Getting Started
FMS Insight is a program which runs on a flexible machining system (FMS) cell controller which provides material tracking by serial, operator instructions and data displays for loading/unloading, inspection decisions, daily monitoring for supervisors and engineers, data analytics to improve the performance, and simplify job data creation in the cell controller. Learn more in the overview.
Downloads
The simplest configuration is to install FMS Insight directly on the cell controller itself. FMS Insight requires .NET Framework 4.6.1, which is pre-installed on Windows 7 and 10 so typically no dependencies must be installed first.
The following are links to the latest installers for FMS Insight for each supported cell controller. The installers will also upgrade an existing install to the latest version.
Install the server
Install FMS Insight by running the .msi file. Once installed, the FMS
Insight server should start automatically as a Windows Service, automatically
detecting the cell controller software in it's default location. If FMS
Insight does not start correctly, you can look at the error
log and change the configuration. The
Mazak and Makino documents contain more details
about each cell controller integration.
Launch the client
The installer will create a link in the start menu called "FMS Insight". When clicked, this link will open the FMS Insight client in the default web browser. FMS Insight works with any recent version of Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Android, or iOS browsers (Internet Explorer is too old to work properly).
The address http://<ip address of cell controller>:5000 can be
entered into the location bar of the browser on any computer in the factory
(which can see the cell controller through the firewall). We suggest that
the page is bookmarked or set as the home page of the browser.
Project Outline
Stage 1: Day-to-day monitoring of the cell
Once installed, the day-to-day monitoring pages for supervisors and engineering will be updated with data about the past week of operation. Also, the flexibility analysis page will start collecting data to help with monthly review.
Stage 2: Part Marking
To unlock the full potential of the remaining FMS Insight pages, each part must be marked with a unique serial and that serial recorded in the FMS Insight log. Each project is unique so this must be done with a custom-developed plugin. Typically, marking is done inside the machine with a special tool or via a label-printer at the load station. You can contact us to obtain a quote for us to develop a customized part-marking plugin. Alternatively, you can develop the plugin yourself; the FMS Insight source code contains some documentation on building plugins.
Once part-marking is being used, the station monitor pages will start working and can be used by operators to help operate the cell. Barcode readers and scanners can be attached to each computer on the factory floor to read the marked serial.
Stage 3: Operator Instructions
Operator Instructions can be created for each part and station in the factory. These instruction files can then be opened by the operator by clicking on a card on the station monitor page.
Stage 4: ERP to Cell Controller Automatic Job Download
FMS Insight provides the conduit to automatically create jobs and schedules in the cell controller. External software is needed to read data from the ERP and send it to the cell controller.
One option is paying for our SeedTactic: OrderLink software which uses AI to automatically schedule a collection of orders and due dates using a customized flexibility plan. OrderLink will translate ERP orders to the format expected by FMS Insight without custom programming. Alternatively, you can develop some custom software to send the jobs and schedules from the ERP system into FMS Insight, see the creating jobs and schedules documentation for more details.
Stage 5: Quality and Inspection Plan
Jobs downloaded into the cell controller from the ERP can optionally contain an inspection plan; this includes the frequency of inspection, how separate paths are tracked, and other data. Once inspections are included into the job data, FMS Insight will automatically signal parts for inspection based on the frequencies from the job and then display the inspections on the station monitor pages. Also, the quality monitoring page will be filled with data on the inspections.
Stage 6: ERP Workorder Reports
Jobs downloaded into the cell controller from the ERP can optionally contain a list of workorders. On the station monitor pages, the operator can assign each completed part to a workorder. FMS Insight then provides a workorder report for each workorder. This workorder report should be sent back into the ERP using custom software or our OrderLink product.