Intouch appoints distributor for Polish Market

Northampton, April 2010. The British company Intouch has appointed Ioannis Papadomichelakis to act as the distributor of its real-time production monitoring, reporting and planning system in Poland. To coincide with his appointment, Ioannis will be joining Intouch at Plastpol (25-28 May 2010), where visitors to the company’s stand (D9, Hall D) will have the opportunity to see for themselves how the bespoke system can be used to optimize machine utilization, improve efficiency and reduce costs during polymer processing. With 16 years of production management experience at companies such as Knauf Industries and Procter & Gamble, Ioannis recently started his own industrial consulting business in the Warsaw area with a focus on increasing his clients’ productivity. It was therefore a natural development for Intouch to approach him with regard to offering its computer-based production monitoring system in Poland, as John Hardwick, commercial director at Intouch explains: “Ioannis has a strong manufacturing background and will therefore have a good understanding of our customers’ businesses. This is important to us as we seek to provide a production monitoring package which is tailored to our customers’ needs and will allow them to get the most from it. Moreover, all our installations involve a significant amount of training and coaching, an area in which Ioannis already has a lot of experience.” The Intouch monitoring system is able to monitor mould shop production in real time and deliver live, up-to-date information to any computer on the existing local area network. At a glance, operators, who interact with the system through easy-to-use keypads located at the machines, can see the current status of each machine and access key performance figures such as scrap rate, down time, efficiency, utilization and set-up time. By providing quick and easy access to such information, an Intouch system can, for instance, help moulders in the planning of production and the advance scheduling of tool changes. Not only do such tasks become more effective and less time-consuming as a result, but users have also recorded gains in productivity and cost savings following the system’s integration. Further information can be obtained from the Intouch stand at Plastpol (Stand D9, Hall D).

Intouch brings its Lego factory to PDM

Northampton, March 2010. Intouch, the Northampton-based, production monitoring company, will bring its novel Lego factory exhibit to PDM 2010 (Telford, 18-20 May 2010). Initially conceived for NPE in Chicago last year, the display recreates a mould shop floor, including injection moulding machines, entirely in Lego. Its purpose is to demonstrate how production at each machine can be easily monitored and reported using an Intouch system. The eye-catching exhibit will feature prominently in the reception area for PDM 2010, whilst Intouch representatives will be available to provide further information on the real-time production monitoring, reporting and planning system at its stand A5 in Hall 3. As PDM visitors will be able to find out for themselves, the Intouch monitoring system is available as a bespoke solution which can be tailored to individual needs. It is able to monitor mould shop production in real time and deliver live, up-to-date information to any computer on the existing local area network. At a glance, operators, who interact with the system through easy-to-use keypads located at the machines, can see the current status of each machine and access key performance figures such as scrap rate, down time, efficiency, utilization and set-up time. By providing quick and easy access to such information, an Intouch system can, for instance, help moulders in the planning of production and the advance scheduling of tool changes. Not only do such tasks become more effective and less time-consuming as a result, but users have also recorded gains in productivity and cost savings following the system’s integration. Commenting on the unique exhibit, which will be making its UK debut at PDM, Intouch managing director Karl Edwin said: “The idea for the display came about when my colleague John Hardwick was playing with his children’s Lego and he started building a miniature injection moulding machine. What it helps to portray is how production at a series of machines can be monitored in a flexible and easy-to-use manner – just like Lego. What our customers in the real world have gained is enhanced visibility and control of their manufacturing operations, leading to improvements in machine utilisation, production efficiency and planning.” Intouch will be joined at its stand by its American partner RJG Inc., the supplier of eDART™ process control systems. The partnership between the two companies allows users to access both process control and production monitoring from a fully integrated system. Further information can be obtained from the Intouch stand at PDM (A5, Hall 3)

