Software is abundant for plant engineers

Plant engineers continue to demand efficient, affordable, and well supported software. And software suppliers are keeping up with plant engineers' demands. Here's a sampling of recent software offerings plant engineers should find useful.Software tracks employees' timeEmployee Proj Clock software is an employee project time tracking tool.

By Staff November 2, 2018

Plant engineers continue to demand efficient, affordable, and well supported software. And software suppliers are keeping up with plant engineers’ demands. Here’s a sampling of recent software offerings plant engineers should find useful.

Software tracks employees’ time

Employee Proj Clock software is an employee project time tracking tool. Time is tracked by employee, project, and job code. Reports summarize project time for specified periods. Project costs can then be tracked and maintained through the project management and expense features. It allows multiple people to use the program over a network. Its features include pause and day punches, pause and resume, and offsite capabilities. The software allows entering of time blocks and has a data backup feature. It runs on Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4.0, and 2000. System requirements are at least a 486 processor with 8 MB of RAM and 4-MB hard disk space.

CyberMatrix Corp., Inc.

Cyber-matrix.com

Circle 358

System controls multiple buildings

Networked Building Systems (NBS) technology is a combination of networking hardware and software systems that permits communication within a building’s heating, ventilation, air conditioning, fire alarm, lighting control, and security systems; and/or across multiple building systems into one central location. The networks allow for the integration of building management systems with information technology systems to provide centralized monitoring, control, and management for multiple buildings. Proprietary BACnet control standardizes building automation networking for control via LAN, WAN, or internet.

Cimetrics

cimetrics.com

Circle 359

Program identifies filtration products

inPHorm version 1.5 software is updated to provide customers with quick process filtration information on their PCs. It offers access to more than 4000 filtration products with application descriptions, calculations, cost comparisons, and engineering drawings. It also features an updated product listing, cross-reference database utility with more than 90,000 competitive part numbers, and memory capability that allows users to redo analyses without having to reenter data. It has enhanced retrieving and calculating capability, as well as “what if” process simulation scenarios.

Parker Hannifin Corp.

parker.com

Circle 360

SCADA supports multiple devices

ADVANTECH Studio SCADA software includes graphics, large I/O driver, and math libraries, as well as development and runtime components. It features script language, alarming with e-mail notification, and compatibility with OPC and XML. It allows remote management, programming, and updates through the network; and is compatible with standard web browsers. It also includes multiple networked device and multilanguage runtime support. The software allows reduced downtime by predicting repairs before they are required.

ADVANTECH

advantech.com

Circle 361

CD-ROM includes engineering handbook data

“Designing process weighing systems: Engineering Guides” is a software tool, available on CD-ROM for plant engineers involved with the design of batching and process control systems. It is a compilation of data from engineering handbooks and includes calibration procedures, piping design criteria, applying equipment in hazardous areas, designing for wind and seismic loads, glossary of industrial technical terms, and ISA format engineering specification forms and worksheets. The program presents files in a PDF format so that relevant information can be easily printed. The CD-ROM is compatible with Windows, Mac, Unix, and OS/2 operating systems. It includes the free Adobe Acrobat reader.

Thermo BLH, Inc.

thermoblh.com

Circle 362

Plant performance monitor integrates information

Results Point provides a real-time plant monitoring tool using online analytical processing of comparative data (OLAP) originating from Mainsaver or any other enterprise application package. Using key point indicators specific to your plant, it allows users to make informed business decisions from plant floor and enterprise information. OLAP technology allows users to integrate cross-functional information, such as maintenance, production performance, capacity, and inventory data, into user-defined dashboards accessible across the enterprise.

Cayenta

cayenta.com

Circle 363

Software sizes vacuum vessels

Vacworks II is an interactive CD-ROM program for vacuum system design. It provides upgraded calculation capabilities, including vacuum system sizing for pressures as low as 1 torr, adding component vapor pressure data, condensate drain leg height calculations, and piping pressure drop evaluation. The program assists in the sizing and design of thermo-compressors and vacuum systems, including steam jet ejector, liquid ring pump, and hybrid systems. It can handle tubeside, shellside, or direct-contact condensing and allows the printing of data sheets, equipment drawings, and process flow diagrams.

Graham

Graham-mfg.com

Circle 364

Adaptive software controls in real time

CyboCon HS Model-Free Adaptive (MFA) is high-speed adaptive control software capable of handling applications that require control response in the 1—10-msec range, such as process, motion, and robotics control. Depending on the number of loops and the hardware used, it can offer typically a 10-msec control update rate with 16—32-MFA controllers. The software runs on PCs with Windows NT or 2000, at least a 700-MHz processor, and 256 MB of RAM. It includes a single-input/single-output (SISO) MFA controller, antidelay MFA controller, and nonlinear MFA controller for significant gain changes.

CyboSoft

cybosoft.com

Circle 365

CMMS/EAM offers choice

TabWare is now available for implementation at plant or enterprise locations as TabWare OnSite or as an application service provider (ASP) solution as TabWare OnLine. The products are the same; only the delivery method differs. They organize work processes into tabbed modules: equipment, predictive maintenance, purchasing, event tracking, resources, graphics, work orders, inventory, setup, scheduling, requisitions, security, preventive maintenance, supplier, and invoice matching. The ASP version features high-speed link and data security.

Fluor Corp.

tabware.com

Circle 366

Pressure vessel software updated

PVElite Version 4.10 is integrated vessel design and stress analysis software. Updates in version 4.10 include the ASME 2000 addenda and ASCE 98 wind code, as well as provisions to use the 1999 material database. Other enhancements include user bolt loads in the tubesheet programs, simultaneous calculations for corroded and noncorroded thick expansion joints, separate entry of m and y factors for partition gaskets, addition of graphical results processing in rigging analysis, transparency option in the 3D viewer, and ladder specifications. It also incorporates current pressure vessel codes and standards.

COADE, Inc

coade.com

Circle 367

Upgrade minimizes memory usage

LightWorks v5.6 is an upgrade to the LightWorks rendering technology for producing photorealistic 3D images and animations. The upgrade adds extensions to the software’s Interactive Image Regeneration and anti-aliasing shader, and increased speed in complex models and multithreaded rendering. The enhancements can typically increase the rendering performance for complex CAD assemblies and models containing millions of polygons by 2—5 times. Control over reading and access of textures has been extended to allow dynamic texture caching to minimize memory usage. Management of low-level memory allocations has been extended to allow greater flexibility in controlling memory accesses.

LightWork Design, Ltd.

lightwork.com/products/ lightworks/5.6/LW5.6.htm

Circle 368

Program computes section properties

Sectionwizard software facilitates calculation of section properties for custom or assembled shapes. It enables engineers to calculate section properties such as area, moment of inertia, section modulus, center of gravity, shear center, and torsional constants. It creates custom shapes from built-in sections and plates; finds equivalent standard sections with properties comparable to a custom or built-up sec-tion; computes stresses at any point of a cross-section based on axial forces and moments about principal axes; and creates free-form sections, insert openings, and create chamfers and radii. It is also compatible with metric and imperial unit systems.

Research Engineers Intl.

reiworld.com

Circle 369

ERP incorporates SQL

Made2Manage 4.0 SQL Enterprise Edition software features the company’s flagship enterprise resource planning (ERP) product, and is designed to help all levels of a business work together better. Version 4.0 SQL includes TOC-based scheduling, a synchronizer, multisite management, and multidimensional inventory. It offers a field service module, Visual Basic, an Explorer link, and SQL Server, which allows the software to run on a true client/server database engine.

Made2Manage Systems, Inc.

made2manage.com

Circle 370