Here are some projects realised by STLM:

Recipe management system

This system was developped to allow the customer easy management of his recipes, the raw material being stored in silos.

With this software developped in VB.NET, the customer can create and manage his recipes, specifying the percentage amount from each silo. The data is stored in an MS SQL database, which allows access to the data from other associated subsystems, such as the recipe mixer.

Reports can be generated on demand by the customer. The reporting engine is based on MS SQL Reporting Services.

Recipe mixer system

Associated to the Recipe management system, the mixer is designed to mix the proper quantities of raw material based on batch information entered by the operator through an HMI.

Also developped in VB.NET, with some parts in C#, this system uses the OPC protocol for efficient data transfer to and from the PLC. The PLC then activates a series of rotary valves, and a forced air system brings the mixed recipe to its selected destination. Those recipes are then handled by the cooking system.

Cooking system

Formed of two large capacity ovens, this system is controlled by two PLCs and two HMIs.

Developped in VB.NET and C#, and also relying on the OPC protocol, it assures precise and efficient cooking of coffee beans by controling a series of actuators such as variable frequency drives and valves.

Cooking data such as temperature over time is recorded and sent back to the Recipe management system for later reporting.

Real time data collection system

This system was developped as a low budget alternative to data collection systems. It collects real time data from different production equipments.

Entirely developped in C# according to customer specifications, data is collected from a series of AB PLCs through the OPC protocol and recorded in an MS SQL database.

This system is also composed of a management software that allows the customer to define product specific metrics which serve later at the reporting level to show performance curves for each equipment/product.

Data is presented as reports and graphs through MS SQL Reporting Services

Automated electrical schematic generator

Based on the API of CAD software Eplan P8, and developped in C#, this system significantly reduced schematic packages production times.

The information provided by an in-house configurator (VBA Excel) is passed to the Generator which then assembles a series of schematic macros to produce the electrical schematic. A separate subsystem has also been programmed to do parts assignment through the API based on XML files provided by the customer.

Once all this is in place within the Eplan P8 project, then we automated the task of generating reports such as the BOM, wire lists etc., those functionalities being already present in P8. This setup allows the customer to generate hundreds of pages of schematics in a matter of minutes.