Intouch appoints senior Software Engineer

Northampton, September 2009. Intouch, the Northampton-based, production monitoring company has appointed David Oakey as its senior software engineer. Prior to his new role at Intouch, David was a senior software engineer at Trafficmaster where he headed up several large development projects. He brings with him extensive software development experience, particularly in the area of data communications. The appointment has been made as a consequence of Intouch’s continued success in the UK, the US and around the globe. “We are taking more and more orders for our customised production monitoring system,” says Karl Edwin, technical director with Intouch. “David will be heading up the on-going development of our core product, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of technology whilst continuing to deliver our customised solutions.” Founded in 1997 by the directors Karl Edwin and John Hardwick, Intouch Monitoring Limited focuses on the development, supply and support of software systems for real-time production monitoring. When connected directly to each machine around the factory floor, these systems provide enhanced visibility and control for documented operational improvements in terms of machine utilisation, production efficiency and planning.

More and more moulders get “in touch”

The Northampton-based company Intouch has registered one of its most successful business years, with an increasing number of moulders from the UK and abroad reaping the benefits of its real-time production monitoring, reporting and planning system. These include dramatic improvements in machine utilization, production efficiency and planning. Available as a bespoke monitoring system, tailored to individual customers needs, Intouch can be connected, with minimum disruption, to each machine of the customer’s manufacturing operation. From any computer within the local area network, or plasma screens placed around the factory floor, operatives can receive up-to-the-minute production status information for greater visibility and control. “The high visibility of production status throughout a factory leads to faster reaction times to stoppages and the reduction of costly downtime,” comments Intouch director John Hardwick. “Planning improvements include the simpler prioritisation and accommodation of large or urgent loads, and the advance scheduling of tool changes for a reduction in tool change times - in some cases by as much as 50 percent.” One of the most recent companies to benefit from Intouch is the precision moulder OGM Limited. “Since its installation we have seen a 5 percent increase in machine utilisation, an improvement in our overall equipment effectiveness and reduced overtime on data collection and reporting administration,” confirms Wayne Holden, operations manager. “I didn’t expect to get as much out of it as we did!”

Intouch celebrate10 years flying high

Intouch celebrate 10 years flying high at new airport location When production monitoring company Intouch recently relocated to their spacious new offices and administration centre, they were just in time to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of their formation. Having sought a location which conveniently positioned them within close proximity to the M1, A1, M6 and A14, Intouch chose their new premises at Sywell Airport Business Park in Northamptonshire which now means that customers can be reached easily for support, presentations and advice. Another plus comes in the form of the adjacent airport hotel which has conferencing facilities, a restaurant and bar making it suitably conducive to entertaining visiting clients both old and new. Much of Intouch business is centred on the plastics industry including packaging, automotive, medical and general moulding. Intouch supply bespoke production monitoring systems for all manufacturing processes including injection moulding, vacuum forming, extrusion, blow moulding and various secondary processes. The move to the centralised airport facility represents a successful decade for the company which has seen it grow from a UK supplier to reach out to sizeable customers in Australia, North America, and throughout Europe. Director Karl Edwin comments “This is an exciting time for us and the new move coincides with both our anniversary and significant new growth in our market share, plus of course a strong demand for our customised monitoring products. We can now forge ahead with even more exciting global business whilst being in closer contact with our UK customer base.” Intouch will be seen exhibiting this year at NPE in Chicago.

