Foy's EPICS Events September 2003

Foy's EPICS Events

Extrusion Production Information and Control Systems

September 11, 2003 ** Volume 7, Issue 3

In this issue

Paint features added to Enhanced Finishing Module

Test Certification feature added

At Last!! Finish Code is expanded!

2004 EPICS User Conference set

Foy Web Site now much faster

Foy at upcoming industry events

Other enhancements in EPICS 2000.15 update

EPICS Customers

Paint Features Added in next EPICS Update

For some time, we have wanted to add an optional module to EPICS to make it more valuable for those of you running paint lines. And expanded paint line features have been at the top of the Wishlist for a couple of years. The update being released in a few days includes the introduction of enhanced paint line features. These will be combined with the recently released Enhanced Anodizing Module to make up the optional EPICS Enhanced Finishing Module.

If your company is currently using the Enhanced Anodizing features, your EPICS System Administrator should contact us for a conversion key prior to installing this update.

In addition to providing expanded production reporting capabilities, the new Finishing Module will maintain paint and solvent Inventory records. These inventory records are created as received, with a record for each barrel showing ID, manufacturer, date received, quantity, etc. As solvents are added or colors mixed, you can post transfers so that the inventory of each container shows all components added.

The new paint features include a screen for creating a ‘run’, or a list of SOItems that are to be painted a certain color. This screen can be created at the time extrusions are loaded onto the paint line, or it can be created earlier by the person scheduling the line.

As the run progresses, material consumption and downtime information can be added as required. As extrusions are unloaded from the line, each SOItem can be checked off, and the order status will be immediately updated. Rack tags can be printed at the same time.

When all items on a run have been unloaded, the paint consumed will be posted against the inventory, and the production times and downtimes will be posted to a production table.

At the end of each run, the EPICS database will contain the information necessary to calculate coverage, paint usage for each SOItem, VOC reports, etc. We plan to create several standard reports over the next few months, but you may want to create your own immediately.

The Enhanced Finishing Module is priced at $3500. Please call us for more information.

Test Certification feature added to EPICS

Another of the top requests on last year’s Wishlist was a standard Test Certification module. We heard you -- EPICS will now print Test Certification forms. You can now enter mechanical test results for any SO/Item/Lot. Then when you print a shipping manifest, EPICS will automatically print the Test Certs for any metal on the manifest.

Many testing machines will generate a text file containing test results. If yours will do this, you can tell EPICS the format of that file using a configuration setting. Otherwise, you can key in the results on a new grid-like screen. EPICS will recognize fields such as Ultimate Tensile, Yield, Elongation, Hardness, and Conductivity. You can add other user-defined fields for other types of tests as required.

When material is shipped, EPICS will search for matching test results. If it finds any, it will print a Test Certification form (a Crystal Report.) You can download a sample Test Cert form from the Foy web site that you can modify to fit your unique requirements.

You will find much more detail on using the Test Cert features in the EPICS Help file distributed with the 2000.15 update.

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Note: A couple of you already have some Test Cert features, the result of custom code that Foy created for you several years ago. Please call us to discuss conversion procedures before installing this update.

At Last!! Finish Code is expanded!

The 2000.15 update will include a long-requested feature – enlarging the Finish Code from 3 characters to 10 characters. The Finish Type is also being expanded, from a single character (P for paint or A for anodize) to 10.

Many EPICS users will want to continue with their current familiar codes. But those of you with dozens (or hundreds) of finishes will probably want to take advantage of these new field sizes. For example, for River Rouge Red, you may want to start using a FinCode of UC52005 instead of RRR. And instead of a FinType of just P , you can now use DurExotic.

2004 EPICS User Conference set

The 2004 EPICS User Conference is set for April 21-23, 2004. It will be held in Key West, Florida, at the Pier House hotel.

Rates in Key West decrease significantly after Easter (April 11), so we were able to arrange hotel charges comperable to past conferences. And the recent addition of direct flights to Key West from Atlanta has resulted in very competative ticket prices.

For those of you who want to plan early, the Pier House is accepting room reservations at 1-800-327-8340. Be sure to tell them you are with the Foy EPICS conference. A limited number of conference-rate rooms have also been blocked for the weekend, for those who would like to stay over.

FOY WEB SITE NOW MUCH FASTER

If you have a high-speed internet connection, you will appreciate that Foy Inc now has a much faster connection. Until Monday, we were operating on a 128K ISDN line. We have now moved to a fixed wireless connection that is at least 6 times faster. So those massive EPICS update files should now download much, much faster.

Foy at upcoming industry events

Jim Foy and Rick Jones (of Alexandria Extrusion) will conduct a breakout session at the AEC Management Conference on September 18. The topic will be “Logistics Technologies…Improving Your Bottom Line”. Foy will review the use of scanners, wireless networks, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) devices, etc. He will report on how EPICS customers are benefiting from such features as the Advanced Shipping Module, E-Response, and E-Reports.

As usual, Foy Inc will be exhibiting at ET04, the quadrennial event that brings together almost 2000 industry leaders. This Extrusion Technology session will be held May 18-21, 2004 at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

Other Enhancements in EPICS 2000.15 Update

In addition to the new features described earlier, numerous other enhancements have been made in the 2000.15 update.

