LINK Systems LinkNet II User Manual

LinkNet 2 LinkNet 2

Pressroom Pressroom

Monitoring Monitoring

Software Software

Installation and Operating

Installation and Operating

Manual

Manual

LinkNet 2 inkNet 2

Link Electric & Safety Control Co.
444 McNally Drive

R

Nashville, TN 37211

Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

© 2001

Table of Contents

Section 1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 1.1

1.1 Features.................................................................................................................................... 1.1

1.2 System Requirements............................................................................................................... 1.2

Section 2 Installation............................................................................................................................ 2.1

2.1 RS232-RS485 Converter Network Connections ..................................................................... 2.2

2.2 Drop Box Network Connections.............................................................................................. 2.2

2.3 OmniLink LCD Operator Terminal Network Connections..................................................... 2.4

2.4 OmniLink II LCD Operator Terminal Network Connections ................................................. 2.5

2.5 MicroLink Operator Terminal Network Connections ............................................................. 2.6

2.6 System 1100 Connections........................................................................................................ 2.7

2.7 Software Installation ................................................................................................................ 2.8

Section 3 Terminology......................................................................................................................... 3.1

Section 4 Configuration ....................................................................................................................... 4.1

4.1 LinkNet Security...................................................................................................................... 4.1

4.2 Operator Configuration............................................................................................................ 4.2

4.2.1 Adding an Operator.......................................................................................................... 4.2

4.2.2 Editing an Operator.......................................................................................................... 4.4

4.2.3 Deleting an Operator........................................................................................................ 4.4

4.3 Database Location Configuration (Standalone and Server Versions Only) ............................ 4.5

4.4 Database and Server IP Address Configuration (Client Version Only) .................................. 4.5

4.5 Communications Port Configuration ....................................................................................... 4.6

4.6 Configuring Shifts.................................................................................................................... 4.7

4.6.1 Adding a Shift.................................................................................................................. 4.7

4.6.2 Editing a Shift .................................................................................................................. 4.7

4.6.3 Deleting a Shift ................................................................................................................ 4.7

4.7 Configuring the Shift Schedule................................................................................................ 4.8

4.7.1 Adding a Shift Schedule Time....................................................................................... 4.10

4.7.2 Adding a Break Time..................................................................................................... 4.10

4.7.3 Adding a One-Time Schedule Entry.............................................................................. 4.11

4.7.4 Adding a One-Time Break............................................................................................. 4.11

4.8 Down Time Configuration..................................................................................................... 4.12

4.8.1 Down Time Category Configuration ............................................................................. 4.12

4.8.2 Down Time Code Configuration ................................................................................... 4.14

4.9 Machine Configuration .......................................................................................................... 4.16

4.9.1 Adding a Machine.......................................................................................................... 4.16

4.9.2 Editing a Machine.......................................................................................................... 4.20

4.9.3 Deleting a Machine ........................................................................................................ 4.20

4.10 Material Configuration........................................................................................................... 4.21

4.10.1 Adding Material............................................................................................................. 4.21

4.10.2 Editing Material ............................................................................................................. 4.23

4.10.3 Deleting Material ........................................................................................................... 4.23

4.11 Tooling Configuration ........................................................................................................... 4.24

4.11.1 Adding a Tool ................................................................................................................ 4.24

4.11.2 Editing Tooling .............................................................................................................. 4.26

4.11.3 Deleting Tooling ............................................................................................................ 4.26

4.12 Part Configuration.................................................................................................................. 4.27

4.12.1 Adding a Part ................................................................................................................. 4.27

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4.12.2 Editing Parts................................................................................................................... 4.29

4.12.3 Deleting Parts................................................................................................................. 4.29

4.13 Job Configuration................................................................................................................... 4.30

4.13.1 Adding a Job .................................................................................................................. 4.31

4.13.2 Editing Jobs.................................................................................................................... 4.35

4.13.3 Deleting Jobs.................................................................................................................. 4.35

4.14 Tonnage Wave Capture Configuration .................................................................................. 4.36

4.15 Preventive Maintenance Configuration ................................................................................. 4.37

4.15.1 Adding a Preventive Maintenance Item......................................................................... 4.38

4.15.2 Editing a Preventive Maintenance Item......................................................................... 4.39

4.15.3 Deleting a Preventive Maintenance Item....................................................................... 4.39

4.15.4 Resetting a Preventive Maintenance Item...................................................................... 4.40

Section 5 Using LinkNet...................................................................................................................... 5.1

5.1 The Overview Window............................................................................................................ 5.1

5.2 Detail Dialogs .......................................................................................................................... 5.2

5.2.1 Counter Detail.................................................................................................................. 5.2

5.2.2 Tonnage Detail................................................................................................................. 5.3

5.2.3 Average Tonnage Graph Detail ....................................................................................... 5.4

5.2.4 Stroking Rate Graph Detail.............................................................................................. 5.5

5.2.5 SPM Rates Detail............................................................................................................. 5.6

5.3 The “Window” Menu............................................................................................................... 5.6

5.4 The “Help” Menu..................................................................................................................... 5.6

Section 6 Reports ................................................................................................................................. 6.1

6.1 Report Parameter Selection...................................................................................................... 6.1

6.1.1 Report Time Selection ..................................................................................................... 6.1

6.1.2 Report Shifts Selection .................................................................................................... 6.2

6.1.3 Report Machine Selection................................................................................................ 6.3

6.1.4 Report Tool Selection ...................................................................................................... 6.4

6.1.5 Report Part Selection ....................................................................................................... 6.5

6.2 Machine Reports – Event Log ................................................................................................. 6.5

6.3 Machine Reports – DTC Summary.......................................................................................... 6.6

6.4 Machine Reports – Time Summary ......................................................................................... 6.6

6.5 Machine Reports – SPM Rate Summary ................................................................................. 6.6

6.6 Machine Reports – Stroke Productivity................................................................................... 6.7

6.7 Tool Reports – Usage Summary.............................................................................................. 6.7

6.8 Tool Reports – Machine Comparison...................................................................................... 6.7

6.9 Tool Reports – Tool Down Summary...................................................................................... 6.8

6.10 Tool Reports – Tool Down Detail ........................................................................................... 6.8

6.11 Tool Reports - Trend................................................................................................................ 6.8

6.12 Part Reports – Machine Comparison ....................................................................................... 6.8

6.13 Part Reports - Trend................................................................................................................. 6.9

6.14 Preventive Maintenance Reports – Tripped Items................................................................... 6.9

6.15 Preventive Maintenance Reports – All Items .......................................................................... 6.9

Section 7 Using the OmniLink 5000 with LinkNet (Monochrome OIT) ............................................ 7.1

7.1 Configuring the OmniLink 5000 for LinkNet (Monochrome OIT)......................................... 7.1

7.2 Using Down Time Codes on the OmniLink 5000 (Monochrome OIT) .................................. 7.3

7.3 Network Job Storage on the OmniLink 5000 (Monochrome OIT) ......................................... 7.4

7.4 Network Job Recall on the OmniLink 5000 (Monochrome OIT) ........................................... 7.4

7.5 Sending Tonnage Graphs from the OmniLink 5000 (Monochrome OIT)............................... 7.5

7.6 Viewing Machine and Job Notes on the OmniLink 5000 (Monochrome OIT)....................... 7.5

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Section 8 Using the OmniLink 5000 with LinkNet (Color OIT)......................................................... 8.1

8.1 Configuring the OmniLink 5000 for LinkNet (Color OIT)..................................................... 8.1

8.2 Using Down Time Codes on the OmniLink 5000 (Color OIT)............................................... 8.3

8.3 Network Job Storage on the OmniLink 5000 (Color OIT)...................................................... 8.4

8.4 Network Job Recall on the OmniLink 5000 (Color OIT)........................................................ 8.4

8.5 Sending Tonnage Graphs from the OmniLink 5000 (Color OIT) ........................................... 8.5

8.6 Viewing Machine and Job Notes on the OmniLink 5000 (Color OIT) ................................... 8.6

Section 9 Using the MicroLink OIT with LinkNet.............................................................................. 9.1

9.1 Configuring the MicroLink OIT for LinkNet .......................................................................... 9.1

9.2 Using Down Time Codes on the MicroLink OIT.................................................................... 9.1

9.3 Network Job Storage on the MicroLink OIT........................................................................... 9.2

9.4 Network Job Recall on the MicroLink OIT............................................................................. 9.2

9.5 Viewing Machine and Job Notes on the MicroLink OIT ........................................................ 9.3

Section 10 Using the System 1100 Tonnage Monitor with LinkNet............................................... 10.1

10.1 Configuring the System 1100 Tonnage Monitor for LinkNet ............................................... 10.1

10.2 Using Down Time Codes on the System 1100 Tonnage Monitor......................................... 10.1

10.3 Network Job Storage on the System 1100 ............................................................................. 10.2

10.4 Network Job Recall on the System 1100 ............................................................................... 10.3

10.5 Sending a Tonnage Graph from the System 1100 ................................................................. 10.4

10.6 The Network Clock on the System 1100 ............................................................................... 10.4

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Table of Figures

Figure 2.1: LinkNet Wiring Overview ............................................................................................... 2.1

Figure 2.2: Regular Drop Box Network Connections........................................................................ 2.3

Figure 2.3: Repeater Drop Box Network Connections ...................................................................... 2.3

Figure 2.4: OmniLink LCD Operator Terminal (Back Panel View) Network Connections.............. 2.4

Figure 2.5: OmniLink II LCD Operator Terminal (Front View) ....................................................... 2.5

Figure 2.6: OmniLink II LCD Operator Terminal (Back Panel View) Network Connections.......... 2.5

Figure 2.7: MicroLink Operator Terminal (Back View).................................................................... 2.6

Figure 2.8: System 1100 Network Connections................................................................................. 2.7

Figure 3.1: Off-Fall Example – Stamping a Circle Out of a Square .................................................. 3.1

Figure 3.2: Relationship Between Machines, Tools, Material, Parts, and Jobs ................................. 3.2

Figure 4.1: Operator Login................................................................................................................. 4.1

Figure 4.2: Operator Listing............................................................................................................... 4.2

Figure 4.3: Operator Configuration General Dialog .......................................................................... 4.2

Figure 4.4: Operator Configuration Computer Permissions Dialog................................................... 4.3

Figure 4.5: Operator Configuration Miscellaneous Settings Dialog.................................................. 4.3

Figure 4.6: Operator Configuration Notes Dialog Box ...................................................................... 4.4

Figure 4.7 Database Location Configuration Dialog ........................................................................ 4.5

Figure 4.8: Database Location and Server IP Address Configuration Dialog ................................... 4.5

Figure 4.9: Communication Port Configuration Dialog Box ............................................................. 4.6

Figure 4.10: Shift Listing Dialog Box.................................................................................................. 4.7

Figure 4.11: Shift Configuration Dialog Box....................................................................................... 4.7

Figure 4.12 Pressroom Schedule Listing Dialog Box ......................................................................... 4.8

Figure 4.13: Schedule Time Configuration Dialog Box .................................................................... 4.10

Figure 4.14: One-Time Schedule Entry Dialog Box.......................................................................... 4.11

Figure 4.15: Down Time Category Listing ........................................................................................ 4.12

Figure 4.16: Down Time Category Configuration Dialog Box.......................................................... 4.13

Figure 4.17: Down Time Code Listing............................................................................................... 4.14

Figure 4.18: Down Time Code Configuration Dialog Box................................................................ 4.14

Figure 4.19: Machine Listing ............................................................................................................. 4.16

Figure 4.20: Machine Configuration General Settings Dialog Box................................................... 4.16

Figure 4.21: Machine Configuration Physical Characteristics Dialog Box ....................................... 4.17

Figure 4.22: Machine Configuration Stroking Modes Dialog Box.................................................... 4.18

Figure 4.23: Machine Miscellaneous Settings Dialog Box................................................................ 4.19

Figure 4.24: Material Listing.............................................................................................................. 4.21

Figure 4.25: Material Configuration General Settings Dialog Box ................................................... 4.21

Figure 4.26: Material Configuration Physical Characteristics Dialog Box........................................ 4.22

Figure 4.27: Tool Listing.................................................................................................................... 4.24

Figure 4.28: Tool Configuration General Settings Dialog Box............................................................. 4.24

Figure 4.29: Tool Configuration Physical Characteristics Dialog Box.............................................. 4.25

Figure 4.30: Part Listing..................................................................................................................... 4.27

Figure 4.31: Part Configuration General Settings .............................................................................. 4.27

Figure 4.32: Part Configuration Physical Characteristics Settings .................................................... 4.28

Figure 4.33: Job Listing...................................................................................................................... 4.30

Figure 4.34: Job Configuration Machine Selection............................................................................ 4.31

Figure 4.35: Job Configuration General Settings Dialog Box ........................................................... 4.31

Figure 4.36: Job Configuration Physical Characteristics Dialog Box................................................ 4.33

Figure 4.37: Jog Configuration Tooling Dialog Box ......................................................................... 4.34

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Figure 4.38: Tonnage Waveform Configuration Dialog Box ............................................................ 4.36

Figure 4.39: Machine Configuration Preventive Maintenance Dialog Box....................................... 4.37

Figure 4.40: Tool Configuration Preventive Maintenance Dialog Box ............................................. 4.37

Figure 4.41: Preventive Maintenance Configuration Dialog Box...................................................... 4.38

