Listen Now

In September 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new proposed rule regarding food traceability.  This rule, which would be part of Section 204(d) of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), establishes event tracking requirements for specific foods and ingredients throughout the supply chain.Comments for the proposed rule have been extended until February 22, 2021, after which the FDA is expected to issue a final rule which would go into effect 60 days after its publication in the Federal Register.  The compliance date would be two years after that.The new requirements will have a significant impact on the food industry, especially for companies that rely on manual processes.What is the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)?Prompted by a rash of produce recalls in the early 2000s, the original act was implemented in January 2011 to help the FDA respond and control foodborne illnesses.  FSMA gave the FDA more authority over recalls and also required the agency to create rules and guidance to help businesses comply.  Section 204 pertains to the plans that would enhance food tracking and tracing that includes a requirement for “Additional Recordkeeping Requirements for High-Risk Foods” also known as the New Proposed Food Traceability Rule (subsection d). What is the New Proposed Food Traceability Rule?It sets new recordkeeping requirements for foods that are considered “high risk” for foodborne illness.  Here are the basics.The rule establishes a Food Traceability List (FTL) that lists which foods will need additional recordkeeping.  These foods were chosen based on their level of risk for carrying foodborne illnesses.  The proposed requirements would only apply to the foods on the FTL.  The FDA encourages the voluntary adoption of these practices industry-wide.Secondly, the rule identifies five Critical Tracking Events (CTEs) throughout the food supply chain:  Growing, Receiving, Transforming, Creating, and Shipping. Each of these “events” has several Key Data Elements (KDEs) that need to be reported on. In addition to the KDE records, the proposed rule would require businesses that manufacture, process, pack or hold foods on the FTL to establish and maintain Traceability Program Records. These records help the FDA regulators understand the terminology, methods, and systems a business uses in its traceability operations.Lastly, businesses would need to make required records available to the FDA no later than 24 hours after a request. When necessary, a business would be required to provide the FDA with an electronic sortable spreadsheet containing traceability information on foods that are the focus of an FDA investigation. During this episode, we discuss the FSMA, Food Traceability List, Critical Tracking Events, Key Data Elements, and give examples.It isn't all doom and gloom, there are solutions that can help businesses navigate these proposed traceability rules which we discuss along with the ISO 22005 traceability standards. ISO the International Organization for StandardizationLearn more about elliTek's solution.

This is a fun season wrap up where we're reviewing our previous podcasts and looking ahead to 2021!Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be EngineeredelliTek's pre-engineered Smart Servo Actuators and Robotic Work cells are designed to help manufacturers save money. You do what you can do and elliTek can fill in the gaps. There are plenty of manufacturers that can program their own machines. This is a means of them being able to use their in-house capabilities to 1) reduce costs and 2) empower them to do what they can do well and leave this other stuff for whatever reason they don't want to do to elliTek.Industrial IoT - It Doesn't Have To... Be OverwhelmingIndustrial IoT, Industry 4.0, Digitization, Digitalization, MES, Cloud & Hosted servers, ERP, HMI, KPI, OE, OEE, OLE, OPC, OT...  these are just a few industry terms and acronyms that Brandon explains for the rest of us. Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be UnsecureThis episode was in conjunction  with Brandon's interview with Food Engineering magazine "Keeping machines and OT networks and IT safe from cyber-attacks".  We talk about cyber security including some vectors or points of entry for ransomware/malware attacks, as well as how manufacturers can protect their networks.Industrial Robotics - It Doesn't Have To... Be ComplexAdding automated robotic systems to a factory can save money, create higher-quality parts, and increase production. We review the types of robots and how they're used in manufacturing. Sometimes adding an automated robotic system doesn't make sense - the wiggle jiggle example. That was Episode 6 "Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be Hopeless".Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be MyopicThis was another acronym filled episode. We talk about the important Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) manufacturers can look at in order to get the bigger picture. Not every solution is the best solution, but sometimes it's the best for the situation. You don't have to have an automated system to get your KPIs. You can still go out with a stopwatch and measure your uptimes and downtimes and take those indications. The point is - just do it so you can make educated business decisions.Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be HopelessWe review a few projects that were beneficial to our customers and why. An IoT Based project was for Traceability (also called Skip Check). The customer was thankful they didn't have to upgrade all of their equipment and legacy PLCs. The Smart Assembly Pack Out System helped a customer integrate to their ERP system. A Material Handling & Management system managed the ingredients. Lastly, we hear Brandon's Brandology about the 4 Reasons to Automate.Industrial Automation - It Doesn't Have To... Be UnpredictableFor this episode, we interviewed Keary Donovan, owner of Pathways7. We delve into Keary's academic white paper "3 KPI Considerations for Maintenance and OEE".  Keary has a unique perspective of KPIs from a maintenance perspective.     Looking ahead to 2021, Brandon anticipates more automation so manufacturers can accommodate the six foot social distancing rule.

