XL products offer a great deal of functionality through their web page interface, and as part of Vorne’s continuous improvement initiative for the XL platform, a new streamlined interface is now available. Best of all – it’s a free upgrade for existing customers. For more information call 1-877-767-LEAN (1-877-767-5326) or email us.

Each year, Honda of America organizes a conference for key suppliers with a strong focus on lean manufacturing and operational excellence. Vorne was one of a select group of additional companies invited to participate in this year’s conference, which ran from May 11th to 13th in Columbus Ohio. With numerous workshops, seminars, and exhibits, the Lean Network Conference provides an outstanding environment for sharing best practices and insights for successful lean manufacturing.

Vorne is pleased to announce that Sulzer Consulting, an XL Software Partner, has developed a full-featured OPC Server for Vorne XL products. This new product dramatically simplifies moving data between XL devices and a broad range of OPC enabled clients such as PLCs, MES systems, and ERP applications. OPC is widely recognized as the leading standard for interoperability of automation devices.

The XL OPC Server natively communicates with Vorne XL devices, and includes a built-in tag explorer and simulation mode. It also includes predefined XL registers and supports reading and writing of values from multiple XL devices. More information and a free demonstration version are available directly from Sulzer Consulting.

A global packaging company recently reported that they achieved a 40% improvement in OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) on one of their packaging lines after installing the XL Productivity Appliance™. A presentation created by their staff for upper management was reported to be a true eye opener. OEE jumped from 45% to 63%, setup times were cut in half, and three full-time data entry employees were freed up for other tasks. One manager stated that in 25 years they had never seen a product provide this type of information.

XL is offered as a free 90-day trial to enable manufacturing companies to test XL in their plant, on their lines, and with their crews. For more information call 1-877-767-LEAN (1-877-767-5326).

A U.S. based company specializing in complex print advertising and direct marketing programs recently contacted Vorne with a strong interest in manufacturing performance management – particularly down time tracking. After an expedited evaluation, this company made a decision to standardize on the XL Productivity Appliance™ across multiple plants with coverage of over one hundred production assets. The availability of a full suite of down time analytics through the XL web interface, along with integrated plant floor visuals were key success factors for the application.

A state-of-the-art global food services corporation recently contacted Vorne for assistance with a rate and down time tracking application. They were particularly interested in the XL800 Productivity Appliance™, which they saw as a technically advanced solution for production monitoring applications.

Within days of starting a 90-day XL trial, they brought together a group of plant managers for an online demonstration of the XL800. With the originating prospect taking on the role of solution champion, the trial was quickly expanded to multiple assets, and within several months the application was further expanded to cover nearly 50 production assets across multiple plants. The key success factor was ease-of-implementation; providing a solution that could be easily retrofitted across a wide range of manufacturing assets.