Figure 5.1: Pressroom Overview Screen............................................................................................ 5.1

Figure 5.2: Machine Detail “Counters” Dialog Box .......................................................................... 5.2

Figure 5.3: Machine Detail “Tonnage” Dialog Box........................................................................... 5.3

Figure 5.4: Machine Detail “Average Tonnage Graph” Dialog Box ................................................. 5.4

Figure 5.5: Machine Detail “Stroking Rate Graph” Dialog Box........................................................ 5.5

Figure 5.6: Machine Detail “SPM Rates” Dialog Box....................................................................... 5.6

Figure 6.1: Report Time Selection Dialog Box.................................................................................. 6.1

Figure 6.2: Report Shift Selection Dialog Box .................................................................................. 6.2

Figure 6.3: Report Machine Selection Dialog Box ............................................................................ 6.3

Figure 6.4: Report Tool Selection Dialog Box................................................................................... 6.4

Figure 6.5: Report Part Selection Dialog Box.................................................................................... 6.5

Figure 7.1: OmniLink (Monochrome) Main Configuration Screen................................................... 7.1

Figure 7.2: OmniLink (Monochrome) Configuration Screen ............................................................ 7.1

Figure 7.3: OmniLink (Monochrome) Communications Configuration Screen................................ 7.2

Figure 7.4: OmniLink (Monochrome) Network Configuration Screen ............................................. 7.2

Figure 7.5: OmniLink (Monochrome) Down Time Code Screen ...................................................... 7.3

Figure 8.1: OmniLink Main Configuration Screen (Color Terminal)................................................ 8.1

Figure 8.2: OmniLink Operator Terminal Configuration Screen (Color OIT) .................................. 8.2

Figure 8.3: OmniLink Auxiliary Communications Configuration Screen (Color Terminal) ............ 8.2

Figure 8.4: OmniLink Down Time Code Screen (Color OIT)........................................................... 8.3

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Section 1 Introduction

The Link Systems Network Application (LinkNet 2) provides detailed monitoring of stamping
operations utilizing Link equipment. Supported equipment includes the OmniLink 5000 press control
and associated option modules, the System 1100 tonnage monitor, and MicroLink operator terminal
(both alone and when used with a MultiSet). By using a simple to wire “daisy chained” cable
arrangement to attach these units to an Intel based personal computer running Microsoft Windows, a
wealth of information can be gathered automatically.

1.1 Features

• Average tonnage, highest good tonnage, and lowest good tonnage are collected (from equipment
with tonnage monitors) in 10-minute intervals. This gives a good view of the consistency of the
production process.

• Production Rate is collected in 10-minute intervals. The production rate is also factored into
summary information for press utilization calculations versus standard rate. Production rate is
captured two ways:

• Actual Average - This is the actual average production rate over the scheduled time

the press is run.

• Production Average - This is the average production rate when the press is actually

running. This number indicates the typical stroking rate that the press is set to run.

• Down time codes and down time categories may be defined. A description for each down time
code can be typed in once at the computer and the descriptions are downloaded to all Link
equipment on the network. The user may choose from the descriptions, not just the numeric
code, at the press.

• “Events” are recorded. Events are automatically logged in the same databases as down time
codes. Examples of events include tonnage alarms, bypass changes to tonnage monitor and die
protection, die protection faults, part counter limits, etc.

• Some of the statistics available in reports include average SPM, production SPM, average PPM,
production PPM, OEE, average efficiency (versus user defined standard), production efficiency
(versus user defined standard), average setup time, down time, total hours, production hours, and
percent production time.

• The above statistics are associated with date and time, shift, machine number, job number, tool
number, and run.

• All data is stored in industry standard Microsoft Access 2000 database files. These files can be
read from many common spreadsheets, reporting tools, visual basic, etc.

• Jobs may be stored and recalled to and from the host computer giving Link equipment attached
to the network essentially unlimited job storage

• Standard reports are provided by LinkNet to make the information gathered by the system more
accessible and easier to interpret.

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• Reports are generated using Seagate Software Crystal Reports. This allows the end user to
customize (with separate purchase of Crystal Reports from any software vendor) LinkNet 2
reports for any special requirements, add a company logo, etc.

• Preventive Maintenance setpoints can be set by elapsed time, press running time, and strokes.
OmniLink 5000 controls additionally support setpoints by “Motor On” time, Total feed length,
and Clutch/Brake engagements.

• Tonnage signatures can be sent from OmniLink 5000 and System 1100 tonnage monitors to the
network for analysis, storage, or printing. Previous signatures can be overlaid for direct
comparison.

• Notes for each machine and die can be entered at the computer and viewed on OmniLink 5000
operator terminals.

1.2 System Requirements

LinkNet has been designed to run on Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT, or Windows 2000
operating systems.

Minimum Hardware Requirements:

• Pentium III or Celeron 500MHz CPU

• Windows 98 Operating System

• 64MB memory

• 10GB hard drive

• SVGA (800 by 600) display

• Mouse

• At least one free RS232 serial port

Recommended Hardware:

• Pentium III 800MHz CPU or better

• Windows 2000 Operating System

• 256MB memory

• 20GB or larger hard drive

• SVGA (1024 by 768) display or better

• Mouse

• At least one free RS232 serial port

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Section 2 Installation

LinkNet is connected to each piece of equipment in a bussed arrangement commonly called “daisy
chaining”. The means that the communications cable goes from the computer to the first machine, from
the first machine to the second, from the second to the third, and so on as shown in Figure 2.1.
The “Drop Boxes” shown in the figure are small boxes that contain plugable terminal strips. The
boxes mount on the press and serve as junctions for the network wire to come in to the machine, go out
to the next machine, and drop to Link equipment. In addition, the boxes can contain circuitry (called a
repeater) to enable the network to work with extremely long cable lengths or with more than 32
machines. At the computer, an RS232 to RS485 converter is necessary. This converts the standard
serial port on the host computer to a differential serial port suitable for electrically noisy industrial
environments. Link makes an RS232 to RS485 converter specifically for this purpose with termination
resistors built in that provide for reliable communications.
The computer that runs the network should be capable of running Windows 98, Windows ME,
Windows NT 4.0 (service pack 4 or higher), or Windows 2000.

Windows 2000 is the preferred platform for LinkNet 2. LinkNet 2 will run on the
other Windows version mentioned above, but Windows 2000 has proven to be far
more stable!

The network wiring should be Belden 8103 or equivalent (three twisted pairs and a shield) and
should not exceed 4000 ft (unless using a repeater).

Unit

Drop

Box

In

Out

Unit

Drop

Box

In

Out

Unit

Drop

Box

In

Out

Unit

Drop

Box

In

Out

Unit

Drop

Box

In

Out

Unit

Drop

Box

In

Out

Figure 2.1: LinkNet Wiring Overview

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Unit

Drop

Box

In

Out

Unit

Drop

Box

In

Out

Belden 8103 cable and many similar cables organized as twisted pairs use a special color code
scheme. Instead of each wire using a different color, each pair uses a color. One wire in the pair is
predominately white with a thin color stripe, and the other wire in the pair is predominately the color
with a thin white stripe. When referring to these wires a common convention names the predominate
color first. For example, a blue wire with a thin white stripe is called blue with white (shortened to
blue/white). A white wire with a thin blue stripe is called white with blue (shortened to white/blue).
This convention will be used in this document.
Other wire types can be used, but assuming Belden 8103 cable and the Link RS232 to RS485
converter, the network should be wired as shown in the following sections.

2.1 RS232-RS485 Converter Network Connections

The Link converter is labeled the same way as network drop boxes on the RS485 side. The RS232
side is equipped with a 6' cable that plugs into any standard 9-pin serial port connector on the host
computer. A power cord is also provided. The six terminal RS485 connector should be wired as
follows:

GND - Green/White and White/Green
RXD+ - Orange/White
RXD- - White/Orange
TXD+ - Blue/White
TXD- - White/Blue
SHLD - Shield (bare) Wire of Cable

Although not recommended, if another kind of RS-232 to RS-485 converter is used, it should be set
up in the following manner:

1) If configurable, transmit should always be on.

2) TX+ should connect to RXD+ on the drop box (Orange/White wire).

3) TX- should connect to RXD- on the drop box (White/Orange wire).

4) RX+ should connect to TXD+ on the drop box (Blue/White wire).

5) RX- should connect to TXD- on the drop box (White/Blue wire).

Note that “RX” and “TX” can be called different things depending on the manufacturer of the
converter, but will usually reflect some variation of “transmit” and “receive” (such as TXD and RXD).

2.2 Drop Box Network Connections

There are two kinds of drop boxes, regular and repeater. Regular drop boxes (Figure 2.2) simply
have connectors for field wiring to pass through the communication signals. Repeater drop boxes
(Figure 2.3) have active circuitry in addition to the terminals the regular drop box has. This circuitry
allows the network to extend over 4000ft and can allow more than 32 units to be attached to the line.
Drop boxes have three sets of plugable terminal strips labeled “DATA IN”, “DATA OUT”, and
“UNIT”. The terminal strip labeled “DATA IN” should be connected to the wire coming from the host
computer side, “DATA OUT” should go to the next drop box, and “UNIT” should go to the Link
equipment on the press.

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Figure 2.2: Regular Drop Box Network Connections

Figure 2.3: Repeater Drop Box Network Connections

All three connectors should be wired as follows:

GND Green/White and White/Green
RXD+ Orange/White
RXD- White/Orange
TXD+ Blue/White
TXD- White/Blue
SHLD Shield (bare) Wire of Cable

For Repeaters Only:

L1 “Hot” side of 110V AC
L2 “Neutral” side of 110V AC
M. GND Machine Ground

Some older versions of the drop box do not have the “SHLD” terminal. In this case, tie the shields of all
the cables together with a wire nut.

Whenever possible, the drop boxes should be mounted on the press in easy reach for troubleshooting
purposes. In addition, the length of the line from the drop box to the Link equipment should be kept as
short as reasonably possible. The drop boxes have knockouts sized for ½” conduit or cord grips.

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2.3 OmniLink LCD Operator Terminal Network Connections

There should be five connectors on the
back of the OmniLink 5000 operator
interface terminal as shown in Figure 2.4.
If only four connectors are present, then
an older communications board is
installed. If this is the case, contact Link
for pricing to upgrade the unit to the new
communications board with network
support. Port 5 is the network port and
should be wired as follows:

REF Green/White and White/Green
RXD+ Orange/White
RXD- White/Orange
TXD+ Blue/White
TXD- White/Blue

Figure 2.4: OmniLink LCD Operator Terminal (Back Panel

View) Network Connections

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2.4 OmniLink II LCD Operator Terminal Network Connections

Figure 2.5: OmniLink II LCD Operator Terminal (Front View)

There are eight connectors and a fuse on the back panel of the OmniLink II LCD operator terminal

as shown in Figure 2.6. Port 5 is the network port and should be wired as follows:

ISO GND Green/White and White/Green
+R Orange/White

-R White/Orange
+T Blue/White

-T White/Blue

Network Port

Figure 2.6: OmniLink II LCD Operator Terminal (Back Panel View) Network Connections

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2.5 MicroLink Operator Terminal Network Connections

The communications ports for the MicroLink operator terminal are internal to the unit. The back
cover must be removed to access the ports. Figure 2.7 shows a view of the inside of the MicroLink
terminal. Note that ports 4 and 5 reside on an optional (but usually present) “piggyback” circuit board.
If for some reason this card is not present, contact Link for upgrade information and pricing.

Port 5 is the network port and should be wired as follows:

REF Green/White and White/Green
RXD+ Orange/White
RXD- White/Orange
TXD+ Blue/White
TXD- White/Blue

Figure 2.7: MicroLink Operator Terminal (Back View)

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2.6 System 1100 Connections

System 1100 tonnage monitors with software versions older than version 3.2 in the operator
interface board (the circuit board that is mounted on the door of the 1100) will need to have a software
upgrade in order to function with LinkNet. Contact Link for the appropriate software. The System 1100
has three terminal strips on the circuit board mounted to the door of the unit, two of which should
already be wired. The “NETWORK” port (see Figure 2.8) should be wired as follows:

Terminal A Green/White and White/Green
Terminal B White/Blue
Terminal C Blue/White
Terminal D White/Orange
Terminal E Orange/White

Figure 2.8: System 1100 Network Connections

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2.7 Software Installation

Once the wiring is completed, the software on the host computer must be installed. Insert the
LinkNet compact disk (CD) in the computers CD-ROM drive. If “Auto Insert Notification” is enabled
for the drive (it is by default), then the LinkNet installation program will automatically start when the
CD is inserted. If for some reason “Auto Insert Notification” is not enabled, hit the “Start” button on the
desktop, select “Run...” and when prompted for the name of the program to run type “D:\SETUP”
(without the quotes) and hit the “OK” button. Note that the “D” in “D:\SETUP” should be the drive
letter of your CD-ROM drive.
The installation program will ask where to put the LinkNet files. It is strongly recommended that the
default directory be accepted. Program and data files will then be installed.
The installation program will create a new program group called “LinkNet” and will put a LinkNet
icon on the windows desktop. To start LinkNet, double click on the icon on the desktop, or select it
from the programs menu by hitting the Windows “Start” button, then “Programs”, then the “LinkNet”
group, and then the “LinkNet” selection in that group.

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Section 3 Terminology

In order to fully understand and get the best use of this manual, it is strongly
suggested that this section be read!