If you try to add a Part that already exists, you are now warned as soon as you type the PartNum and CustNum. This was the #4 item on the 2003 Wishlist.
On the Advanced Order Entry screen, there is now a "Show Cust, Die, Part Notes" on the right-click menu. This was item #7 on the 2003 Wishlist.
On the DieCopy screen, the TimesHard field is automatically incremented by one when DtHard is changed. This was item #17 on the 2003 Wishlist.
At order entry, the Default Press now appears on the status line
A configuration settings has been added to allow turning off the warning for first-time use of STD dies
Another new configuration setting will allow a miscellaneous price in the customer price record to be applied to all new orders. So you can now have an entry to give a $.02 deduction for all of that customer’s orders.
An “AutoSave” configuration setting has been added for Advanced Order Entry. If set, items will be saved as they are added, instead of when the user clicks Execute.
A new Supplier table has been added. This table works like the Customer table, but can be used to identify:

trucking lines when printing a Bill of Lading
die maker when adding a new die copy
billet supplier when adding a billet purchase order.

You can now use "is NULL" and "is not NULL" in the Adjust Prices query builder
In the Enhanced Shipping Module, additional error checking was added to the "Post Shipment" routine, and performance was improved on the Post Shipments and Enhanced Shipping screens
The TICKET.TXT file now contains the original customer name for stock tickets, as well as the Part.Descrip
When receiving from outside, the RemainWt cannot be less than zero
You can now specify a workorder billet length for log shear presses
In the new anodizing screen, all scrap and rework codes entered are double-checked prior to posting
The tab buttons on the Die and Cust screens have been moved to the top
Several minor problems were fixed, including:

Deleting orders on the advanced order entry screen
Tab order on the Customer and Die screens
Error messages when scrolling through billets
Error messages when closing the Internal Customer Notes screen

epics customers

On any given day

EPICS is helping more than 10,000 people

at over 60 extrusion plants

around the world.

Aacoa Extrusions - Niles, Michigan

AAEO (Albex). - Canton, Ohio

Aerolite Extrusion - Youngstown, Ohio

Alcoa - Warren, Ohio

Almag Aluminum Inc. - Brampton, Ontario

Altec (Custom) - Connersville, Indiana

Altec (Alumnitec). - Jeffersonville, Indiana

Aluminio Del Caribe- San Juan, Puerto Rico

Aluminum Extrusions Inc - Senatobia, Miss.

APEL Extrusions Ltd. - Calgary, Alberta

Arch Aluminum – Miami, Florida

Astro Shapes - Struthers, Ohio

Benada Aluminum - Medley, Florida

Briteline Extrusions - Summerville, S. Carolina

CanArt - Brampton, Ontario

CanArt – Tecumseh, Ontario

Central Aluminum - Columbus, Ohio

D.W. Aluminum - Cassopolis, Michigan

Extrudex - Weston, Ontario

Extrudex - Berniéres, Quebec

Extrudex - North Jackson, Ohio

FISA - Guayaquil, Ecuador

Frontier Aluminum - Corona, California

Hulett-Hydro Alum. - Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Hulett-Hydro Alum. - Capetown, South Africa

Hulett-Hydro Alum. - Olifantsfontein, South Africa

Indalex West Inc- Watsonville, California

International Extrusion - Alhambra, California

International Extrusion - Waxahachie, Texas

International Extrusions - Garden City, Michigan

Keymark Corporation - Fonda, New York

Keymark Corporation - Lakeland, Florida

MI Metals, Inc (Better Built), Smyrna, Tennessee

MI Metals, Inc - Millersburg, Pennsylvania

MI Metals, Inc - Oldsmar, Florida

MI Metals, Inc - Millen, Georgia

Mid-America Extrusions - Indianapolis, Indiana

Patrick Metals - Mishawaka, Indiana

Pennex - Wellsville, Pennsylvania

Perfiles de Aluminio.- San Juan, Puerto Rico

PT Alumindo Perkasa - Jakarta, Indonesia

PT Indal - Surabaya, Indonesia

Profile Extrusions - Coldwater, Michigan

Profile Extrusions - Rome, Georgia

Profile (RJS Precision Ext.) - Phoenix, Arizona

Selaco Aluminium - Johar, Malaysia

Service Center Metals – Glen Allen, Virginia

Sierra Aluminum - Fontana, California

Sierra Aluminum - Riverside, California

Spectra Aluminum - Woodbridge, Notario

Star Extruded Shapes, Canfield, Ohio

Sun Valley Extrusions - Los Angeles, California

Taber Extrusions - Gulfport, Mississippi

Taber Extrusions - Russellville, Arkansas

Tri-City Extrusion - Bristol, Tennessee

Temroc Metals - Hamel, Minnesota

Tubelite – Reed City, Michigan

Vista Wall Arch. Products – Midway, Tennessee

Vista Wall Arch. Products – Terrell, Texas

Vitex - Franklin, New Hampshire

Wakefield Engineering. - Pelham, New Hampshire

Western Extrusion - Carrolton, Texas

Jim Foy	jim@foyinc.com
John Stenger	john@foyinc.,com
Scott Wilson	scott@foyinc.com
Stacy Coleman-Foley	stacy@foyinc.com
General mail	info@foyinc.com
Help	help@foyinc.com