administrator. At the highest level only administrators
can modify the setup of the signals. In no way will a
setup change within PI effect the asset performance, only
the way that PI interprets the information.
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19.
Where is the database stored?
The
database is stored in an MS SQL database. back
to top
20.
How large does a PI database get?
A
typical PI line database containing 8 machines will grow
to become approximately 500MB over the course of a full
year. This number will fluctuate based on the number of
raw signals (primarily faults and analog signals) but
would rarely exceed 1GB over the course of a full year.
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21.
How long can a database be stored for?
The
amount of time that a database can be stored is generally
dictated by the client. As a database grows in size performance
in accessing data may suffer but the point in time when
this occurs is dependant on a number of factors within
the line setup and the hardware retrieving and accessing
the data. back to top
22. What are the minimum PC requirements?
22.1
Server Hardware:
Pentium IV or Xeon Processor 2GHz or higher
1.44 MB Floppy Drive
1 Gig RAM (min)
40 Gig HD
CD ROM
SVGA Monitor - video resolution 1024x768, 256 color
or better
Keyboard/mouse
56K modem
Network Interface Card
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS)
May require expansion slots for OEM network interface
cards
May require an enclosure depending on the environment
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22.2
Server Software:
Windows 2000 Server with Service Pack 4
IIS version 5
MS Excel 2000 or above
Symantec pcAnywhere version 10.5 or above for remote
access and trouble shooting (phone line or internet connection
required. Internet access through an I.P. address for
PC Anywhere would be preferred)
SQL Server 2000
OPC Server (dependant on Controls network)
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22.3 Client Hardware:
Pentium III 700Mhz or higher
1.44 MB Floppy Drive
256 Mb RAM
20 Gb HD
CD ROM
SVGA Monitor - video resolution 1024x768, 256 color
Keyboard/mouse
Network Interface Card
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22.4 Client Software:
Windows 2000 Professional Service Pack 4 or better
MS Excel 2000 or above
Internet Explorer 6 or newer
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23.
Will the implementation of PI affect my existing asset
performance in any way?
PI
will not directly affect any of your existing controls
or line performance. PI consumes a small amount of network
traffic and can be optimized to reduce network traffic
to one packet per PLC if network traffic is a concern.
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24.
Will I have to make modifications to my PLC programs?
Wherever
possible PI attempts to use existing PLC programming to
gather the required information. Zarpac recognizes the
inconvenience in having to modify PLC code and PI has
a built in feature called Smart Logics that is used to
minimize PLC code modifications.
The
majority of PLC code changes are either designed to minimize
traffic on the controls network or to utilize a feature
within PI that requires information which currently does
not exist within the control system. back
to top
25.
Can PI write data to my PLC?
No.
PI cannot write any data back to the control system. It
is a read only program. back
to top
26.
Can I pull parameters from within PI to another database
or program?
Yes.
PIs database is open to anyone to read information as
required. It will be necessary to contact Zarpac to find
the storage locations within the database
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27.
What happens to data during a power failure?
No
data is collected during a power failure. PI recognizes
this time period and ensures that all calculations ignore
the amount of time for which no data was collected.
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28.
What happens to a machine when it is taken offline?
If
a machine has been taken offline all data collection for
that particular machine will be lost for the duration
of the time offline. back
to top
29. What are the new
features of PI 6.1?
|
- Graphical trending |
| -
Plant Rollup |
|
- Improved user interface |
|
- Enhanced operator interface web program |
| -
Favorites |
|
- Case Equivalent Units for all SKUs |
| -
Shift filters for time grids |
|
- Use calendar and custom time at the company and
plant level |
|
- Set graphical goals for your production reports,
utilization, downtime and signals. |
|
- Toggle between Bar Charts and Pie Charts on the
Utilization, Downtime and Signals pages. |
|
- Pick and choose what states will make up the utilization
calculation using custom utilization |
|
- Export your data to a log for software line simulations
|
|
- Enhanced filtering in all reports including Utilization,
Downtime, Signals and logs. |
|
- Unschedule a machine and automatically cut the time
slices using the new 'Make Unscheduled' feature |
| -
View and select individual faults and disturbances
from within the Element State / PRC Chart |
|
- New Mark All feature in the element state view to
locate the occurrences of signals |
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to top
30.
How do I back up my data?
Backups
of the database can be created through the SQL server software.
Zarpac is available to make recommendations but leaves backup
information in the hands of the clients IT departments.
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