Throughout this manual, certain terms are used to describe measurements, statistics, and actions.
Since these terms may mean different things to different people, their meaning as used by LinkNet will
be explained in this section.

• Part - The part is the intended product of a manufacturing operation. For LinkNet this
will usually be a stamping operation. Note that this may not be the desired final
product, as more operations (even additional stamping operations) may need to be
performed on it. In other words, the part from one manufacturing process may
become the material for the next manufacturing process.

• Material - The input to a manufacturing operation from which parts are made. For stamping,
material is typically metal and may come in several forms.

• Sheet - A sheet is a rectangular (or square), flat portion of material.

• Strip - A strip is a long, narrow portion of material. It is sometimes referred to as a

“stick” of material.

• Coil - Material that has been rolled up to better facilitate automated production
processes. This type of material is typically fed to the press from a roll feeder.

• Blank - Material produced from a larger sheet, strip, or coil of material that will be
operated on to produce a part. It may be produced by cutting, shearing, or
from a previous stamping operation.

• Piece - Material usually produced by secondary operations on a blank. It is then fed
into further stamping operations.

• Off-Fall - The portion of the material that is trimmed, cut, or otherwise removed from the
material that becomes the desired part. Note that this is NOT the same thing as
scrap. For example, if feeding a die with square blanks produces a circle, the
portion of material outside the circle that is cut from the blank is the off-fall (see
Figure 3.1).

Off-Fall

Blank

Figure 3.1: Off-Fall Example – Stamping a Circle Out of a Square

Stamping
Operation

3.1

Part

Off-Fall

Manual Version 1.1 10/28/2001

Off-Fall

Off-Fall

• Scrap - The portion of material that ideally would have been a good part, but due to some
defect is not usable. For instance, if a punch in the die breaks, one or more parts
may be made missing a hole. These parts are scrap (unless they can be
reworked).

• Tool - A device used to shape or to perform work on material. For stamping, it is
usually called a die and consists of an upper portion attached to the slide of the
press and a lower portion attached to the bolster of the press. Note that in some
cases more than one tool may be used in a single stamping operation.

• Machine - A machine, as used in LinkNet, is the equipment (typically, but not always, a
stamping press) on which Link products with networking capability are used to
collect information.

• Job - A job, as used by LinkNet, represents a manufacturing process that brings
together a machine, one or more tools, and material to produce a part. Figure 3.2
demonstrates the relationship between these items.

Machine

Number

Capacity

Etc.

Tool 2 (If Applicable)

Tool 1

Job

Machine Number
Material Number
Tool Number
Part Number

Figure 3.2: Relationship Between Machines, Tools, Material, Parts, and Jobs

Press Control Settings
Tonnage Monitor Settings
Die Protection Settings
PLS Settings
Auto-Setup Settings
Etc.

Material

Part

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• Run - A run is the production of a certain number of parts from a job. While LinkNet
collects data by date, shift, etc., it also collects statistics by run. For example,
assume 20000 of part number PN-XYZ are made using job number 123 on press
number 456. The job starts on a Tuesday, runs for 36 hours, and ends on a
Thursday. The 20000 parts made would be one “run” of job 123 even though it
crossed multiple days and multiple shifts.

• Down Time Code - A code used to assign a “reason” that the machine is down (not
running production). Note that in LinkNet, the person entering the reason does
not actually have to remember a numeric code. LinkNet sends the actual
description of the code to each machine on the network. The operator selects
from a list of down time reasons rather than a numeric code.

• Down Time Category - Each down time code has a category to which it belongs. A
category groups related down time codes so they can be considered as a whole.
For instance, job setup may consist of mounting a coil of material, setting the tool
in the press, threading material through the die, and running the process until the
first good part is produced. Each of the previously mentioned individual actions
can be tracked with a down time code, but the total job setup will tracked by the
“Job Setup” down time category.

• Actual Average SPM - The average SPM the press made over all scheduled time. This
DOES count time when the press is on the schedule but down. This does NOT
count time when the press is off-schedule.

• Production Average SPM - May also be called “Average Production SPM”. The average
SPM the press made over all scheduled time when in production (NOT down).
This does NOT count time when the press was idle or down, and does NOT count
time when the press is off-schedule. The intention of this measurement is to show
the speed the press was running when it was running. In some dies, process
limitation (drawing, etc.) can limit the speed at which the process should be run
even if the machine can go faster. On the other hand, we generally want to run
the job as fast as we safely can in order to make money. This measurement
should closely track the stroking speed of the press.

• Job Standard Average SPM - Each Machine/Job combination can have a standard
average SPM. On many reports, the average actual SPM will be compared to this
value in order to generate a machine efficiency percentage.

• Job Standard Production SPM - Each Machine/Job combination can have a standard
production SPM. This is intended to be set to the stroking rate of the press when
running the job. On some reports, a production efficiency percentage will be
generated. This percentage is intended to show when the press is being run too
slow or too fast.

• Scheduled Time - The portion of time that is scheduled as part of a shift. In other words, this
is the time when the machine can be operating. See section 4.7 for details on
schedule configuration.

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• Break Time - Time during a shift when operators are on break. Data is collected but under a
break time code. See section 4.7 for details on schedule configuration.

• Off Schedule Time - Time when no shift should be active. For instance, if the plant is shut
down on Sunday, this is off-schedule time. Some, but not all, data is still logged,
but under the off-schedule time code. See section 4.7 for details on schedule
configuration.

• Shift Date - A shift date can be different from the calendar date. For instance, a shift
could start on Sunday at 10:00PM and end on Monday at 6:00AM. The shift
spans two calendar days. Whatever day of the week this shift is configured on
(see section 4.7 for details on schedule configuration) is the shift date for this
shift.

• OEE - Overall Equipment Effectiveness. This is a standard measurement use in
some circles to measure how effectively equipment is being used. To boil it
down, this is the percentage of parts produced versus the amount of parts that
could have been produced had everything run perfectly and at best speed.

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Section 4 Configuration

After the software is installed, it must be configured. This consists of the following steps:

• Configure LinkNet security.

• Select a communications port for LinkNet to use to “talk” to the machines.

• Configure the number of shifts, and shift times for each day.

• Enter any additional down time categories to the standard categories supplied.

• Enter down time codes and their descriptions.

• Enter material information.

• Enter tool information.

• Enter part information.

• Tell LinkNet what machines are present.

• Tell LinkNet what dies are present.

• Configure preventive maintenance.

4.1 LinkNet Security

LinkNet prevents unauthorized changes to its
configuration by allowing the configuration of
multiple operators, each with their own pass codes
and permissions. As shipped, there is only one
user, “Admin”, with a pass code of 444. The only
permission “Admin” has, as shipped, is to
configure other operators. After configuring
additional operators, the Admin pass code should
be changed to something other value. Pass codes
are four digit numeric values. The “Admin”
operator cannot be deleted.

NOTE: It is VERY important to
change the “Admin” pass code from its
default value. Failure to do so leaves
your system open to abuse since it is
likely that the default pass code can and
will be generally known.

When choosing a protected menu item in LinkNet
(any configuration item is protected), a login list

Figure 4.1: Operator Login

similar to Figure 4.1 will be displayed. Only
operators with the permission to change the item selected will be displayed in the list. Select the
appropriate operator name and the pass code will be requested. After the pass code is successfully
entered, LinkNet will allow changes to the configuration. The login will remain active as long as there
is activity by the user. When 1 minute passes with no activity by the user, the login will automatically
terminate.

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4.2 Operator Configuration

Before anything else can be
done in LinkNet, operators must be
configured. Any number of
operators can be configured, each
with separate pass codes and
permissions. To configure
operators, select “Configure” and
then “Operators” from the LinkNet
menu. The login list should appear
(See Figure 4.1 for an example).
After login, an operator list box
similar to Figure 4.2 should appear.
From the operator configuration
list, operators can be added, edited,
or deleted.

4.2.1 Adding an Operator

Figure 4.2: Operator Listing

To add an operator, hit the
“Add Operator” button at the
bottom of the operator list (see
Figure 4.2). A dialog box similar to
Figure 4.3 will appear. Clicking
the “Tabs” along the top of the
dialog box (labeled “General”,
“Comp. Perm.”, “Miscellaneous”,
and “Notes”) will show different
aspects of the operator
configuration.

4.2.1.1 Operator General

Information

The “General” tab (see Figure

4.3 for an example) contains, as
expected, some general information
about the operator. The first entry
needed is “Operator Name”. This
can be the name of a specific

Figure 4.3: Operator Configuration General Dialog

person, a job description, or
anything else meaningful and will show up in the login list as shown in Figure 4.1. “Employee ID” is an
optional field. At present, it is not used by LinkNet itself. The pass code can be up to four numeric
digits. “Operator Number”, at the bottom of the dialog box, is the unique number assigned to the
operator for internal database operations and is displayed for information only.

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4.2.1.2 Operator Computer Permissions

The “Comp. Perm.” (Computer
Permissions) tab is used to configure the
operations each LinkNet user is allowed
to do. Note that there is more than one
“Comp. Perm.” tab. Check each item
the user is allowed to do by clicking on
the item (clicking the item will toggle
the check mark). Make sure each item
the user is NOT allowed to do is
unchecked. Be sure to go to each
“Comp. Perm.” tab to select all the
user’s permissions.

Figure 4.4: Operator Configuration Computer Permissions Dialog

4.2.1.3 Operator Miscellaneous Settings

The “Miscellaneous” tab contains
three customer-defined fields, which are
50 character alphanumeric. These
settings are not used by LinkNet but can
be used to store any other information
desired. One use for these fields might
be as a way for external programs or
databases to find data in LinkNet
databases.

Figure 4.5: Operator Configuration Miscellaneous Settings Dialog

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4.2.1.4 Operator Notes

The “Notes” tab allows notes to be
entered for the operator. These notes
are for reference use and are completely
free form. The length of the notes is
essentially unlimited.

Figure 4.6: Operator Configuration Notes Dialog Box

4.2.2 Editing an Operator

To edit an operator, double click on the operator name in the operator configuration list (see Figure

4.2 for an example), or select an operator in the list by single clicking it, and hit the “Edit Operator”
button. This will bring up the same editing dialogs as used when adding an operator. See Section 4.2.1
for details.

4.2.3 Deleting an Operator

To delete an operator, select an operator from the list by single clicking it, and hit the “Delete
Operator” button. A box will appear asking for confirmation for the deletion. Note that the “Admin”
operator cannot be deleted.

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4.3 Database Location Configuration (Standalone and Server Versions Only)

By default, LinkNet stores its
database files in the directory where it is
installed. This can be changed,
however, so that the database files can
be stored on a network server for easier
backup. To change the database
location, select “Configure” and then
“Database Directory” from the LinkNet
menu. After logging in (refer to section

Figure 4.7 Database Location Configuration Dialog

4.1), a dialog similar to Figure 4.7
should appear. Type the new directory in the edit box. Alternatively, hit the “…” button at the right of
edit box to bring up a standard windows directory browsing dialog.

4.4 Database and Server IP Address Configuration (Client Version Only)

LinkNet client software needs to
know the location of the database files
the LinkNet server software is using as
well as the TCP/IP address of the
LinkNet server on the network. In
addition, the update rate must be
configured. The update rate determines
how often the pressroom overview
screen is updated with new information.
Typically, the update rate should be set
somewhere in the neighborhood of 10
seconds. It can be set as low as 1
second, if desired.

Figure 4.8: Database Location and Server IP Address

Configuration Dialog

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4.5 Communications Port Configuration

LinkNet uses a standard RS-232
serial port (commonly called a “comm
port”) to communicate with the
machines on the factory floor via an
external RS-232 to RS-485 converter.
No boards have to be installed or
configured on the host computer. There
are typically two comm ports installed in
most computers, “COM1" and “COM2",
although others may be present as well.
An unused comm port must be available
for LinkNet to use.
Select “Configure” and then “Comm

Figure 4.9: Communication Port Configuration Dialog Box

Port” from the menu in LinkNet and a dialog box similar to Figure 4.9 should appear. Note that only
comm ports that are not currently in use (by anything other than LinkNet itself) show up in the “Comm
Port” list. Pick the comm port that will be used by LinkNet from the list and click on the “OK” button.

NOTE: The various timeouts and delays in this menu are present for troubleshooting
only. Do not change these values unless instructed to do so by a Link representative.
Doing so could render communications unstable or unusable!

.

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4.6 Configuring Shifts

LinkNet collects most information only while in a shift. This keeps the system from needlessly
filling up the hard drive with information not related to production and lets many types of information
be tracked by shift. The relative performance of different shifts can then be compared and analyzed.

To configure the number and names
of shifts, select “Configure” and then
“Shifts” from the LinkNet menu. A
dialog similar to Figure 4.10 should
appear. Any number of shifts can be
configured, although three is typical.
The shift listing dialog box has buttons
to add, edit, or delete shifts.

4.6.1 Adding a Shift

To add a shift, click the “Add”

Figure 4.10: Shift Listing Dialog Box

button on the shift listing dialog box (see
Figure 4.10). A dialog box similar to
Figure 4.11 should appear. The shift
number, by default, will be the next
available shift number. If desired, a
different shift number can be entered, as
long it has not already been used. The
shift name can be anything, but by
default will be “Shift 1”, “Shift 2”, etc.
Note that the shift name could just as
well be made “Weekend Shift”,
“Overtime Shift”, etc. The customer
fields are not directly used by LinkNet
and can be anything you wish. A space
for notes is provided at the bottom of the
dialog box. Finally, note that the
“Enabled” check box will let you enable
of disable a shift by checking or un­checking the box respectively.

