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LIMS (Learning Integrated Manufacturing System) is an simple computer with the ability to connect to your equipment and help you better understand your production. To provide this functionality, the LIMS appliance has the following capabilities:
LIMS – Machine Monitoring is the process of the performing the following:
LIMS is superior to the competition in depth of data, cost, openness and support. LIMS provides a on-time low-cost model that does not include ongoing license fees. LIMS – Machine Monitoring includes recording the most complete set of data that is available on the market at the lowest price while not holding you hostage with ongoing license fees! The LIMS appliance was developed as a control system and collects all available data from your machine tools. Most competitors are interested in only the running state of your machines to feed OEE models. LIMS collects over 70 pieces of data about your controller while the competition often collects 3 pieces of data to determine the operation state. LIMS appliance is there for you to analyze your machine during typical operations and during crashes providing a “Black Box” history for analysis allowing you to see the entire machine state include Axis Positions, Axis Loads, Tool Data and sensor data. LIMS provides open interfaces for further system integration such as machine learning. Online software updates are provided at no charge for the life you’re your LIMS.
The Majority of the machines sold or upgraded over the past 15 years are able to communicate with LIMS. LIMS Supports over 70 different types of connections and your machines are most likely supported. As a fallback, Legacy machines can use LIMS’ power monitoring connection to determine the operational state. Machines in the last two decade such as Mazak, Mori Seiki, Fanuc, Siemens, Mitsubishi, Okuma and many others have been tested and verified through LIMS Installations. The LIMS Team will help you determine next steps for each machine.
We recommend up to 10 machines connected to a single LIMS Appliance. The LIMS Appliance provides the processor usage for its onboard computer that can be used to determine if the LIMS can allow additional devices. We recommend not exceeding sustained 70% processor utilization. The good news is that the LIMS Appliances automatically network so your can add another LIMS box and have it connect to your Solution Builder® automatically. You can then add the new machine connected to the new LIMS boxes to your LIMS-VIEW dasboards.
The first steps in preparing for machine monitoring is to take an inventory of your machines, network and operational processes. The Machine should be listed in a simple spreadsheet and record the brand, serial number, software revision and any modifications. Create a simple floorplan (not fancy) that shows each machine, the proposed wiring runs for network cables, the locations of network switches and routers. Create an operational spreadsheet listing report descriptions, expected fields, recipients and frequency of reporting that is expected.
The LIMS Team has worked on over 1,000 installations from 2 person shops to US Army Facilities. Customers such as the US Army, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, General Dynamics have reviews and tested the LIMS appliance for security vulnerabilities and have successfully installations that meet their security requirements. With all locations LIMS was safely and securely integrate into existing IT Architectures. The LIMS Teams works directly with NIST to help contractors maintain their compliance with the latest security standards.
LIMS Provides the following on-demand reports through Solution Builder®:
With all reporting your can set the time-frame for the report at (Number of Days, Week, Month levels). All reports are inserted into Microsoft Excel. The user can create new Spreadsheets or insert reports into existing spreadsheets based on their processes. Microsoft Excel provides the most flexibility and has been the default standard throughout the industrial automation community. Periodic reports from these topics can be directly inserted into tables for Microsoft SQL, MySql, Oracle, SqlLite and many other databases.
LIMS Provides the following on-demand reports through Solution Builder®:
With all reporting your can set the time-frame for the report at (Number of Days, Week, Month levels). All reports are inserted into Microsoft Excel. The user can create new Spreadsheets or insert reports into existing spreadsheets based on their processes. Microsoft Excel provides the most flexibility and has been the default standard throughout the industrial automation community. Periodic reports from these topics can be directly inserted into tables for Microsoft SQL, MySql, Oracle, SqlLite and many other databases.
The LIMS Team has worked in the US Industrial Control Community for the past 20 years developing the software that runs in the LIMS Appliance. The current LIMS Appliance is the 5th generation of the product. The LIMS Appliance was initially developed for explosive manufacturing for the US Army at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. The LIMS Appliance has been applied to a variety of Industrial Systems, Building Systems, Roller Coaster, Chocolate Factories and many other systems where connecting to machinery, getting data, analyzing and finally safely controlling results is needed!
The LIMS Appliance cannot be broken via software. Solution Builder® allows, via a right click on the LIMS Appliance in the LIMS Tree, the ability to save and restore configurations. You should set a Master Configuration that the LIMS will use if the configuration is corrupted. The LIMS Team maintains configurations for all appliances that are shipped and can provide you with the original configuration as needed.
The LIMS Appliance produces data that is visualized using the largest open-source observability product called Grafana. The LIMS-VIEW appliance is currently a Raspberry-PI 4 board that hosts the Grafana Dashboards. The LIMS-VIEW appliance queries the LIMS at a designated interval (15 seconds – default) and updates the displays. Some customers have self-hosted the Grafana Server on their own computer which is supported by the LIMS team. The LIMS-VIEW Dashboards are automatically generated from Solution Builder® after you designate your Floor Areas and associated machines.
The LIMS Appliance for machine monitoring is automated to connect to Subtractive (CNC-Metal Cutting) and Additive (3D Printing). The LIMS Appliance can connect to PLCs via wizards for Modbus Serial, Modbus TCP, Allen Brandley CIP and Ethernet I/O. There are You Tube Videos on making these connections from the LIMS. The I/O Module in the LIMB Box (T3-80) is communicated with by the LIMS Computer as a PLC. The LIMS Appliance can emulate being a Modbus TCP Device to simplify integration, often used in robotics)
Most machine data is collected every 500 milli seconds (ms) (2 times per second). A little history. The Industrial Automation Community began creating machine communications to Operators with the OPC effort in the early 2000s and has been superseded by OPCUA. The next major revolution began with MTConnect® released in 2008. Most of these standards are designed around collecting data at half second and second intervals. Most MTConnect® interfaces will not produce data faster than 500 ms. Some advanced controllers like Siemen’s controllers can produced data in the 100 ms range (10 times a second). The LIMS Device will run at the communications rates of the connected machine controller.
