First Hawaii SFA Customer

A USB Connect Portable is on a clip art beach with a coconut drink and a hawaiian lei around it. The text says "Aloha! California to Hawaii".

First Hawaii Shop Floor Automations Customer

Here at Shop Floor Automations, we love all of our customers and we are excited that the number grows every day. An order we got today was particularly thrilling, as it’s our first ever client based out of Hawaii!

The order we saw come in was for our Portable USB Connect. Turns out, they need it to communicate with their Milltronics control. They are currently using SD cards and they no longer want to deal with the 2GB restriction. Who can blame them?! The cards are also hard to find for them, so they opted for our Portable USB Connect.

While our Wireless Connect was not the best option for them, we respect and will anticipate how to cater to every need for every one of our customers. As we say “aloha” to this unit and ship it off to Hawaii, we sure hope our new client will say “aloha” back and let us know how the unit is working for them!

If you want to become our newest customer, or have purchased from us in the past and want some new solutions, contact us here. Did you know that if you once had a maintenance agreement with us, that it may be time to renew? Call us to find out at 877-611-5825. We can’t wait to chat with you! 

July/August 2016 SFA Newsletter

Shop Floor Automations NewsletterThis is an archive of our July/August Shop Floor Automations Newsletter.

Manufacturing Jobs for Veterans

Shop Floor Automations recently attended an event where
an open house was held for an organization called Workshops for Warriors.

Military veterans from all over the USA come to Workshops for
Warriors in San Diego so they can gain nationally recognized
certifications and get careers in the manufacturing industry.

Get a DNC Safety Net

It goes without saying that your machines are your biggest asset on
your shop floor. New employees can be trained, generators can be used
when the power goes out – the list of safe alternatives goes on and on.

What happens when the DNC goes down? There are numerous ways this can
happen, but instead of running nightmare scenarios in your head, how
about a backup plan instead?

CONTACT US FOR MORE INFO!
Toll Free: (877) 611-5825
LINK TO ORIGINAL NEWSLETTER

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Manufacturing News – June 2016

A clipping of an article about SFA and Touch HMI Software, accompanied by an angled view of a Floppy Drive Emulator.

Manufacturing News – June 2016

Shop Floor Automations was featured in Manufacturing News this past month of June 2016. In the article, we spoke about Touch HMI Software from Predator, as well as our Floppy Drive Emulators.

“Touch HMI has the ability for wired and wireless support, as well as configuration to communication with CNCs, CMMs, test stands, and other devices,” we stated, of Touch HMI software.

In regards to the Floppy Emulator, which was once called the FD Connect but is now part of our Floppy Connect line, we wrote: “a CNC control that still uses a floppy drive can easily switch to using a USB drive.” The Floppy Connect line is off-the-shelf compatible with Haas, but it is also compatible with other machines, with the help of our technicians.

Click Read our piece, plus the whole issue! Call (877) 611-5825 for more information.

The founders of SFA have many years of experience providing effective solutions to manufacturers large and small from coast to coast. Their expertise in designing and implementing DNC and Shop Floor Networks allows them to take the best hardware and software products to the next level. That level is a fully implemented, turnkey solution tailored specifically for a customer’s requirements and environments.

SFA has become the industry leader in Shop Floor Communications and Machine Monitoring Solutions. Totally redefining what “Shop Floor Automation” solutions should be.  With thousands of customers from across the United States, Mexico, Canada, Europe and Asia, SFA was called upon by other vendors to provide other solutions that could be met by our knowledge, support and sales experience of the manufacturing industry.  In 2010, SFA aligned itself with these vendors to close the loop with maintenance management software, job management and scheduling software, hardware manufacturers, and machine tool companies.

SFA YouTube Transcriptions

Okuma Floppy DriveShop Floor Automations YouTube Transcriptions

For those who are hearing impaired, or just wanted a little more comprehension on our YouTube Automation Insights and Solutions, we at Shop Floor Automations have taken the liberty to not only personally caption our own videos, but to provide transcriptions here.

In a hurry? Contact Support by sending a message.