Figure 4.11: Shift Configuration Dialog Box

4.6.2 Editing a Shift

To edit a shift, highlight the shift you want to edit in the shift listing dialog box (see Figure 4.10) and
click the “Edit” button. Alternatively, the shift can be “double clicked” in the list. A dialog box similar
to Figure 4.11 will appear. The same options apply as in adding a shift (see previous section), with the
exception that the shift number cannot be changed.

4.6.3 Deleting a Shift

To delete a shift, highlight the shift you want to delete in the shift listing dialog box (see Figure

4.10) and click the “Delete” button. A message box will appear asking to verify the deletion. Hit the
“Yes” button to delete the shift or “No” to cancel the deletion.

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4.7 Configuring the Shift Schedule

To configure the shift schedule, select “Configure” and then “Schedule” from the LinkNet menu. A
dialog box similar to Figure 4.12 will appear. For each shift configured, a set of times for each day that
the shift is active needs to be entered. The starting and ending time of each shift can be configured in 10­minute intervals. By default, when a shift is added (see Section 4.6) it gets a disabled time entry for
each day of the week. As shown in Figure 4.12, each day gets an independent schedule. That is, shift 1
(or any shift for that matter) can have different hours on each day of the week.

Figure 4.12 Pressroom Schedule Listing Dialog Box

Clicking any of the radio buttons (labeled Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc) will display the scheduled
times for that day. In addition, there is a separate radio button for one-time adjustments. Unlike the day
of week settings, which apply every day of that week (every Monday, for example), a one-time
adjustment overrides the schedule only from one day and time to another day and time.

Notice also that a “Set This Day The Same As Monday” button is available when viewing every day
except Monday and when viewing “One-Time Adjustments”.

Note: Since Monday thorough Friday typically uses the same schedule, Monday can be set up first, and
then the other days can be set the same as Monday by clicking the “Set This Day The Same As Monday”
button when viewing the other days.

The listing area in this dialog box has several headings for the schedule information:

Name: The name of the schedule entry for the day displayed.

Time Type: The type of time for the schedule entry. This can be one of the following types:

Normal Daily Schedule: A normal scheduled shift time that applies for the given day of the

week. For every configured shift, a schedule entry of this type is provided for each day.

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Daily Schedule Extension: A shift could possibly run for two non-contiguous times during the
day. When adding another scheduled time for a shift (besides the “Normal Daily Schedule”), a
schedule entry of this type will be created.

Daily Break: A break that applies for the given day of the week. This kind of entry, in effect,
makes a “hole” in the schedule. That is, during the time the break is in effect, information is
logged under a different time code and is not counted as scheduled shift time.

One-Time Schedule Extension: A one-time schedule extension overrides the normal daily
schedule by adding a shift time from one date and time to another date and time. For instance,
the pressroom supervisor may decide to have shift one work overtime starting 9/8/2001 at
6:00AM and running to 9/8/2001 at 2:00PM.

One-Time Schedule Deletion: A one-time schedule deletion overrides the normal daily schedule
by removing time from the schedule from one date and time to another date and time. For
instance, the pressroom supervisor may eliminate a Christmas holiday from the schedule by
deleting time from 12/24/2001 at 6:00PM to 12/26/2001 at 11:30PM.

Shift: The shift to which the schedule entry applies.

Status: The status of the schedule entry can be enabled, disabled, or expired. If an entry is disabled,

it will have no actual effect on the schedule. An expired entry applies to one-time schedule
adjustments that have already passed. For instance, a one-time adjustment that ran from 9/7/2001 at
6:10AM to 9/7/2001 at 10:00PM will show up as expired after 9/7/2001 at 10:00PM.

Start Time: The starting time of the schedule entry.

End Time: The ending time of the schedule entry.

Hours: The number of hours between the start and end times.

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4.7.1 Adding a Shift Schedule Time

To add a scheduled time, press
the “Add Time” button at the bottom
of the pressroom schedule listing
dialog box. A dialog box similar to
Figure 4.13 will appear. The
settings in this dialog box are:

Name: The name of the time that
will appear in the schedule listing.

Enabled: Controls whether or not
the schedule entry is actually used.
Check the enabled box to use the
entry, uncheck the box to NOT use
the entry.

Shift: The shift to which the time
entry applies. Clicking the small
down arrow at the far right of the
shift field will bring up a list of
shifts from which to choose.

Figure 4.13: Schedule Time Configuration Dialog Box

Starting Time: The time at which
this shift starts. The time can be directly entered by clicking in the time field and typing the numbers or
the small up and down arrow keys to the right of the field can be used to increment and decrement the
time. Notice that the shift can start on the previous calendar day. For example, Figure 4.13 shows a
shift entry for Friday. The starting time could begin on Thursday by checking the Thursday checkbox
just to the right of the time.

Stopping Time: The time at which this shift ends. The time can be directly entered by clicking in the
time field and typing the numbers or the small up and down arrow keys to the right of the field can be
used to increment and decrement the time. Notice that the shift can end on the next calendar day. For
example, Figure 4.13 shows a shift entry for Friday. The ending time could end on Saturday by
checking the Saturday checkbox just to the right of the time.

Customer Fields: LinkNet does not directly use the customer fields. These three fields are provided for
custom uses by, of course, the customer.

Notes: Any notes for this time entry may be entered in the notes field.

4.7.2 Adding a Break Time

To add a break time, such as a lunch, press the “Add A Break” button at the bottom of the pressroom
schedule listing dialog box. A dialog box similar to Figure 4.13 will appear. The process for setting up
the break is identical to setting up a shift time with the exception that the “Shift” setting is unavailable
(See Section 4.7.1 for details). Breaks are not directly associated with a specific shift, but strictly with
time. Breaks, in effect, create a “hole” in the schedule so that time is logged under a break time code
instead of as production time.

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4.7.3 Adding a One-Time Schedule Entry

To add a one-time schedule
adjustment, select the “one-time
adjustments” button (see Figure 4.12).
Any current one-time adjustments will
be displayed in the list. Hit the “Add
Time” button and a dialog box similar to
Figure 4.14 will appear. This dialog box
is very similar to the standard daily time
configuration dialog box (see Section

4.7.1 for details), with the exception of
the starting and ending time sections.

Unlike a normal schedule, a one­time schedule adjustment must specify
starting and ending dates as well as a
starting and ending times. The date can
be entered by directly typing it in, or the
small down arrow to the right of the
field can be clicked. This will bring
down a miniature calendar as shown in
Figure 4.14. The right and left arrows
increment and decrement the month, and
the day is selected by clicking it in the

Figure 4.14: One-Time Schedule Entry Dialog Box

calendar.

The time can be directly entered by clicking in the time field and typing the numbers or the small up
and down arrow keys to the right of the field can be used to increment and decrement the time.

All other settings in this dialog box are the same as setting the daily schedule. See Section 4.7.1 for
details.

4.7.4 Adding a One-Time Break

To add a one-time break, select the “one-time adjustments” button (see Figure 4.12). Any current
one-time adjustments will be displayed in the list. Hit the “Add A Break” button and a dialog box
similar to Figure 4.14 will appear. This dialog box is very similar to the standard daily time
configuration dialog box (see Section 4.7.1 for details), with the exception of the starting and ending
time sections. Breaks are not directly associated with a specific shift, but strictly with time, so the
“Shift” setting is unavailable. Breaks, in effect, create a “hole” in the schedule so that time is logged
under a break time code instead of as production time.

Unlike a normal schedule, a one-time break must specify starting and ending dates as well as a
starting and ending times. The date can be entered by directly typing it in, or the small down arrow to
the right of the field can be clicked. This will bring down a miniature calendar as shown in Figure 4.14.
The right and left arrows increment and decrement the month, and the day is selected by clicking it in
the calendar.

The time can be directly entered by clicking in the time field and typing the numbers or the small up
and down arrow keys to the right of the field can be used to increment and decrement the time.

All other settings in this dialog box are the same as setting the daily schedule. See Section 4.7.1 for
details.

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4.8 Down Time Configuration

Down time codes (DTCs) are numeric values that have a user assigned meaning attached to them.
These codes allow the user to track the uptime, downtime, and usage of each press. Each DTC has a
user-entered description that is downloaded to Link equipment and an associated category. When a
machine has to be stopped (or is stopped by monitoring equipment such as tonnage monitors, die
protection, and so on), the operator can enter the reason for the stop by selecting one of the DTC
descriptions that were downloaded to the press.

Note: Although the down time codes are numeric values, the operator at the machine does NOT
have to remember the numeric value. Instead, the operator selects from a list of the actual
descriptions assigned to the codes.

The time spent in a DTC is logged by LinkNet into a database that can be viewed and analyzed.
Problem spots (such as repeated problems with a feed, material, lubrication, etc.) can be easily identified
by the percentage of down time that they cause. This enables supervisors to target limited time, money,
and other resources at the areas that will do the most good in terms of production.

4.8.1 Down Time Category Configuration

To configure down time
categories, select “Configure”
and then “Down Time
Categories” from the LinkNet
menu. A dialog box similar
to Figure 4.15 will appear.
The listing shows the category
name and the type of the
down time categories. The
“Standard” category types are
predefined

The example listing shows
several standard down time
categories that are always
present, and four customer­defined categories. Note that
standard down time categories
cannot be deleted.

Some of the standard
categories are used to track

Figure 4.15: Down Time Category Listing

certain types of information
within LinkNet. For instance, all down time related to job installation and job removal should always
use the standard categories of that type in order for job changeover time to be correctly tracked. The use
of equivalent customer defined categories will not allow LinkNet to track job changeover correctly.

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4.8.1.1 Adding a Down Time Category

To add a down time category, hit the
“Add Category” button on the down
time category listing (see Figure 4.15)
and a dialog box similar to Figure 4.16
will appear. The settings in this dialog
box are:

Category Description: This is the
description of the down time category
that will show up in reports.

Type: Type can be “Customer Defined”
or “Retired”. “Customer Defined” is the
normal setting. If a category is no
longer needed or desired, it can be
“Retired” instead of deleted. This will
allow it to be brought back with a

Figure 4.16: Down Time Category Configuration Dialog Box

minimum of trouble if needed later.

Customer Fields: LinkNet does not directly use the customer fields. These three fields are provided for
custom uses by, of course, the customer.

Meaning: The meaning of the down time category and its intended use can be entered here.

4.8.1.2 Editing a Down Time Category

To edit a down time category, highlight the category you want to edit in the listing dialog box (see
Figure 4.15) and click the “Edit Category” button. Alternatively, the category can be “double clicked”
in the list. A dialog box similar to Figure 4.16 will appear. The same options apply as in adding a
category (see previous section).

4.8.1.3 Deleting a Down Time Category

To delete a down time category, highlight the category you want to delete in the listing dialog box
(see Figure 4.15) and click the “Delete Category” button. A message box will appear asking to verify
the deletion. Hit the “Yes” button to delete the category or “No” to cancel the deletion.

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4.8.2 Down Time Code Configuration

To configure down time
codes, select “Configure”
and then “Down Time
Codes” from the LinkNet
menu. A dialog box similar
to Figure 4.17 will appear.
The listing shows the down
time code, the down time
description, and the down
time category.

After all additions,
changes, or deletions have
been made, click the “OK”
button. The DTC
descriptions will then be sent
to each press on the network
automatically.

Figure 4.17: Down Time Code Listing

4.8.2.1 Adding a Down Time Code

To add a down time code (DTC),
click on the “Add DTC” button on the
down time code listing (see Figure

4.17). A dialog box similar to Figure

4.18 should appear. The settings in this
dialog box are:

Down Time Code: By default, the DTC
number is the next available number, but
may be changed to any unused number
between 1 and 250.

Description: Up to 25 characters can be
entered for the DTC description, but
note that the System 1100 can only
display the first 19 characters.

Category: The down time category can
be any of the standard categories or any
of the customer define categories. See
section 4.8.1 for details.

Figure 4.18: Down Time Code Configuration Dialog Box

Customer Fields: LinkNet does not directly use the customer fields. These three fields are provided for
custom uses by, of course, the customer.

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Meaning: The meaning of the down time code and its intended use can be entered here.

4.8.2.2 Editing a Down Time Code

To Edit a DTC, select a DTC from the down time code listing (see Figure 4.17) and click on the
“Edit DTC” button. Alternatively, the DTC can be “double clicked” in the list. A dialog box similar to
Figure 4.18 will appear. The same options apply as in adding a DTC (see previous section) with the
exception that the numeric code cannot be changed. If the numeric code needs to be changed, delete the
old DTC and add a new one with the desired number.

4.8.2.3 Deleting a Down Time Code

To delete a DTC, select a DTC from the list (see Figure 4.17) and click on the “Delete DTC” button.
A message will appear indicating that the selected DTC is about to be deleted and will ask for
confirmation. Click the “Yes” button to delete the DTC or the “No” button to keep the DTC.

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4.9 Machine Configuration

Since the same network
cable is shared by each
machine on the network (see
Figure 2.1), LinkNet uses a
machine number to identify
the particular press that it
wants to “talk” to. Each
machine on the network must
therefore be assigned a
unique non-zero number (up
to four digits). In addition,
several settings related to
machines need to be
configured.

