Press Release

Contact:

Alicia Bowers

alicia.bowers@gefanuc.com

410-242-0300

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 10, 2001

GE Fanuc Introduces New CIMPLICITYÒ HMI Plant Edition™

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.—GE Fanuc Automation is launching CIMPLICITYÒ HMI Plant Edition™ – which provides an enabling platform to link manufacturing operation systems to a complete supply chain execution system – at ISA 2001, Booth #1901, September 10-13, Houston.

With a true client server architecture and an open system approach, CIMPLICITY HMI Plant Edition allows users to easily connect to the machine level of a facility and freely share information up to higher level planning and execution systems. Packed with features and functionality – including powerful web and wireless technologies – this new software allows users to create and implement monitoring and control operations from a single machine to plant-wide supervisory systems faster than ever before.

"As manufacturers begin to focus more on improving their supply chain execution, they require easy access to real-time information from their operations to make critical decisions," said Kevin Roach, vice president of GE Fanuc’s software business. "This new version of CIMPLICITY, coupled with our worldwide team of solution engineers, the resources of GE and our Six Sigma methodologies, provides the basis for solving their toughest business problems and meeting customer needs."

Randy Selesky, software manager at GE Fanuc, said, "CIMPLICITY Plant Edition introduces a new web interface with XML capabilities that provides a significant enhancement to our WebView option. Web technologies are continuing to be a key part of our development efforts and connectivity into our supply chain products. Our efforts in the area of XML underscore our commitment to the web and open standards."

 

CIMPLICITY HMI Plant Edition greatly helps users reduce the time required to install systems and establish communications to shop floor devices. An advanced Project Wizard automatically detects GE Fanuc Ethernet-enabled PLCs on a network and allows the user to automatically configure data points for them. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), integrators and end users alike will be able to use the new OpenObject™ technology to create re-usable data and graphic objects that can greatly reduce the time required to build a system. "The GE Fanuc OpenObject technology is a natural evolutionary step in monitoring and control systems and allows users to truly transform bits of data into powerful information structures," said Craig Thorsland, visualization product manager for GE Fanuc.

 

Significant new options and features in CIMPLICITY HMI Plant Edition include:

Project Wizard – This Wizard provides an HTML style interface that guides the user through the setup and configuration of a project. The wizard explores the network and automatically detects OPC Servers, GE Fanuc Series 90™ Ethernet PLCs and Modbus RTUs.

WebView Broadcast – Allows an unlimited number of users to view a designated CIMPLICITY screen over a company intranet or the Internet. Full Microsoft Windows operating system and CIMPLICITY security is utilized to protect access to information. 

Windows Terminal Services Support – Allows remote access and configuration of CIMPLICITY systems over the Internet/intranet using Microsoft’s Terminal Services. Based on the latest thin client technology, the Terminal Services option can reduce the total cost of system ownership, since licenses are shared and no CIMPLICITY software needs to be loaded or administered on the client computers.

Database Logging Enhancements – CIMPLICITY HMI Plant Edition introduces the Microsoft MSDE data-logging engine as the default data-logging engine. Coupled with CIMPLICITY SQL, which is an integrated packaging of Microsoft SQL Server, users now have a high speed, robust data-logging solution. Product enhancements include high-speed bulk insertions, dead bands, and optimized storage. Rapid Historical Trend retrieval has also been added. Plant Edition supports logging to Oracle databases as well using Microsoft's standard ODBC drivers, eliminating the need for a third-party driver. 

OpenObjects™ – With OpenObjects, users can define structures of points to contain information about a process or device. This information can be coupled to graphic objects that can be dragged and dropped into screens, making project creation easier than ever. 

SPC Generation III – SPC has been enhanced with the addition of a wide range of attribute charts including nP, P, C, and U charts. Because SPC is a fully integrated option, quality alarms that are generated are seamlessly passed to HMI to alert users to potential quality problems. 

Redundancy Generation IV – Several enhancements have been made to the CIMPLICITY mission critical redundancy solution to further improve the logic and quickness involved in handling system fail-overs. CIMPLICITY Redundancy features synchronized data collection, alarming, and logging. 

System Link – System Link allows CIMPLICITY systems to pass live point data over the Internet via a standard Modbus protocol. With this new feature, businesses can easily integrate remote systems with the real time data they need.

Report Manager™ Version 5.13 – Report Manager 5.13 introduces a feature rich RTF file format that greatly improves the look and feel of reports. 

OPC 2.0 Compliance – Plant Edition provides OPC 2.0 compliance, which allows users to browse their OPC servers for configure points and easily process them into the HMI system. 

Series 90 Triplex Redundancy Communications – This new communications capability allows CIMPLICITY HMI to communicate with a triple redundant configuration of Series 90 PLCs. 

Allen-Bradley ControlLogix 5550 Communications – The CIMPLICITY OPC Client device communication driver has been enhanced to support communication with the Allen-Bradley ControlLogix 5550 via the Rockwell OPC Server. 

HMI for CNC Ethernet Communications – Ethernet has become the accepted open systems protocol for communicating information on the factory floor. CIMPLICITY Plant Edition provides Ethernet communications capabilities to FANUC and GE Fanuc CNCs. 

Operating System Support –Plant Editions supports server applications on Windows NT and Windows 2000. Runtime client viewers are also supported on Windows 98 and Windows ME. 

GE Fanuc Automation is a leading global supplier of industrial control systems and is a joint venture between GE and FANUC, Ltd. of Japan. Headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., GE Fanuc is part of GE Industrial Systems, a $6 billion global leader in manufacturing products used to distribute, protect and control electrical power and equipment, and supplying product and service solutions for commercial, industrial, residential and utility applications. GE Industrial Systems is one of GE's major businesses. GE Fanuc products and services include CIMPLICITY® industrial automation software, nano to high-end PLCs, a wide range of CNCs, motion control systems, operator interfaces, industrial computers, CO2 and YAG lasers, and a wide range of integration and customer support services.

For more information about GE Fanuc, visit http://www.gefanuc.com or contact:

GE Fanuc Information Center  Phone: (800) 648-2001
P.O. Box 126  Fax: (610) 437-5212
Whitehall, PA 18052  e-mail: gefanuc@gefanuc.com

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Series 90 and Plant Edition are trademarks and CIMPLICITY is a registered trademark of GE Fanuc Automation North America, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Cutline:

Packed with features and functionality – including powerful web and wireless technologies – CIMPLICITY Plant Edition from GE Fanuc allows users to create and implement monitoring and control operations from a single machine to plant-wide supervisory systems faster than ever before.