CTServer™ Software provides Web-based link to manage plant more effectively and profitably

Assembly Automation

ISSN: 0144-5154

Article publication date: 1 September 2004

76

Keywords

Citation

(2004), "CTServer™ Software provides Web-based link to manage plant more effectively and profitably", Assembly Automation, Vol. 24 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/aa.2004.03324cad.002

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2004, Emerald Group Publishing Limited


CTServer™ Software provides Web-based link to manage plant more effectively and profitably

CTServer™ Software provides Web-based link to manage plant more effectively and profitably

Keywords: Internet, Automation, Factories

Inmoco's new CTServere™ software from Control Technology Corporation (CTC) provides a direct, Web-based interface between the factory floor and enterprise systems such as material and resource planning (MRP), quality analysis and customer relationship management (CRM), supplying management with the consistent real time data it requires to cut costs and manage plant more effectively and profitably.

Extremely easy to integrate, CTServere™ links Inmoco's CTC range of Blue Fusion controllers – or any OPC compliant device – to enterprise systems using a host of IT standards[1]. CTServere™ is not just another SCADA package; Java-based it is designed from the ground up as a Web-based server product and can run on many different hardware and software platforms. As such it provides a direct, bi-directional interface between factory data and enterprise systems without complex, expensive SCADA gateways. The ability of CTServere™ to reduce complexity, while at the same time offering greater functionality, is also evidenced by the fact that the data from the plant/business interface can be supplied to devices such as cell phone and pagers, enabling key personnel to be constantly updated with direct, real time plant floor data.

CTServere™ conforms to commonly used security strategies for multi-level user access (LDAP, MD5 digest authentication) and protection from unauthorized access (SSL with 128-bit encryption).

This makes it easy for IT professionals to exchange plant floor data with the business enterprise and its supply chain using the familiar standards and communications infrastructure that are already in place.

Assisting this process, an optional event-based package enables users to report or request data, based upon events such as alarms, video motion detection, batch completions or other process events, shift and operator changes, or interruptions in communications. In addition, a robust, fault- tolerant architecture ensures data integrity despite hostile environments or heavy requests on the server.

The high levels of robustness and integrity built into CTServere™ means that the software is equally useful in decentralised applications divorced from manufacturing and processing plants. Remote terminal units such as those used for tank farms, water treatment and environmental monitoring may be used as CTServere™ clients, further extending the power and flexibility of the software in enabling users to send data to and from any location.

For further information, contact: Gerard Bush, Sales Application Engineer, INMOCO Limited, 4 Brunel Close, Drayton Fields, Daventry NN11 5RB. Tel: 01327 300320; Fax: 01327 300319; E-mail: GerardB@inmoco.co.uk

Note

1. Easy to integrate. CTServer™ links CTC Blue Fusion controllers or any OPC-compliant device to enterprise systems by using the following IT standards: HTML, XML, SQL; HTTP, SMTP, SOAP (Web Services), SNTP; and ODBC, JDBC, J2EE Server.

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