To configure machines,
select “Configure” and then
“Machines” from the
LinkNet menu. A machine
listing similar to Figure 4.19
will appear. The listing

Figure 4.19: Machine Listing

shows the machine number
and machine description of all currently configured machines. Buttons at the bottom of the list box are
also provided to add, edit, or delete machines.

4.9.1 Adding a Machine

When the machine
numbers of each unit
connected to the network have
been entered, LinkNet must
be told what they are.

To add a machine to
LinkNet, hit the “Add
Machine” button at the
bottom of the machine listing
as shown in Figure 4.19. A
dialog box similar to Figure

4.20 should appear. Note that
this dialog box has “tabs”
along the top showing
“General”, “Physical
Characteristics”, “Stroking
Modes”, “Miscellaneous”,
“Prev. Maint.”, “Configured
Runs”, and “Notes”. Each of

Figure 4.20: Machine Configuration General Settings Dialog Box

these tabs, when hit, will
bring up a different page of options for the machine. The following sections detail each page of settings.

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4.9.1.1 Machine General Settings

The “General” machine settings page (see Figure 4.20) contains information and settings required

for the proper operation of LinkNet with the machine. The information and settings on this page are:

Detected Equipment: The Link equipment on the press is reported here. If no equipment shows up in
this area, the machine is not communicating with LinkNet.

Machine Number: The number assigned to the machine for the purpose of LinkNet communications.
This number is assigned at the machine and may be up to four numeric digits. The same number must
be set both at the machine and on this page for LinkNet to communicate with the machine.

Property Number: The property number is not directly used by LinkNet but is provided as a
convenience for informational purposes.

Machine Description: This is displayed in the overview screen to help identify the press by something
more easily remembered than a machine number.

Manufacturer: The machine manufacturer is not directly used by LinkNet but is provided as a
convenience for informational purposes.

Model: The machine model number is not directly used by LinkNet but is provided as a convenience
for informational purposes.

4.9.1.2 Machine Physical Characteristics Settings

The “Physical
Characteristics” settings
page (see Figure 4.21)
contains information about
the capacities and size of
the machine. The settings
in this page are not
currently used by LinkNet,
but may be in the future.
At present, these are for
informational purposes.
The information and
settings on this page are:

Show Units In: All units
on this page can be shown
in English or metric units.
Note that values can be
entered in one unit, and

Figure 4.21: Machine Configuration Physical Characteristics Dialog Box

displayed in another.

Tonnage: The tonnage capacity of the press.

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Stroke: The stroke of the press.

Con. Rod Length: The length of the connecting rod that goes from the crankshaft to the slide.

Min. Shutheight: The minimum shutheight of which the press is capable.

Max. Shutheight: The maximum shutheight of which the press is capable.

Bed Width: The width of the press bed.

Bed Depth: The depth of the press bed.

Coil Feed Capable: Check this box if the press is equipped with a coil feed.

Max Coil Width: This setting is only available if “Coil Feed Capable” is checked. The maximum width

of material that the coil feed can handle.

Max. Coil Thickness: This setting is only available if “Coil Feed Capable” is checked. The maximum
thickness of material that the coil feed can handle.

4.9.1.3 Machine Stroking Mode Settings

The “Stroking Modes”

settings page (see Figure

4.22) contains information
about the available stroking
modes of the machine as well
as the minimum and
maximum stroking speeds.
The settings in this page are
not currently used by
LinkNet, but may be in the
future. At present, these are
for informational purposes.
The information and settings
on this page are:

Stroking Modes: If an
OmniLink 5000 press control
is on the press, the available
press stroking modes will be

Figure 4.22: Machine Configuration Stroking Modes Dialog Box

reported here but cannot be
changed. Otherwise, check the modes that are available on the press being configured.

Minimum SPM: The minimum strokes per minute that the machine is capable of running.

Maximum SPM: The maximum strokes per minute that the machine is capable of running.

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4.9.1.4 Machine Miscellaneous Settings

The “Miscellaneous”
settings page (see Figure

4.23) contains the press idle
timeout value and several
other settings. The
information and settings on
this page are:

Idle Timeout: The amount
of time in minutes that a
machine can go without
making a stroke before being
considered “idle”. In order
to track machine utilization,
it is necessary to know not
only when a machine is
down, but also when it is
simply not in use. After the
number of minutes set by this

Figure 4.23: Machine Miscellaneous Settings Dialog Box

parameter without stroking,
the machine will automatically go into a “Machine Idle” down time code. This condition is
automatically cleared when the press makes a stroke.

Flag DP Bypass: When checked, tells LinkNet to blink the status field in the overview display with a
red “DP Bypassed” when the die protection system, if present, is bypassed.

Flag TM Bypass: When checked, tells LinkNet to blink the status field in the overview display with a
red “TM Bypassed” when the tonnage monitor, if present, is bypassed.

Flag TM Low Lim Off: When checked, tells LinkNet to blink the status field in the overview display
with a red “TM Low SPs Off” when the tonnage monitor, if present, has its low limits turned off.

Flag TM Rev Lim Off: When checked, tells LinkNet to blink the status field in the overview display
with a red “TM Rev SPs Off” when the tonnage monitor, if present, has its reverse limits turned off.

Customer Fields: LinkNet does not directly use the customer fields. These three fields are provided for
custom uses by, of course, the customer.

4.9.1.5 Machine Notes

The “Notes” settings page provides a space for machine notes. While not required, these notes can
be viewed at the machine on OmniLink 5000 press controls and MicroLink operator terminals.
Lubrication types, material needs, or any other information desired can be typed here.

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4.9.2 Editing a Machine

From the machine listing (see Figure 4.19), select a machine and hit the “Edit Machine” button.
Alternatively, the machine can be “double clicked” in the list. The dialog of Figure 4.20 will be
displayed. All items except the machine number may be edited in the same way as adding a machine
(see section 4.9.1 for details).

4.9.3 Deleting a Machine

To delete a machine, select it from the machine listing (see Figure 4.19) and click on the “Delete
Machine” button. A message will appear indicating that the selected machine is about to be deleted and
will ask for confirmation. Click the “Yes” button to delete the machine or the “No” button to keep the
machine.

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4.10 Material Configuration

Material, if desired, can
be associated with jobs that
run on machines. Figure 3.2
shows the relationship
between a machine, tooling,
material, a job, and a part.

To configure material,
select “Configure” and then
“Material” from the LinkNet
menu. A material listing
similar to Figure 4.24 will
appear. The listing shows the
material number and material
description of all currently
configured material. Buttons
at the bottom of the list box
are also provided to add, edit,
or delete material.

Figure 4.24: Material Listing

Note: Material is an optional configuration item. It is not necessary to configure material for LinkNet

to track production and down time data. If configured, however, the material can be associated with job
runs.

4.10.1 Adding Material

To add material, hit the “Add
Material” button at the bottom of
the material listing as shown in
Figure 4.24. A dialog box
similar to Figure 4.25 should
appear. Note that this dialog box
has “tabs” along the top showing
“General”, “Physical
Characteristics”,
“Miscellaneous”, and “Notes”.
Each of these tabs, when hit, will
bring up a different page of
options for the material. The
following sections detail each
page of settings.

Figure 4.25: Material Configuration General Settings Dialog Box

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4.10.1.1 Material General Settings

The “General” material settings page (see Figure 4.25) contains internal and supplier part numbers

and descriptions. The information and settings on this page are:

Internal Part Number: The internal part number of the material. This will usually be the stock number
of the material in question.

Description: The description typed here will show up in the material listing and in other places in
LinkNet where material must be specified.

Supplier Part Number: The material part number as ordered from the supplier.

Supplier: The name of the supplier of the material.

4.10.1.2 Material Physical Characteristics Settings

The “Physical
Characteristics” settings page
(see Figure 4.26) contains
information about the physical
nature of the material. The
settings in this page are not
currently used by LinkNet, but
may be in the future. At present,
these are for informational
purposes. The information and
settings on this page are:

Material Type: The material
type can be chosen from among
“Unknown”, “Coil”, “Strip”,
“Blank”, “Piece”, “Sheet”, and
“Tube”.

Show Units In: All units on this
page can be shown in English or

Figure 4.26: Material Configuration Physical Characteristics Dialog Box

metric units. Note that values
can be entered in one unit, and displayed in another.

Width or Tube Diameter: The width of the material - or the tube diameter if the material type is tube.

Length: Depending on the type, this may be the coil length, piece length, etc.

Thickness: The material thickness.

End Waste: The length of material (at the end of a coil or strip for instance) that is typically wasted or

unusable.

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Weight Per Length: The weight per length (in the units specified to the right of the entry field) of the
material.

Avg. Coil Weight or Weight Per Piece: The average weight of a coil of material – or of a piece of
material for non-coil material types.

4.10.1.3 Material Miscellaneous Settings

The “Miscellaneous” settings page contains customer fields for the material. LinkNet does not
directly use the customer fields. These three fields are provided for custom uses by, of course, the
customer.

4.10.1.4 Material Notes

The “Notes” settings page provides a space for material notes. LinkNet does not directly use these
notes – they are provided for customer information.

4.10.2 Editing Material

From the material listing (see Figure 4.24), select a material item and hit the “Edit Material” button.
Alternatively, the material can be “double clicked” in the list. The dialog of Figure 4.25 will be
displayed. All items except the internal part number may be edited in the same way as adding material
(see section 4.10.1 for details).

4.10.3 Deleting Material

To delete material, select it from the material listing (see Figure 4.24) and click on the “Delete
Material” button. A message will appear indicating that the selected material is about to be deleted and
will ask for confirmation. Click the “Yes” button to delete the material or the “No” button to keep the
material.

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4.11 Tooling Configuration

For LinkNet to track tool
strokes and other tooling
related preventive
maintenance, tooling must be
configured and associated
with jobs. Figure 3.2 shows
the relationship between a
machine, tooling, material, a
job, and a part.

To configure tooling,
select “Configure” and then
“Tooling” from the LinkNet
menu. A tool listing similar
to Figure 4.27 will appear.
The listing shows the tool
number, tool description, and
tool status of all currently
configured tools.

The tool status is either
“Available”, “Down For

Figure 4.27: Tool Listing

Scheduled Maintenance” or
“Down For Non-Scheduled Maintenance”. Buttons at the bottom of the list box are also provided to
add, edit, or delete tools.

4.11.1 Adding a Tool

To add a tool, hit the “Add
Tool” button at the bottom of the
tool listing as shown in Figure

4.27. A dialog box similar to
Figure 4.28 should appear. Note
that this dialog box has “tabs”
along the top showing “General”,
“Physical Characteristics”,
“Miscellaneous”, “Prev. Maint.”,
and “Notes”. Each of these tabs,
when hit, will bring up a different
page of options for the tool. The
following sections detail each
page of settings.

Figure 4.28: Tool Configuration General Settings Dialog Box

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4.11.1.1 Tool General Settings

The “General” tool settings page (see Figure 4.28) has the following settings:

Tool Number: The tool number can be up to 50 alphanumeric characters.

Description: The tool description will show up in tool lists and reports.

Property Number: LinkNet does not directly use this field. It is provided for customer information.

Tool Manufacturer: The manufacturer of this tool. This field is used to track tool problems by

manufacturer.

Tool Issue Contact: The person to contact when problems or questions arise in connection with this
tool.

Date Manufactured: The date of manufacture of the tool.

Standard Setup Time: The average amount of time it takes to install this tool in a machine.

Standard Removal Time: The average amount of time it takes to remove this tool from a machine.

4.11.1.2 Tool Physical Characteristics Settings

The “Physical
Characteristics” settings page (see
Figure 4.29) contains information
about the physical nature of the
tool. The settings in this page are
not currently used by LinkNet,
but may be in the future. At
present, these are for
informational purposes. The
information and settings on this
page are:

Show Units In: All units on this
page can be shown in English or
metric units. Note that values can
be entered in one unit, and
displayed in another.

Minimum Stroke: The minimum
stroke necessary to run this tool

Figure 4.29: Tool Configuration Physical Characteristics Dialog Box

properly.

Shutheight: The shutheight necessary to run this tool.

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Maximum SPM: The maximum SPM at which this tool should be run regardless of the capability of the
machine in which it is run.

Bed Width: The width of the machine bed necessary to hold the tool.

Bed Depth: The depth of the machine bed necessary to hold the tool.

Minimum Tonnage: The minimum tonnage necessary to properly run the tool.

4.11.1.3 Tool Miscellaneous Settings

The “Miscellaneous” settings page contains customer fields for the tool. LinkNet does not directly

use the customer fields. These three fields are provided for custom uses by, of course, the customer.

4.11.1.4 Tool Notes

The “Notes” settings page provides a space for tool notes.

4.11.2 Editing Tooling

From the tool listing (see Figure 4.27), select a tool and hit the “Edit Tool” button. Alternatively, the
tool can be “double clicked” in the list. The dialog of Figure 4.28 will be displayed. All items except
the tool number may be edited in the same way as adding a tool (see section 4.11.1 for details).

4.11.3 Deleting Tooling

To delete a tool, select it from the tool listing (see Figure 4.27) and click on the “Delete Tool”
button. A message will appear indicating that the selected tool is about to be deleted and will ask for
confirmation. Click the “Yes” button to delete the tool or the “No” button to keep the tool.