Plastique stay Intouch with Poland

Leading plastic packaging company Plastique Ltd, having experienced substantially improved thru-put, more economic running costs and easier, more efficient scheduling since installing an Intouch production monitoring system at its Nottingham-based manufacturing plant, have now installed Intouch at their new plant in Poznan, Poland. Trevor Drew, European Operations Manager at Plastique comments: “Intouch performs seamlessly within our manufacturing processes in the UK, and it was never in question that this expansion would include installing the production monitoring system. It has become even more important to have good visibility and accurate performance reporting from such a remote manufacturing site. As with any start up operation involving new premises, machinery, and personnel it is vital to apply management focus in the correct areas before costs begin to spiral. The decision to retain all production scheduling and materials purchasing in Nottingham would not have been possible had it not been for Intouch, in addition all Sales administration has remained in Tunbridge Wells utilising Intouch to keep right up to date with both manufacturing sites. Plastique Limited the UK’s leading bespoke Thermoformed packaging manufacturer of innovative packaging has successfully expanded its operations across Europe with the introduction of a new 3,000 sq.m. factory in Poland.. PLASTIQUE Sp. Zo.o. commenced manufacturing operations in Poznan to meet a rising demand for it’s products and services within the region. The new plant currently houses both Illig and Irwin Punch and Die Pressure forming equipment and further expansion is expected of both the site and the machine capacity over the coming years. “With frequent tool changes, optimising cycle times is key to our machine efficiencies. The Intouch system greatly improves visibility which helps setting staff review speeds and plan well in advance of tool change requirements which in turn greatly reduces waiting time and improves productivity.” In addition to providing improved planning and scheduling the Intouch system eliminates the need for time consuming manual data recording. It enables Plastique to run off reports at any time by shift, day, week, month, job, machine or tool and highlights problem areas that need fast remedial attention. The reporting mechanism also provides valuable information on efficiency, utilisation, scrap and downtime. “We found the installation of the system surprisingly straightforward and it caused little disruption to our day to day activities” he continues. “As a result of installing the system, in Nottingham, increased efficiency in the plant created a 5% improvement in machine efficiency on the previous year, as a result the factory experienced an increase of 2,000 hrs production, which in turn has reduced the need for overtime and has allowed us to take on more work in the same time frame. Intouch is such an important and integral part of our operation and makes things so much easier and more manageable it is hard to imagine what it was like before we had it installed.”

New Operator Keypad

Intouch, the real-time production monitoring and scheduling specialists will be launching their latest operator interface at the forthcoming PDM exhibition to be held at the Telford International Centre 15th – 17th April 2008. The design and function of all Intouch keypads is uniquely configured for each customer individually. The purpose of this is to provide an operator interface that is very easy to use, requiring as little user interaction as possible based on that particular customers requirements and working practices. The new keypad maintains the fully customisable characteristics of the existing Intouch keypad but adds the capability of displaying Chinese and other graphical character sets. This development is in response to multi-national companies who require a common monitoring and reporting platform to allow direct performance comparisons and bench-marking between facilities.

Intouch & RJG partner

Intouch & RJG partner to provide a Process and Production package Intouch and RJG Inc. would like to announce their recently formed partnership to provide both process control and production monitoring on a single core engine. This partnership will provide a real-time, production monitoring, scheduling and reporting system that easily integrates with RJG’s eDART™ process control system. Source codes and software development will be shared between systems and will be available on a web based platform. By moving to a web based platform, installation and support are greatly simplified. The Intouch system will have the capability to retrieve data from the eDART’s for use in generating real-time reports and schedules. For years RJG customers have asked for a production system that would work in conjunction with the eDART process control system. RJG began to research and develop a production system to meet the needs of their customers, but felt that their expertise lies in the process control field. They then began to seek out a company that provided a robust production system that has been field tested and had the capability to integrate with the eDART System. Their search led them to Intouch. Intouch began development of their production system in 1997 and have remained focused on the development, supply and support of software systems for production monitoring. The Intouch system is an easy to use, understandable monitoring package that can be as flexible in its capability as a customer wants it to be, with capacity customized to meet the requirements of individual customers. The Intouch production monitoring package offers all the benefits of much higher priced systems, with one further benefit – flexibility. The Intouch system greatly enhances visibility and control in your manufacturing operation, providing up to the minute status information for every job on the factory floor. Real time job information and machine status can be viewed at the machine or across a computer network. Reporting can be done by shift, day, week, month, job, machine or tool. By providing these tools on a web based platform, users will be able to view the status of their jobs from anywhere through the use of a web browser. Users will have the capability of viewing job status from a remote computer, laptop or palm device, or even a cell phone that has web browser capability. RJG and Intouch will showcase their systems at NPE in Chicago and PDM in Telford this year.