The very first transcription best symbolizes what our company is all about, and we encourage you to read more after the page break:

Manufacturing Integrator – CNC Hardware & CNC Software :  Shop Floor Automations sells, installs, and supports software and hardware solutions for the manufacturing industry. We have a variety of solutions that will increase the efficiency and productivity of a shop floor. They range from machine monitoring, DNC software, job scheduling, document control, and more! We also offer hardware solutions to help a shop go wireless or convert to USB.

Our off-the-shelf products are completely customizable, scalable to grow with your company, and able to meet the needs of any company, small to large, in any industry. If you want to optimize performance throughout your shop process, Shop Floor Automations is ready to help.

We’ve been in business since 1998 and we cover the entire United States, parts of Canada, and Mexico. We have a singular focus in providing preeminent automation tools with world-class service. We take great pains to know your products, machines, and methods, inside and out, to build lasting customer relationships and allow us to develop superior customized solutions to help you run a more efficient shop. Shop Floor Automations helps keep you connected to your shop, so you can keep your shop connected to the world! READ MORE BELOW
Read more

Have a DNC Software Backup Plan

A DNC software user's hands are seen on the keyboard with an Error messages that says "Please contact support."A DNC Software Backup Plan for Shop Floor Power Outages

As a shop floor owner, you have plans. Aside from quotas, managing employees and estimated revenue, you also need to account for your livelihood, which would be your machines. Since one item can be dependent of another, power supply, network data, and DNC Software are all crucial factors to keep machines going.

When you run a manufacturing plant, you know that uptime is critical, so having a secondary plan is a must.  What will you do if the power goes out? You’ll deploy your backup generators.  If your network data gets corrupted, you have backup data you can restore.

But what happens when your DNC goes down?

Imagine you are running a shop with one of our Wireless DNC systems. Everything is going smoothly, as usual. Then, the IT person changes around the Wireless Network in the office without proper authority. Your system then takes a nosedive because of this one action.

A great solution? Our Portable USB Connect device can connect to the RS232 port on your machine for a temporary way to get files into the machine, so even if the Wi-Fi goes out or there are related issues, you still have a backup plan.

Contact our sales team or tweet us at @SFA_inc if you want more info on how to avoid the nightmare scenario we mentioned above.

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Getting Military Veterans Manufacturing Jobs

workshops for warriors Workshops for Warriors Visit

Every day, younger workers find the manufacturing industry. Organization Workshops for Warriors (WFW) is also guiding deserving veterans to fill these crucial jobs.

In June of 2016, Shop Floor Automations got to attend an amazing open house. WFW prides itself on assisting soldiers who come home – especially those wounded, with physical limitations or with PTSD.

Check out a student testimonial from Workshops for Warriors 

The event drew a sizable crowd who met in the main office. Hernán Luis y Prado, the founder of the program, was all smiles upon meeting everyone for a facility tour.

“It’s great to love our veterans,” Hernán said during the tour. “But love alone doesn’t get our vets these jobs.”

Hernán definitely means business when it comes to helping out his fellow veterans. Having served in the Navy, he saw firsthand that transitioning from serving in the military to civilian life was a struggle.

The current WFW center has a large workstation of computers, $6 Million worth of equipment donations (from Haas and Reliance Steel & Aluminum), and various other equipment. Hernan says WFW is truly “the school that America built,” as Hernán puts it. Read more below!

Read more

May/June 2016 SFA Newsletter

Shop Floor Automations NewsletterThis is an archive of our May/June 2016 Shop Floor Automations Newsletter.

New Pricing for Floppy Drive Emulators

Do you have machines that are still running with floppy drives?
Our Floppy Drive Emulator is the perfect solution to keep older machines
running with USB devices rather than outdated floppy disks. This device works
on numerous controls and we have an amazing support team to help you over the phone.

The great news is that if you have Haas CNC Machines, the Floppy Emulator is Plug & Play –
you can just order it online and you’re good to go!

Call us to determine what other CNC’s
we can help you with. We’re always happy to hear from you.