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4.12 Part Configuration

LinkNet can track many
statistics by part number as
well as tool and job. To do
this, some part information
must be configured and
associated with jobs. Figure

3.2 shows the relationship
between a machine, tooling,
material, a job, and a part.

To configure parts, select
“Configure” and then “Parts”
from the LinkNet menu. A
part listing similar to Figure

4.30 will appear. The listing
shows the part number, part
description, and part status of
all currently configured parts.

The tool status is either
“Available”, “Down For
Scheduled Maintenance” or

Figure 4.30: Part Listing

“Down For Non-Scheduled
Maintenance”. Buttons at the bottom of the list box are also provided to add, edit, or delete parts.

4.12.1 Adding a Part

To add a part, hit the “Add
Part” button at the bottom of the
part listing as shown in Figure

4.30. A dialog box similar to
Figure 4.31 should appear. Note
that this dialog box has “tabs”
along the top showing “General”,
“Physical Characteristics”,
“Miscellaneous”, and “Notes”.
Each of these tabs, when hit, will
bring up a different page of
options for the part. The
following sections detail each
page of settings.

Figure 4.31: Part Configuration General Settings

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4.12.1.1 Part General Settings

The “General” part settings page (see Figure 4.31) has the following settings:

Internal Part Number: The internal part number can be up to 50 alphanumeric characters.

Description: The part description will show up in part lists and reports.

Internal Material Number: Set this to the material typically used to make this part.

Customer Name: The name of the customer for whom this part is made.

Customer Part Number: The customers part number for this part (50 alphanumeric characters).

4.12.1.2 Part Physical Characteristics Settings

The “Physical
Characteristics” settings page
(see Figure 4.32) contains
information about the physical
nature of the part. The settings
in this page are not currently
used by LinkNet, but may be in
the future. At present, these are
for informational purposes. The
information and settings on this
page are:

Show Units In: All units on this
page can be shown in English or
metric units. Note that values
can be entered in one unit, and
displayed in another.

Weight of 1 Part: The weight of
one of this part.

Figure 4.32: Part Configuration Physical Characteristics Settings

4.12.1.3 Part Miscellaneous Settings

The “Miscellaneous” settings page contains customer fields for the part. LinkNet does not directly
use the customer fields. These three fields are provided for custom uses by, of course, the customer.

4.12.1.4 Part Notes

The “Notes” settings page provides a space for part notes.

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4.12.2 Editing Parts

From the part listing (see Figure 4.30), select a part and hit the “Edit Part” button. Alternatively, the
part can be “double clicked” in the list. The dialog of Figure 4.31 will be displayed. All items except
the internal part number may be edited in the same way as adding a part (see section 4.12.1 for details).

4.12.3 Deleting Parts

To delete a part, select it from the part listing (see Figure 4.30) and click on the “Delete Part” button.
A message will appear indicating that the selected part is about to be deleted and will ask for
confirmation. Click the “Yes” button to delete the part or the “No” button to keep the part.

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4.13 Job Configuration

Jobs are the central unifying element in LinkNet data collection. In LinkNet, as shown in Figure 3.2,
jobs bring together machines, tools, and material to make a part. The job number on LinkNet for a given
machine corresponds directly to the job number of the stored job on that machine. On the machine, the
job encompasses all the machine settings for tonnage monitor, programmable limit switch, press control,
die protection, and any other settings that are controlled by Link equipment.

NOTE: Jobs that have the same number but are on different machines are separate and
different jobs! Each of these jobs has a separate set of settings and parameters. For
instance, the same tool used on two different presses may not be able to run as fast on one
press due to feed limitations. Thus, the job standard average and job standard production
SPM settings can differ from machine to machine. In addition, the local machine settings
such as shut height and tonnage settings will almost invariably be different even if the
machines are the same model and from the same manufacturer.

To configure jobs, select
“Configure” and then “Jobs”
from the LinkNet menu. A
job listing similar to Figure

4.33 will appear. The listing
shows the machine number,
job number, and job
description of all currently
configured jobs.

Buttons at the bottom of
the list box are also provided
to add, edit, or delete jobs.
The job listing can be
sorted by machine number or
job number. Click the
heading that says “Mach.
Num.” to sort by machine
number or click the heading
that says “Job Num.” to sort
by job number.

Figure 4.33: Job Listing

Note that when LinkNet “sees” a certain job running on a press, a default job with no details (i.e. no
standard setup times, standard production rates, etc) will be created on LinkNet and will appear in this
listing. This default job may be edited later to provide the necessary standards.

NOTE: Jobs literally do not exist apart from a machine. This is in direct contrast to
tooling or parts, which can be used or made in many machines. A particular tool could
be used in several jobs on one or more machines. Likewise, a given part could be made
by more than one tool. A job, however, specifies how tooling is used on a particular
machine to make a part.

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4.13.1 Adding a Job

Adding a job is a little
different from adding most of
the other items in LinkNet,
such as parts or material, in
that the machine for the job
must first be specified.

To add a job, hit the “Add
Job” button at the bottom of
the job listing as shown in
Figure 4.33. A machine
listing similar to Figure 4.34
should appear. Select the
machine from the list that the
job should be added to and hit
the “Select” button at the
bottom of the listing or
“double click” the machine in
the list. A dialog box similar
to Figure 4.35 should appear.

Note that this dialog box has
“tabs” along the top showing
“General”, “Physical
Characteristics”, “Tooling”,
“Miscellaneous”, and “Notes”.
Each of these tabs, when hit, will
bring up a different page of
options for the part. The
following sections detail each
page of settings.

Figure 4.34: Job Configuration Machine Selection

Figure 4.35: Job Configuration General Settings Dialog Box

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4.13.1.1 Job General Settings

The “General” job settings page (see Figure 4.35) has the following settings:

Job Number: The job number for this job. This corresponds to the job storage number on the actual
machine. The settings (standard rates, setup times, etc.) for this job will be used when this job number is
used on the actual machine.

Job Description: The job description will show up in job lists and reports.

Internal Part Number: The internal part number to be produced by this job. Note that when this item

is selected it will bring in the material number assigned in part configuration as a default. If for some
reason the job on this particular machine uses a different material, the default can be changed as
appropriate.

Internal Material Number: Set this to the material typically used to make this part with this job. Note
that when the part was selected, a default value configured with the part would be set. This dafualt can
be changed if a different material is used with this job.

Job Standard Average SPM: Set this to the overall average SPM expected to be made with this job.
This counts setup, teardown, bin change, and any other stoppages that typically occur. The actual
performance of this job, when run, will be compared to this value and an efficiency measurement will be
calculated to show how the job performed versus the standard.

Job Standard Production SPM: This value is intended to be set at the stroking rate of the press when
running this job. This excludes

setup, teardown, bin change, and any other stoppages that typically
occur. The actual performance of this job, when run, will be compared to this value and an efficiency
measurement will be calculated to show how the job performed versus the standard. This is primarily
intended to verify that the job is being run at the proper stroking rate as determined by supervisory
personnel. If the job is run slower than possible, money is lost by not utilizing the process at optimum
speed. On the other hand, running the job faster than the process can tolerate may lead to excessive
down time and bad parts.

Job Maximum SPM: The maximum SPM that this job should ever be run at due to process limitations
such as forming limits in the die or press and feed speed limitations.

Parts Per Stroke: The number of parts produced per stroke of the press. Note that this value could be
less than one if, for instance, it takes two strokes to make one part. In this case, the value would be set
to 0.5.

Approx. Parts Per Bin: The approximate number parts that fit in a standard bin used with this job. This
will be used in the future to estimate total job time by taking into account the number of bin changes that
will be required for a run of parts.

Default Quantity: When configuring a run of parts, the default quantity will be used as a default value
for the number of parts to be produced. It can, of course, be overridden.

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4.13.1.2 Job Physical Characteristics Settings

The “Physical
Characteristics” settings page
(see Figure 4.36) contains
information about the physical
nature of the job. The settings in
this page are not currently used
by LinkNet, but may be in the
future. At present, these are for
informational purposes. The
information and settings on this
page are:

Show Units In: All units on this
page can be shown in English or
metric units. Note that values
can be entered in one unit, and
displayed in another.

Parts Per Pound of Material:
The expected number of parts

Figure 4.36: Job Configuration Physical Characteristics Dialog Box

produced from one pound (or
kilogram if in metric mode) of material.

Parts Per Piece of Material: If using pieces of material instead of coil fed material, this is the number
of expected parts per piece of material.

Off Fall Percentage: The percentage of material expected to be lost as “trimmings”.

Stroking Mode To Use: The stroking mode that should be used when running this job.

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4.13.1.3 Job Tooling Settings

The “Tooling” settings page
(see Figure 4.37) specifies the
tooling to be used with the job.
As can be seen in the figure, up
to four tools can be configured
for each job.

Hit the small down arrow at
the right of the “Tool 1” field to
drop down a listing of all
configured tools and select the
appropriate tool. Repeat this
process as needed for additional
tools in fields “Tool 2”, “Tool
3”, and “Tool 4”. Leave the tool
fields as “Not Specified” when
no tool is used. In the example
at right, a single tool “TOOL­0001” is configured for the job.

The standard setup time and
standard removal time can be set

Figure 4.37: Jog Configuration Tooling Dialog Box

for the job. Note that clicking
the “Set Times Based On Tools” button will add up the standard setup and removal times configured for
each tool in tool configuration and set the fields in this dialog box accordingly. These values, however,
may be overridden.

NOTE: It is absolutely critical that the proper tools be associated with the job in order
for tool preventive maintenance to work. PM info will always work for machine, but will
work for tools only where tools have been associated with a job.

4.13.1.4 Job Miscellaneous Settings

The “Miscellaneous” settings page contains customer fields for the job. LinkNet does not directly
use the customer fields. These three fields are provided for custom uses by, of course, the customer.

4.13.1.5 Job Notes

The “Notes” settings page provides a space for job notes. Like machine notes, these notes can be
viewed at the operator terminal on the machine.

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4.13.2 Editing Jobs

From the job listing (see Figure 4.33), select a job and hit the “Edit Job” button. Alternatively, the
job can be “double clicked” in the list. The dialog of Figure 4.35 will be displayed. All items except the
job and machine number may be edited in the same way as adding a job (see section 4.13.1 for details).

4.13.3 Deleting Jobs

To delete a job, select it from the job listing (see Figure 4.33) and click on the “Delete Job” button.
A message will appear indicating that the selected job is about to be deleted and will ask for
confirmation. Click the “Yes” button to delete the job or the “No” button to keep the job.

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4.14 Tonnage Wave Capture Configuration

LinkNet has tonnage
signature capture built in. In
fact, the system can be set up
so that tonnage monitor
equipped presses can print a
waveform right from the
press. To do this, LinkNet
needs to know the orientation
(portrait or landscape) of the
paper and the printer to use.
Select “Tonnage Wave
Capture” from the
“Configure” menu to bring
up the dialog box of Figure

4.38.
This dialog box contains
the settings for two different
print types. “Reference”
printouts print out each
channel of the tonnage
monitor separately (but still

Figure 4.38: Tonnage Waveform Configuration Dialog Box

on one page) as well as
numerical peak tonnage and setpoint information. “View” printouts print whatever is viewed on the
screen as large as possible on the printer. For each printer, choose the default paper orientation and the
printer to use.
Note that these settings can be changed when the graph is printed from LinkNet, but if the graph is
printed directly from a press, it will automatically use the “Reference” settings.
In addition to the printer settings, there are two parameters called “Auto-Scale X Percent” and
“Auto-Scale Y Percent”. These parameters control the amount of space LinkNet will try to leave around
a tonnage signature graph when it automatically scales the graph when a new signature is captured. The
typical values of 10% for X and 5% for Y should work in most applications.

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4.15 Preventive Maintenance Configuration

Preventive maintenance (PM) allows one or more setpoints to be entered for each machine or tool.
These setpoints can be set by elapsed time, press running time, and strokes. OmniLink 5000 controls
additionally support setpoints by “Motor On” time, Total feed length, and Clutch/Brake engagements.
PM items can be set by
machine or tool. If set up by tool,
the PM settings will be tracked
regardless of which machine the
tool is run on. For example, if a
stroke based PM setting is applied
to a tool with a limit of 20000
strokes, then 10000 strokes run on
machine 1234 and 10000 strokes
run on machine 1100 will cause
the limit to be reached.
To configure PM items for a
machine, select “Configure” and
then “Machines” from the
LinkNet menu. A machine listing
similar to Figure 4.19 will appear.
Edit the machine you want to
configure PM items on – a dialog
box similar to Figure 4.25 will be

Figure 4.39: Machine Configuration Preventive Maintenance Dialog Box

displayed. Select the “Prev.
Maint.” tab and a dialog like
Figure 4.39 will appear.
To configure PM items for a
tool, select “Configure” and then
“Tooling” from the LinkNet
menu. A tool listing similar to
Figure 4.27 will appear. Edit the
tool you want to configure PM
items on – a dialog box similar to
Figure 4.28 will be displayed.
Select the “Prev. Maint.” tab and
a dialog like Figure 4.40 will
appear.
At this point, the procedure is
the same for a machine or a tool.
The “Prev . Maint.” dialog shows
a list of all PM items that have
been set up for this machine or
tool. The descriptions shown are
the user-entered descriptions and

Figure 4.40: Tool Configuration Preventive Maintenance Dialog Box

can be anything desired. In
addition, the right side of the dialog box has buttons for adding, editing, deleting, or resetting PM items.