This episode of elliTek's Industrial Automation podcast is about Predictive Maintenance.  We are talking with a  special guest, Keary Donovan.  Keary is the owner of Pathways 7. Pathways 7 is a consulting firm helping SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) capitalize on up-to-date information systems so they can  become more competitive.  Keary recently published a white paper about Predictive Maintenance titled "3 KPI Considerations for Maintenance and OEE."  During this podcast, we interview Keary. You will hear more acronyms, as well as references to "Tennessee Talk." You will need to listen to the episode to learn what "Tennessee Talk" is, but here is a glossary for the acronyms in the order in which they were discussed during the podcast.OEE:  Overall Equipment EffectivenessOOE:  Overall Operations  EffectivenessTEEP:  Total Effective Equipment PerformanceKPP:  Key Performance ParametersTPM:  Total Productive MaintenanceCMMS:  Computerized Maintenance Management SystemStayed tuned throughout the entire episode to hear, Keary's insights into the interdepartmental conflicts and how those conflicts can be resolved.

This episode is about thankfulness and gratitude. Industrial Automation can be hopeful and positive. elliTek is thankful for each of our customers, our colleagues, and our families. During this episode, we review some projects that our customer's have told us that they are thankful for and that they have benefited from. Hopefully, you will come away with a fresh idea or perspective that can make you hopeful.The types of projects discussed are as follows:IoT Based ProjectsSmart Assembly Pack Out SystemsMaterial Handling & ManagementAutomated Robotic HandlingStick around to hear the four reasons to automate according to Brandon's Brandology.

Join us every other Tuesday as we talk Industrial Automation and what it doesn't have to be!elliTek builds custom machines for manufacturing systems, offers comprehensive turnkey and design/build services, and technical training. Our mission is to empower our clients. That's what this podcast is all about - empowering manufacturers, hopefully learn a thing or two, and have some fun.Brandon is the host, as well as the owner and president of elliTek. He's just about seen it all when it comes to manufacturing. Brandon provides easy to understand explanations for industry terms, plus a unique and candid perspective.If you're in manufacturing or want to learn about the "real world" of manufacturing, we encourage you to listen - rate - review - subscribe!