“Lights-Out” Manufacturing Through Automation

In many parts of the country, electricity prices are continually rising.
Power providers are charging lower rates to customers who use the majority of their energy
during off-peak hours. By utilizing lights-out manufacturing, machine shops can run during
off-peak hours and save on power bills.

Our solutions such as Predator MDC Software
or Scytec DataXchange can automate processes and allow for lights-out production to become
a reality on your shop floor.

DataXchange Pays for Itself

Decrease downtime by knowing exactly what your machines are doing at all times of the day.

Scytec DataXchange can easily increase uptime by more than 30 minutes per machine, per day! This increase in productivity means the software will typically pay for itself within the first few days of the month.

Imagine the potential savings of knowing when a machine is sitting in
a feed hold, running at a lower feed rate, or if a program stops
altogether. Production will be at an all-time high and the benefits can be substantial.
CONTACT US FOR MORE INFORMATION –
Toll Free: (877) 611-5825
LINK TO ORIGINAL NEWSLETTER HERE

Lights-Out Manufacturing Saves Money

Lights-Out Manufacturing Saves Money

Disturbed by your machine shop electricity bills? You are likely not imagining things if you feel like they’re just getting higher. Lights-out manufacturing may help ease this stress.

Lights Out ManufacturingAccording to Philip Moeller of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, this is a trend we won’t be able to shake off in coming years. “We are now in an era of rising electricity prices,” he said in this article, attributing the growth to modern consumption. “If you take enough supply out of the system, the price is going to increase.”

While some companies try to turn to solar or wind power for energy alternatives, many shops choose to remain on a more reliable power source, which puts them at the mercy of power companies. Especially for shops that are located in California, the same state Shop Floor Automations has its main office, there is an estimated 47 percent jump in electric prices for our state within the next 14 years!

According to the US Energy Administration, the commercial and industrial sections take up more than half of the electricity consumption rates in America. Average prices of 6.89 cents to 10.59 cents per kilowatthour means your bill will add up quick. Is there any way the manufacturing industry can save money on power? Read more below or keep scrolling for the rest of the story.

Read more

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See Our Latest Ad in CNC West Magazine

CNC WestCheck out our latest ad in CNC West Magazine from the April/May 2016 issue.

Predator Touch HMI is the latest edition to our software line and we are excited to spread the word with CNC West Magazine!

Predator Touch HMI supports creating easy to use big button manufacturing shop floor interfaces for data collection, process, or shop floor automation. Clicking or touching a big button will trigger one or more actions. Often Predator Touch HMIs replace bar code readers and QR code readers.

This Windows-based software is licensed per site. An unlimited number of HMIs can be created and installed on Windows-based PCs, CNCs, CMMs, test stands, and other shop floor equipment. Predator Touch HMI is designed for today’s security requirements with most functions running on the server via Predator DNC, MDC or PDM. For example, email messages are sent from a central Predator DNC server and not from individual shop floor PCs running Predator Touch HMI.

Tweet us at @SFA_inc to tell us what you think, or call us if you have questions at 877-611-5825!

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NTMA Poker Run Event

NTMA san diegoNTMA Poker Event

Join us at the Belching Beaver for an exciting NTMA poker run event where participants draw cards from table to table while enjoying some craft brew!

Tuesday, April 19 at 5:30 p.m.

The grand prize winner will receive a Portable USB Connect, retail value of $700!

This device acts as an interface between USB memory drives and any CNC machine. Click below to learn more about the Portable USB Connect.

Where: 
Belching Beaver Brewery, 
980 Park Center Drive, Suite A 
Vista, California 92081
 
Cost: $15 (Includes dinner)
More info at the original newsletter

More about NTMA:

Shop Floor Automations is a proud associate member of the San Diego Chapter of NTMA. The National Tooling & Machining Association works to create allies within the San Diego region of the local machining and tool industry by fostering mutual success through education, technology, and communication.

We encourage you to take advantage of what this great organization has to offer. Please check the schedule below in order to find upcoming events held by NTMA.