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4.15.1 Adding a Preventive Maintenance Item

To add a PM item, hit the “Add PM Item” button and the dialog from the PM listing dialog of a
machine or tool (see Figure 4.39 and Figure 4.40) and a dialog box similar to Figure 4.41 should be
displayed. Note that this dialog box is identical for machines and tools.

Figure 4.41: Preventive Maintenance Configuration Dialog Box

The settings on this dialog box are as follows:

PM Item Name: Enter the description for this PM item. This could be “Bearing Check”, “Clutch/Brake
Wear Check”, “Press Stopping Time Check”, etc. This description will appear in the PM listing and in
PM reports.

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PM Item Type: Select the type of limit this PM item should have. This can be one of the following:

Running Time: Amount of time the press was actually stroking since the last time this PM item

was reset.

Motor On Time: Amount of time the main motor of press has run since the last time this PM
item was reset.

Elapsed Time: Amount of time that has gone by since the last time this PM item was reset.

Strokes: Number of strokes since the last time this PM item was reset.

Total Feed Length: Accumulated total of feed length since the last time this PM item was reset.

Unit: Applies to all time related PM types and to total feed length. For time related items, select Hours,

Days, Weeks, Months, or Years. For total feed length, select feet or meters.

Value: When adding an item, this will be 0 by default (since no strokes, time, etc. has accumulated.),
but can be set to an initial value when the PM item is first created. When editing a PM item, this will
show the current accumulation of whatever is being monitored but it cannot be edited! This value will
be in the units selected in the “Unit” box.

Limit: The limit to be placed on this PM item. This value will be in the units selected in the “Unit”
box. When the value is greater than or equal to the unit, the PM item will “come due”.

Notes/Instructions: These are free form notes that will appear in the PM reports associated with this
item. Typical uses would be checklists, procedures, materials, or anything else that a maintenance
worker would need to know in order to perform the indicated maintenance.

Customer Fields: LinkNet does not directly use the customer fields. These three fields are provided for
custom uses by, of course, the customer.

When all data has been entered, hit the “OK” button and the PM item will be added.

4.15.2 Editing a Preventive Maintenance Item

To edit a PM item, select a PM item from the PM listing dialog of a machine or tool (see Figure 4.39
and Figure 4.40) and click the “Edit PM Item” button. Alternatively, double click a PM item in the
listing. The same dialog box and procedure from adding a PM item applies except that the PM type and
value cannot be changed. If these items must be changed, the PM item must be deleted and re-added.

4.15.3 Deleting a Preventive Maintenance Item

If a PM item no longer needs to be monitored, it may be deleted. To delete a PM item, select it from
the PM listing dialog of a machine or tool (see Figure 4.39 and Figure 4.40) and click the “Delete PM
Item” button. A message box will appear to asking to verify that the item is to be deleted. Hit “Yes” to
delete the item, and “No” to cancel the operation.

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4.15.4 Resetting a Preventive Maintenance Item

When a PM has “tripped” (exceeded its limit), it will appear in the “tripped items” PM report. When
the item has been inspected or serviced, it must be reset for the next interval. Resetting the item leaves
all the information the same except the value, which is reset to zero. The PM history report will show
all the times and at what point this item has been reset.

To reset a PM item, select it from the PM listing dialog of a machine or tool (see Figure 4.39 and
Figure 4.40) and click the “Reset PM Item” button. A message box will appear to asking to verify that
the item is to be reset. Hit “Yes” to reset the item, and “No” to cancel the operation.

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Section 5 Using LinkNet

5.1 The Overview Window

When LinkNet is started, there is one screen open by default, the pressroom overview window (see
Figure 5.1). This window contains information to give an “at a glance” status of the entire pressroom
operation.

Figure 5.1: Pressroom Overview Screen

Each column contains a different kind of information as follows:

Mach #: The machine number of the press. This is the machine number that was programmed into the
Link equipment on the press (see section 4.9.1.4).

Mach Descrip.: The machine description as set in the machine information dialog box of Figure 4.20.

Status: The status of the press. This is “Production” if the press is running normally, “Press Idle” if the

press has exceeded the idle timeout (set in the machine information dialog of Figure 4.23) without
making a stroke, a DTC description if the operator has selected a DTC, or the current status of the
machine for OmniLink 5000 controls (the same current status as given in the “Press Control” screen on
the OmniLink OIT). The color is green for production, yellow for idle and some other automatic DTCs
(like part count complete), and red for DTCs entered by the operator. In addition, certain conditions (if
enabled) will cause a flashing warning message to appear in this space (Die Protection Bypassed,
Tonnage Monitor Bypassed, Tonnage Monitor Low Limits Off, Tonnage Monitor Rev Limits Off ).

Job Number: The job number that is being run on the press.

Job Descrip: The description of the job that is being run on the press.

Part Number: The part number being made, if configured for this job, is displayed here.

Part Count: The actual part count from the part counter and the percent complete (based on the part

limit). If the part counter is turned off, this area will have a message to that effect. Note also that a blue
area representing the percentage complete will fill this area as the part counter approaches its limit. This
gives an immediate graphical indication of how near the job is to completion. For example, If 25%
complete, the blue area will fill 1/4 of the part count area, if 50%, it would fill ½ of the area, and if 75%,
it would fill 3/4 of the area.

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SPM: The current strokes per minute of the press updated every 15 seconds. Note that in single stroke
operations with a long time between strokes this number may jump around quite a bit.

TTC: Estimated time to completion for the job in hours and minutes. This number is calculated using
the part count, part limit, and average strokes per minute. LinkNet polls machines every 10 minutes for
average tonnage and production rate. The average part per minute rate for the run is multiplied by the
remaining parts to be produced as given by the part counter to get an estimated completion time. Note
that if the part counter is turned off or the average production rate is 0, this field will display “N/A”
because there is not enough information to calculate a completion time. If the last 10 minute poll
production rate is 0, the current strokes per minute value is used instead.

Peak Tons: The peak forward tonnage of the last stroke if a tonnage monitor is present.

Each of these column headings can be clicked on to sort the machines by the heading data. For
instance, if the “Mach #” heading is clicked, the machine will be sorted by ascending machine number.
Likewise, if the “Peak Tons” heading is clicked, the machines will be sorted by ascending tonnage and
so on for each column.

5.2 Detail Dialogs

Additional detail can be viewed on a machine-by-machine basis by double clicking anywhere on the
row for a machine in the overview window. This brings up a tabbed dialog with several different
sections of information. Each section is a tab at the top of the dialog box.

5.2.1 Counter Detail

The counter detail
screen (“Counters” tab ­see Figure 5.2) is the
default for the tabbed
dialog box. This has the
status, count, limit, and
estimated time to
completion of the part,
batch, and quality
counters. Estimated time
to completion is given in
hours, minutes, and
seconds and is calculated
using the average SPM
from this run (by
default), the last run, all
runs, the current SPM, or
the job standard SPM by
clicking the selections at
the bottom of the dialog
box.

Figure 5.2: Machine Detail “Counters” Dialog Box

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5.2.2 Tonnage Detail

The tonnage detail
screen (“Peak Tons”
tab - see Figure 5.3)
shows the tonnage,
high setpoint, low
setpoint, reverse
setpoint, and any
alarms for each
channel of the tonnage
monitor. In addition,
indications are
provided to show
when the tonnage
monitor is bypassed
and whether reverse
and low limits are on
or off.

Figure 5.3: Machine Detail “Tonnage” Dialog Box

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5.2.3 Average Tonnage Graph Detail

The average
tonnage detail screen
(“Average Tons
Graph” tab - see
Figure 5.4) graphically
shows the average
tonnage for a machine
for the last 8 hours,
last 24 hours, or the
current run. The
default is the current
run, but clicking the
“Last 8 Hours” or
“Last 24 Hours”
buttons near the
bottom of the dialog
box will change the
time scale.
The average
tonnage, highest good
tonnage, and lowest
good tonnage are

Figure 5.4: Machine Detail “Average Tonnage Graph” Dialog Box

collected in 10 minute
intervals (unless a job is changed, in which case the interval is terminated to keep the tonnages
associated with the correct job).
The highest good tonnage is the highest tonnage that did not exceed the high setpoint and the lowest
good tonnage is the lowest tonnage that did not go below the low setpoint. The average tonnage is the
average of all in-limit hits.
This screen shows the average tonnages as an area graph, the highest good tonnage as a line graph,
and the lowest good tonnage as a line graph. The average tonnage for each different job run on the
machine appears in a different color.
The graph is arranged by time of day and can be zoomed if greater detail is desired from a section of
the total graph. To zoom in on the graph, move the mouse pointer to one corner of the area to zoom in
on, hold down the left mouse button, and without letting up on the button, move the mouse to the other
corner of the area to zoom in on. When the mouse is being dragged to the second corner, a rectangle
will show the zoom area. Note that after a zoom, the graph can be zoomed again to go even further in.
To restore the graph to the full view, click on the “Undo Zoom” button.
To export the graph to a file or clipboard for use by other windows programs, click in the “Export”
button. A window will appear with choices about where to send the graph.
To print the graph, click on the “Print” button. The graph will be sent to the default windows
printer.

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5.2.4 Stroking Rate Graph Detail

The stroking rate
detail screen
(“Stroking Rate
Graph” tab – see
Figure 5.5) graphically
shows the production
rate for a machine for
the last 8 hours, last 24
hours, or the current
run. The default is the
current run, but
clicking the “Last 8
Hours” or “Last 24
Hours” buttons near
the bottom of the
dialog box will change
the time scale.
This graph shows
the production rate in
strokes per minute as
an area graph in 10­minute intervals

Figure 5.5: Machine Detail “Stroking Rate Graph” Dialog Box

(unless a job is
changed, in which case the interval is terminated to keep the rates associated with the correct job). The
production rate for each die that is run that day on the machine appears in a different color.
The graph is arranged by time of day and can be zoomed if greater detail is desired from a section of
the total graph. To zoom in on the graph, move the mouse pointer to one corner of the area to enlarge,
hold down the left mouse button, and without letting up on the button, move the mouse to the other
corner of the area. When the mouse is being dragged to the second corner, a rectangle will show the
zoom area. Note that after a zoom, the graph can be zoomed again to go even further in. To restore the
graph to the full view, click on the “Undo Zoom” button.
To export the graph to a file or clipboard for use by other windows programs, click in the “Export”
button. A window will appear with choices about where to send the graph.
To print the graph, click on the “Print” button. The graph will be sent to the default windows
printer.

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5.2.5 SPM Rates Detail

The SPM rates
detail screen (“SPM
Rates” tab – see
Figure 5.6) shows the
hours, maximum
SPM, average SPM,
standard SPM, and
comparisons between
the current statistics
and the standard, last
run, and all runs for
both overall and
production time. The
overall time is the
total scheduled time
including time when
the press did not run.
The production time
is the total scheduled
time minus the time
the press was down –
that is, the time the

Figure 5.6: Machine Detail “SPM Rates” Dialog Box

press was actually
running.

Additional summarized information (hours and average SPM) about the last run and all previous
runs of the job are provided for comparison.

5.3 The “Window” Menu

The “Window” menu is used to manage multiple windows, such as when reports have been run or
tonnage graphs are displayed. The bottom of the window menu lists all the windows that are open in
LinkNet. The active window is the one with a check mark beside it. Any of these windows may be
made the active window, whether they are visible or not, by either selecting the window from the menu
or by hitting the number key associated with the window. Of course, clicking on any viewable part of a
window will also make that window active.
“Cascade” and “Tile” are two standard ways of arranging the windows. Cascade will stagger the
windows so that the title bars of each window are visible but the windows overlap. Tile will size and
position the windows so that none of the windows overlaps.

5.4 The “Help” Menu

The “Help” menu has a single selection, “About LinkNet2...”. This selection displays a dialog with
the version number of the LinkNet software.

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Section 6 Reports

There are several reports that can be generated from the data that LinkNet collects. In addition,
these reports can be modified by the user using a commercial software package called Crystal Reports
available from Seagate Software. Many of these reports can be generated by machine or by die.
To generate a report, select the “Reports” menu. Reports can be generated by machine, tool, part, or
for preventive maintenance. The following sections go into detail about how these reports are generated
and the information in them.

6.1 Report Parameter Selection

Most reports can be run for certain times, shifts, machines, tools, or other parameters. Generally, the
user of a report may be interested in a sub-set of the total data that has been collected. For instance, a
report might be run on what average stroking rates were obtained on a particular machine last week.
Depending on the report, LinkNet allows selections to be “dialed in” to located data of interest. Not all
reports have the same selection mechanisms, but most will have some combination as described in the
following sections.

6.1.1 Report Time Selection

Many reports
allow the selection
of the time interval
over which they
are run. For
instance, a report
could be run over
the last week, the
month of January,
or from one
arbitrary date to
another arbitrary
date.

When a report
that uses a date
range is run, a
dialog box similar
to Figure 6.1 will
appear. The box at
the top of the
dialog indicates
the valid date
range of data in the
database.

At the top of
this dialog, the time types can be selected that will appear in the report. Note that some reports will
automatically include certain time types and these check boxes will be unavailable. See Section 3 for an

Figure 6.1: Report Time Selection Dialog Box

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explanation of the time types. Each report has a default selection for the time types that typically works
best for that report.

To select a custom time period, use the “From” and “To” fields under the “Select a Custom Time
Period …” section to specify a start and end date. Then hit the “Use Selected Times” button to proceed
to the next step in report generation.

