What used to take hours is now done in minutes. Changing the rails for a new run is simply a matter of selecting the package from a menu or clicking on a photo of the package. This eliminates costly line downtime and because of the accuracy of ASTRRA, the rails will be returned to their proper position time after time. Now you can bring your line up to speed more quickly knowing that the rails are perfectly positioned and centered, resulting in additional throughput which will increase your productivity and improve your bottom line.

The rail adjustment is accomplished by actuator pairs which are made up of a Controller Actuator and a secondary actuator. The Controller Actuator receives commands from the Segment Controller, then moves the rail as specified by the Segment Controller. The rail is moved sequentially in 3mm increments to its target position.Sequential and incremental moves benefit the user in several ways. The sequential move allows the use of a small power supply to run an entire 20 actuator pair segment while the incremental motion ensures smooth movement of the rails preventing rail distortion and damage.

The segment coordinator manages the motion of the segment ensuring that each actuator pair is moved to it's proper position. In addition, the coordinator continually monitors the health of the segment and performs report-by-exception to the upper levels of the system in the event of an actuator problem.

The supervisory gateway controls the entire line. Up to 31 segment controllers, each managing up to 120 actuator pairs, may be implemented in a fully outfitted system. Communications with the supervisor may be done with a laptop running the ATOMICS web-based server, a hand-held device such as a Palm Treo or a Windows CE unit. Interfaces include RS-232, Ethernet or any ASTRRA wireless module.

A.S. Thomas, Inc. provides several options for communicating with ASG's, ASC's as well as theController Actuators directly. Palm OS and Windows tablet devices may be physically connected with a serial cable to the ASTRRA unit through an optional Media Access Unit (AMAU). Wireless communications to any ASTRRA unit can be done by using an ASTRRA Mobile Analyzer and Controller adapter which can be run on any device which has an USB slot.

Plant-wide control over the conveyor lines is easily achieved with the ATOMICS system
offered by A.S. Thomas, Inc. This web based system can store all package information and each can be accessed for immediate upload to any line with simple click on a package photo. (Note that the line must be in a lock-out condition for a changeover to be enabled.) Several levels of access ensure the security of the system and all actions are permanently logged in the ASTRRA database.

The ATOMICS system can be accessed from anywhere in the world thanks to its web-centric design. Using your secure VPN, package configurations can be stored and sent to any of your ASTRRA-equipped facilities for rapid line configuration in the event of a production bottleneck or under capacity problem. Just another example of how the ASTRRA system allows you to maximize your international resources.

Because the Controller Actuators can be equipped with several different communications interfaces, they may be connected to equipment in the line and provide report capabilities. This data can be used for maintenance or stored in the ASTRRA database for analysis at a later time.