Infact and Winfact Process Control Systems

These process control systems were custom designed for a worldwide household products manufacturer for use in their factories. Systems are currently operating in the U.S.A., Mexico, England, France, Brazil, Columbia, Thailand, China and elsewhere.

The systems run on PC hardware using standard PLC hardware from GE, Allen Bradley or Siemens for interface to the factory hardware. The Infact system is IBM OS/2 based; the Winfact system has identical specifications and runs under Windows NT. Remote Winfact nodes (those that do not interface directly to a PLC) can also run under Windows 95.

Major components of the Infact/Winfact system:

• Graphics Display program - Interfaces the operator to the factory. Displays custom screens depicting the process with real-time animation and variable display. It also provides real-time control of valves, motors, etc.
  
  
• Graphics Editor program - Used by engineers and developers to create the custom screens used by the Graphics Display programs.
  
  
• Trend program - Provides comprehensive trending of process variables over time. Display of real-time or stored trends is available.
  
  
• Alarm program - Displays alarms which happen throughout system. Filters can be set to display different areas, priorities, alarm types, etc. For example a node in a maintenance area could be set to display only alarms that pertain to machinery failures.
  
  
• Schedule program - Scheduler that can run programs, change process variables, etc., based on elapsed time, time of day or change in process variable value.
  
  
• Math program - Simple spreadsheet program that does math on process variables in real time.
  
  
• Interface software - provides the "glue" that ties all the programs together, including a RAM based real time database, interprocess communications software, and internode software (via TCP/IP).
  
  
• Security program - A program to bring up the system in the desired configuration, provide menu access to auxiliary programs and, with the Infact (OS/2) version, provide protection of the operating system and files from the operator.
  
  
• Driver programs - Programs that interface with the PLC's which control factory hardware. Drivers are available for the GE series 6, GE 90/70, Allen Bradley, Siemens and others.
  
  
• Configuration and information programs - Various programs to configure the system, show current status of progams and communications links, etc.

Systems in the factory consist of one or more master nodes, (nodes that are connected directly to a PLC), and as many slave nodes as desired. Winfact slave nodes can be run under Windows 95 if desired. Typical systems currently in use contain up to 8 master nodes with 20 - 30 slave nodes.

Note that the above software is not for sale. It is described only to illustrate the capabilities of Helix Systems, Inc.