Myopic is being short-sighted -- unable to clearly see things that are far away. elliTek's mission is one of empowerment. We want manufacturers find a way to better position themselves moving forward. Our hope is that this podcast provides helpful perspectives.This episode is about the tendencies we can have as human beings to focus on one piece of the puzzle but miss the picture as a whole. Brandon shares a customer experience where the customer's focus was on the "squeaky wheel".  You'll be surprised to hear what happened.You'll also hear the important Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) used  in manufacturing and why they're important. Key Performance Indicators are anything that has to do with the performance of your process and gives an indication of that.Brandon gives helpful definitions and examples for some industry terms listed below. Process Data - A machine, cycle, process, or manufacturing process. Processes have faults and those are called downtime events.Production DowntimeProduction Volume QA - Quality Assurance. Where quality and production come together.Production Costs - The cost of raw materials and labor, plus electricity, cleanroom environment (if necessary), and the equipment being used.OEE - Overall Equipment Effectiveness. Process based indicators that assess the scheduled efficiency. OEE basically decides how many good parts can be made across a time.OOE - Overall Operations Effectiveness. Operational efficiency KPI that decides how many good parts could have been made.TEEP - Total Effective Equipment Performance. Uses OEE and OOE to track the overall effectiveness of whatever it is being measured. TEEP measures the performance across all time, 24/7. It's used to make decisions such as adding another production line, identifying if a line is being underutilized. OA - Overall Availability. This indicator is part of OEE, Overall Equipment Effectiveness.Product Data - Any data that has to do with the product being made. Traceability ties into product data. Used to improve your processTraceability - It's like a VIN on a car. It's used to retrace - see every process the product went through.Six Sigma - A quality program. A perfectly quality built and fully assembled ready to ship part. Defect Flow Out Prevention - Eliminating the opportunity for the defect to have ever occurred.Zero Defects - Part of Defect Flow Out Prevention. Zero Defects is removing the possibility of building a perfectly bad part. Process Skip Check - Ties in with traceability.  The next machine process is alerted as to whether or not  the part passed, failed, or didn't even go through the previous process. If the part failed or didn't go through the previous process, the next process is not given permission to stat. Process Skip Check is a method of Defect Flow Out Prevention. This leads to a cost savings, because a perfectly built bad part still uses resources and materials and ends up in the scrap bin. If the bad part is caught midstream, it can minimize the amount scrapped out.elliTek's Workflow Manager  which is part of the IIoTA™ Platform allows users to easily build their processes, connect them for certain part numbers, and do one to many - many to one relationships. The Workflow Manager gives users the ability to do Traceability.Dashboard tools to create drag & drop web-based dashboards to view the KPIs listed above for a specific assembly line or lines are included in the IIoTA­™ platform.Lastly, there's no need to fear databases! Listen to the full episode to find out

Adding automated robotic systems to a factory can save money, create higher-quality parts, and increase production. There are six types of industrial robots that can be classified according to the typed of movement, the application needs, reach and payload requirements, and manufacturing preference.You will learn about the types of robots and how they are used in manufacturing, but first, Brandon gives us his definitions for some industry terms.Application:  Deciding what it is you are trying to do. What you are trying to accomplish. The next step would be to decide feasibility. The feasibility of can you get there from here with this solution.Axis:  The degree of freedom in which you can move in a direction or the number of moveable "joints" of a robot. The number and placement of the axes determine the flexibility and functionality of the robot. The more axes, the higher range of motion.Cartesian Coordinate System:  Any point of the space using X, Y, and Z coordinates. X coordinate is the perpendicular distance from the YZ plane. Y is the perpendicular distance from the XZ plane, and Z is the normal distance from the XY plane. Theta is if that Z coordinate can rotate.Servo Motor:  DC Permanent Magnet Motor. DC is direct current; it's what comes out of a battery. AC is alternate current: it's what comes out of the wall. A servo motor is what moves the robots axes.Actuator:  Converts linear motion into rotary motion.Pitch, Yaw, and Roll:  a coordinate system, like a GPS that doesn't use latitude or longitude. It's used to define a point in space.Kinematics:  Coordinate conversion. The study of motion that doesn't take into consideration mass and force. Forward and Inverse Kinematics takes into consideration the axes angles and end of arm tooling. If the axes angles and lengths are known, Forward Kinematics can be used to calculate the position of the end-of-arm-tooling (EOAT or end effector). If the position of the EOAT is know, Inverse Kinematics is used to calculate the joint angles and lengths.Payload:  Anything that's gong to go on the end of the robot, including whatever you're going to use to do the work. It includes the part that's being picked up and the tooling at the end (EOAT or end effector).Work Envelope:  The space in which the robot can reach. Vertical reach is the height of the robot from its base; useful in determining if the robot is tall enough. Horizontal reach is the distance from the base to the robot's "wrist" when it's fully extended.Here you can see the types of industrial robots and brief explanations. To help narrow down the robot choices, our engineers have prepared some tips.So, you're armed and ready to buy an industrial robot. What next? Here's some advice our engineers have compiled.