Be Informed, Get Intouch

Ease of use, affordability and flexibility are the hallmarks of version 2 of the Intouch Production Monitoring and Scheduling System. Intouch, the Northamptonshire based real-time monitoring specialist will be launching the new software at the forthcoming Interplas exhibition to be held at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre between 30th September and 4th October this year. The Windows based real time production monitoring system is capable of providing instantaneous status information for every machine in a production facility. The system greatly enhances visibility and control in a manufacturing operation, it will optimise machine utilisation, improve efficiency and productivity, reduce down time, expensive scrap and costs. All in an intuitive, simple to use, cost effective package. The new version introduces several major developments including an enhanced family tool function that permits monitoring and scheduling for unlimited cavity combinations in one tool. It also includes a bill-of-materials for each job providing accurate prediction of future material requirements. Further improvements have been made to the Intouch translation module, which can now accommodate variations in the terminology used by individual customers as well as different languages. This enhancement is expected to aid Intouch's growing export business. Director, John Hardwick explained, "In developing this new version we have been very careful to maintain our philosophy of a cost effective, understandable and easy to use package that can be tailored to suit the requirements and budget of any manufacturing operation. This flexible and customer orientated approach has been a major contribution to our success to date." The significant benefits of the Intouch Production Monitoring System will be demonstrated on the Intouch stand number 4611. The system can also been seen in action monitoring several injection moulding machines on the Spaceminster stand number 5374.

Personal Touch from Intouch

Intouch, the Northants based production monitoring specialist have introduced a new operator keypad for their system. "The new keypads are etremely versatile," says Intouch director Karl Edwin. "We can tailor the operation of these new keypads to suit each customer's specific requirements. The face of the keypad is also designed individually for each system. We can even incorporate the customer's logo." This latest development from Intouch reflects the company's philosophy of tailoring each system to suit the client's individual needs. This approach has served Intouch well. Sales of the system have doubled over the last twelve months as more manufacturers are realising the benefits of Intouch's customer focused approach to production monitoring. The keypads can also accept input from other equipment such as swipe card readers or barcode scanners which can be used in a number of ways, for example logging operator time, booking finished goods or booking raw material.

New Name for Production Monitoring Company

Outlook Manufacturing Technology Ltd. the Northants-based real-time monitoring specialist has changed its name to Intouch. The company has taken this action mainly to avoid confusion between its own product and Microsoft's Outlook Express e-mail software. Intouch will continue to produce its highly successful production monitoring system under the new name. Sales of the system have doubled over the last twelve months with more and more companies in the manufacturing industry enjoying the benefits of Intouch's innovative and cost effective approach to production monitoring.

Lookout for Outlook

Not one nor two, but no less than three stands will show the new production monitoring system being launched at Interplas by Intouch Manufacturing Technology Limited. Innovation and simplicity are the hallmarks of the new utility that has been developed by specialists experienced in production techniques, engineering concepts and information technology. Director, Karl Edwin explained, "Most of the monitoring systems available on the market are both expensive and cumbersome. Our objective was to deliberately build an understandable, easy to use package that can be tailored to suit the requirements and budgets of any size of manufacturing operation. What is the point of having all encompassing monitoring procedures that operators find so demanding that the right level of information is not being provided?" The significant benefits of the new monitoring system will be demonstrated on the Intouch Manufacturing Technology stand. The Windows based real time production monitoring system is capable of providing instantaneous status information for every machine in a production facility. It will optimise machine utilisation, improve efficiency and productivity, reduce down time, expensive scrap and costs. All in an intuitive, simple to use, cost effective package. Major players in the plastics industry are impressed with the Intouch formula. David Oakley of Britain's leading independent supplier of plastics processing machinery, Spaceminster commented, "The concept of a simple and quick to use data acquisition system suitable for use with plastic moulding equipment at a relitively inexpensive price is very interesting. Several of our BOY and Biraghi machines on our stand at Interplas will be monitored by the Intouch system".