This podcast expands on Brandon's interview with Food Engineering magazine, "Keeping machines and OT networks and IT safe from cyberattacks". We take a deep dive into cybersecurity. Listen to the full episode to learn:Are cyberattacks evolving?Has automation technology opened the door to hackers?Is the Operational Technology (OT) side vulnerable to cyberattacks?What are some vectors that can infect systems?Does "unplugging" the control systems work?Is there a safe way for manufacturers to utilize remote monitoring?Is OT/IT convergence the only way for manufacturers to achieve digital transformation?Can manufacturers connect their OT and IT systems and still remain secure?What cyber security advice can manufacturers implement immediately?Thank you to CSIA (Control System Integrators Association) and Food Engineering magazine for giving Brandon the opportunity to share his experiences and expertise!

This episode is full of acronyms. Here's a quick list for reference. A brief explanation of each Industrial Revolution follows the list.CNC: Computer Numerical Control. It's a computer controlled machine that uses pre-programmed software to direct the movement of machining tools and 3D printers.ERP:  Enterprise Resource Planning. The ERP system runs the entire plant.HMI:  Human Machine Interface. It's a touchscreen on a machine that displays the data on that machine.IIoT:  Industrial Internet of Things. IIoT is the extension of the Internet of Things (IoT) in industrial sectors and applications. The digitization and digitalization steps to use data to make good business decisions.IIoTA:  Industrial Internet of Things Appliance. An appliance that easily connects IT and OT and transfers data directly and natively without the need for generic communications.IT:  Information Technology. The Enterprise side where the data servers & databases reside.KPI: Key Performance Indicator. It's a measurable value to illustrate effectiveness.MES:  Manufacturing Execution System. MES is the manufacturing leg on the ERP system.Modbus TCP:  Modbus is a data communications protocol. TCP is Transmission Control  Protocol.OA:  Overall Availability. It's a process based Key Performance Indicator.OEE:  Overall Equipment Effectiveness. Also a process based KPI.OLE:  Object Linking and Embedding. Invented by Microsoft in the '80's. The OLE principles for process control begat OPC.OPC:  Open Platform Communications. A generic, common language that runs in a PC environment and is used to communicate with PLCs on the plant floor. Some folks say stands for "Oh, Please Connect!"OT:  Operational Technology. The plant floor. When talking about machines think operations.PC:  Personal computer. In manufacturing when a PC is brought into the system, it becomes an IT asset. The IT Department must then protect it.PLC:  Programmable Logic Controller. Controls the majority of manufacturing equipment. Capable of gathering and generating data from the machines on the plant floor, OT side.The Industrial Revolutions in manufacturing:Industry 1.0 - the mechanization of manufacturing with the introduction of steam and water power.Industry 2.0 - the mass production assembly lines using electrical power.Industry 3.0 - automated production using electronics, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), IT systems, and robots.Industry 4.0 - using "smart factory" autonomous decision making of cyber physical systems using machine learning and big data analysis. Interoperability through IoT and cloud technology.During this episode, Brandon discusses:Each of these terms - what they mean and how they relate to an effective manufacturing grade IoT system.The differences between Digitalization and Digitization.The basic goal of most industrial IoT implementation.Some pitfalls that elliTek has been asked to solve.OPC and why some folks say it stands for "Oh Please Connect!"Quality data - what it is and some reasons for skewed data.How elliTek is able to overcome these industrial IoT struggles - The Trick!Watch the "Two Minutes To Data" video. Read more about how an MES Gateway Appliance opposes OPC and industrial PCs.

Robots - Robotic systems - Servo actuators don't have to... be engineered.During elliTek's first podcast, you'll find out who elliTek is, what elliTek does, and why elliTek is different. More importantly, how manufacturers can benefit.We delve into industrial robots, pre-engineered robotic workcells, and pre-engineered servo actuators. Brandon's take on industrial robots may surprise you!Podcasts will be released twice a month. We're talking all things Industrial Automation. What burning questions do you have about automation? Drop us a line at info@elliTek.com.Learn more about elliTek's pre-engineered systems.