To use a standard time period, simply click the appropriate button at the bottom section of the dialog
box. These buttons are labeled

6.1.2 Report Shifts Selection

Many reports allow the selection of the shift or shifts for which they are to be run. For instance, a
report could be run to report only on shift 2. The dialog box that will appear for these reports should be
similar to Figure 6.2.

Figure 6.2: Report Shift Selection Dialog Box

By default, all shifts except shift 0 will be included. Shift 0 is off-schedule time. The left list box
shows shifts that are not included in the report. The right side shows shifts that are included in the
report. Select a shift from the left list box and hit the “Add” button to move it to the right list box or hit
the “Add All” button to include all shifts in the report. Similarly, select a shift from the right hand list
and hit the “Remove” button to transfer it to the left hand list box or hit the “Remove All” button to
remove all shifts from the report. When the shifts are selected as desired, hit the “OK” button to
proceed or the “Cancel” button to cancel the report.

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6.1.3 Report Machine Selection

Many reports allow the selection of the machine or machines for which they are to be run. For
instance, a report could be run to report only on machine 1234. The dialog box that will appear for these
reports should be similar to Figure 6.3.

Figure 6.3: Report Machine Selection Dialog Box

By default, all machines are included. The left list box shows machines that are not included in the
report. The right side shows machines that are included in the report. Select a machine from the left list
box and hit the “Add” button to move it to the right list box or hit the “Add All” button to include all
machines in the report. Similarly, select a machine from the right hand list and hit the “Remove” button
to transfer it to the left hand list box or hit the “Remove All” button to remove all machines from the
report. When the machines are selected as desired, hit the “OK” button to proceed or the “Cancel”
button to cancel the report.

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6.1.4 Report Tool Selection

Many reports allow the selection of the tool or tool for which they are to be run. For instance, a
report could be run to report only on tool “TOOL-0001”. The dialog box that will appear for these
reports should be similar to Figure 6.4.

Figure 6.4: Report Tool Selection Dialog Box

By default, all tools are included. The left list box shows tools that are not included in the report.
The right side shows tools that are included in the report. Select a tool from the left list box and hit the
“Add” button to move it to the right list box or hit the “Add All” button to include all tools in the report.
Similarly, select a tool from the right hand list and hit the “Remove” button to transfer it to the left hand
list box or hit the “Remove All” button to remove all tools from the report. When the tools are selected
as desired, hit the “OK” button to proceed or the “Cancel” button to cancel the report.

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6.1.5 Report Part Selection

Many reports allow the selection of the part or parts for which they are to be run. For instance, a
report could be run to report only on part “PART-0001”. The dialog box that will appear for these
reports should be similar to Figure 6.5.

Figure 6.5: Report Part Selection Dialog Box

By default, all parts are included. The left list box shows parts that are not included in the report.
The right side shows parts that are included in the report. Select a part from the left list box and hit the
“Add” button to move it to the right list box or hit the “Add All” button to include all parts in the report.
Similarly, select a part from the right hand list and hit the “Remove” button to transfer it to the left hand
list box or hit the “Remove All” button to remove all parts from the report. When the parts are selected
as desired, hit the “OK” button to proceed or the “Cancel” button to cancel the report.

6.2 Machine Reports – Event Log

The event log is intended to give the “blow by blow” report of what has happened throughout the
day on a given press in detail. Down time codes and events are logged into this database with a date and
time stamp. Down time codes and events are logged similarly, but with a critical distinction. Down
time codes are occurrences that have an amount of time associated with them. For instance, a tool
change that took 20 minutes or a machine electrical fault that took 3 hours to repair. Events, on the
other hand, happen at a certain time, but do not have an amount of time associated with them. An
example would be a high setpoint alarm on a tonnage monitor that occurs at 12:34PM on 7/23/98. The
event log shows both types in chronological order for each machine.
To run the machine event log report, select “Machine”, “Event Log” from the “Reports” menu.
Dialog boxes will appear asking for the time, shifts, and machines for which to run the report (see
section 6.1 for details on these dialogs).

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The event log records the machine number, shift date, shift, start time, end time (for down time
codes), duration, Run/Program switch status, tonnage monitor bypass state, tonnage monitor “low limits
off” state, tonnage monitor “reverse limits off” state, and the die protection bypass state that applies to
each entry in the log for a given machine.

6.3 Machine Reports – DTC Summary

The DTC summary report is intended to take the information from the event log and “boil it down”
to a more usable form for trend analysis.
To run the machine DTC summary report, select “Machine”, “DTC Summary” from the “Reports”
menu. Dialog boxes will appear asking for the time, shifts, and machines for which to run the report
(see section 6.1 for details on these dialogs).

The two sections in this report are: specific down time code breakdown and down time code
category break down.
The specific down time code breakdown section lists each different down time code with the number
of occurrences, the total time, average time per occurrence, and percent of total time spent in that down
time code. In addition, each different kind of event is displayed with the number of times it happened.
Events include such things as run/program switch changes, tonnage overloads, die protection faults, and
other items that do not have a time interval, but simply a time they happened. A pie chart is also
displayed giving a graphical representation of the percentage of time the top five down time codes
represents.
The down time code category breakdown section lists the category, number of occurrences, total
time, average time per occurrence, and percentage of total down time the category represents. For
instance, both “Setting Tool” and “Threading Material” can be shown separately in the specific down
time code section, but would be probably lumped under the “Job Installation” category in this section for
a higher-level view.

6.4 Machine Reports – Time Summary

The machine time summary gives a breakdown of how machine time was used. To run the machine
time summary report, select “Machine”, “Time Summary” from the “Reports” menu. Dialog boxes will
appear asking for the time and machines for which to run the report (see section 6.1 for details on these
dialogs).

This report shows the machine number, machine description, maximum strokes per minutes the
machine ran, average strokes per minute the machine ran, ultimate utilization of the machine, total
hours, production hours, break hours, not used hours, and off schedule hours. See Section 3, if
necessary, for a definition of these terms. The hours, of course, apply to the length of time over which
the report was run. In other words, if the report was run over one particular day, total hours should be
24 and the other hours should be less than that.

6.5 Machine Reports – SPM Rate Summary

The machine SPM rate summary gives a breakdown of what and how fast the machine ran for the
time selected. To run the machine SPM rate summary report, select “Machine”, “SPM Rate Summary”
from the “Reports” menu. Dialog boxes will appear asking for the time, shifts, and machines for which
to run the report (see section 6.1 for details on these dialogs).

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For each machine, the report shows (for each job run on the machine) the job description, tooling
used, part number made, number of runs, number of strokes, time spent on the job in hours, job standard
average SPM, actual average SPM, utilization, and OEE. See Section 3, if necessary, for a definition of
these terms.

6.6 Machine Reports – Stroke Productivity

The machine stroke productivity report gives a breakdown by day, week, or month, of what each
shift ran and how they ran it. To run the machine stroke productivity report, select “Machine”, “Stroke
Productivity”, and then either “By Day”, “By Week”, or “By Month” from the “Reports” menu. Dialog
boxes will appear asking for the time, shifts, and machines for which to run the report (see section 6.1
for details on these dialogs).

For each machine, the report shows (for each shift) the job number, the job description, total strokes
for the job, total hours on the job, job standard average SPM, actual average SPM, average utilization,
production hours on the job, job standard production SPM, actual production SPM, and production
utilization. See Section 3, if necessary, for a definition of these terms. The same data is then
summarized into shift aggregate values, machine aggregate values, and pressroom (all machines)
aggregate values.

6.7 Tool Reports – Usage Summary

The tool usage summary gives a breakdown of the production performance of tooling. To run the
tool usage summary report, select “Tool”, “Usage Summary” from the “Reports” menu. Dialog boxes
will appear asking for the time, shifts, and machines for which to run the report (see section 6.1 for
details on these dialogs).

For each tool in the report, the tool number, tool description, tool manufacturer, OEE, actual average
production SPM, job standard production SPM, average die change time, and standard die change time
are shown.

6.8 Tool Reports – Machine Comparison

The tool machine comparison report is intended to provide information on how tools run in some
machines versus others. To run the tool machine comparison report, select “Tool”, “Machine
Comparison” from the “Reports” menu. Dialog boxes will appear asking for the time, machines, and
tools for which to run the report (see section 6.1 for details on these dialogs).
For each tool in the report, and each machine the tool ran on, the job number, average SPM, average
efficiency, production SPM, production efficiency, OEE, number of setups, average setup time,
maximum setup time, and up time percentage is show. Thus, a direct comparison of the statistics can be
made across the different machines on which the tool has run.

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6.9 Tool Reports – Tool Down Summary

The tool down summary report provides information on how many times, with what severity, and at
what approximate cost tools have been down. To run the tool down summary report, select “Tool”,
“Tool Down Summary” from the “Reports” menu.
For each tool in the report, the tool number, tool description, tool manufacturer, number of minor
issues, number of other issues, average severity (scale of 1-10), service hours, service cost, and number
of calendar hours down are reported.

6.10 Tool Reports – Tool Down Detail

The tool down detail report details each “tool down” incident for the tools in the report. To run the
tool down summary report, select “Tool”, “Tool Down Detail” from the “Reports” menu.
For each tool in the report, the tool number, tool description and tool manufacturer are reported. For
each “tool down” incident, the date and time of the incident, reason for the incident, severity (scale of 1-

10), service hours, service cost, date and time placed back in service, and calendar hours down are
reported.

6.11 Tool Reports - Trend

Tool trend reports show the history of certain statistics over time. For each run of a tool, the OEE,
uptime percentage, setup time, average utilization, production utilization, production time percentage,
and average total tons are collected. The trend of these measurements versus runs can be shown in these
reports. To run a tool trend report, select “Tool”, “Trend”, and the statistic to trend from the “Reports”
menu. Dialog boxes will appear asking for the time, machines, and tools for which to run the report (see
section 6.1 for details on these dialogs).

The trend report itself consists of two sections - details and a graph. The details section shows each
run the tool was used, the machine and job number it was run under, the date the run was started and
closed, and the numeric values for the statistic selected. The graph shows the numeric values by run in a
bar chart.

6.12 Part Reports – Machine Comparison

The part machine comparison report is intended to provide information on how parts run in some
machines versus others. To run the part machine comparison report, select “Part”, “Machine
Comparison” from the “Reports” menu. Dialog boxes will appear asking for the time, machines, and
parts for which to run the report (see section 6.1 for details on these dialogs).
For each part in the report, and each machine the part ran on, the job number, average SPM, average
efficiency, production SPM, production efficiency, OEE, number of setups, average setup time,
maximum setup time, and up time percentage is show. Thus, a direct comparison of the statistics can be
made across the different machines on which the tool has run.

6.8

Manual Version 1.1 10/28/2001

6.13 Part Reports - Trend

Part trend reports show the history of certain statistics over time. For each run of a part, the OEE,
uptime percentage, setup time, average utilization, production utilization, production time percentage,
and average total tons are collected. The trend of these measurements versus runs can be shown in these
reports. To run a part trend report, select “Part”, “Trend”, and the statistic to trend from the “Reports”
menu. Dialog boxes will appear asking for the time, machines, and parts for which to run the report (see
section 6.1 for details on these dialogs).

The trend report itself consists of two sections - details and a graph. The details section shows each
run the part was used, the machine and job number it was run under, the date the run was started and
closed, and the numeric values for the statistic selected. The graph shows the numeric values by run in a
bar chart.

6.14 Preventive Maintenance Reports – Tripped Items

Preventive maintenance items (see section 4.15 for information on configuring preventive
maintenance items) are “tripped” after the number of strokes, time, etc. have passed the limit set for
them. This report shows all items that have come due for servicing. To run a preventive maintenance
tripped items report, select “Preventive Maintenance”, “Tripped Items”, and then “By Machine” or “By
Tool” from the “Reports” menu. The “By Machine” selection will display all machine items that are
due for service. Likewise, the “By Tool” selection will display all tooling items that are due for service.

6.15 Preventive Maintenance Reports – All Items

This report is similar to the “Tripped Items” report in the previous section except that all
maintenance will be displayed regardless of whether they are due for servicing or not. To run a
preventive maintenance tripped items report, select “Preventive Maintenance”, “All Items”, and then
“By Machine” or “By Tool” from the “Reports” menu.

6.9

Manual Version 1.1 10/28/2001

Section 7 Using the OmniLink 5000 with LinkNet (Monochrome OIT)

The OmniLink 5000 press automation control gains some powerful new capabilities when combined
with LinkNet. The OmniLink 5000 will work the same way it always has, but with a few additional
screens and softkeys.

7.1 Configuring the OmniLink 5000 for LinkNet (Monochrome OIT)

Before the OmniLink can communicate with LinkNet, it must be assigned a machine number.

No two machines may have the same machine number or a machine number of 0!

Since LinkNet shares a single cable
with all machines on the network, the
machine number is used by LinkNet to
call out the machine it wants to “talk” to.

• From the main screen (the screen the

OmniLink powers up in), select the

“PRESS CONTROL” softkey.

• With the Run/Prog keyswitch in the

“Prog” position, push the “CONFIG”

softkey. Note that this softkey will

not be present unless the unit is in

program mode. After entering the

access code, a screen similar to

Figure 7.1 should appear.

• Push the softkey for “OPERATOR

TERMINAL”. A screen like Figure

7.2 should appear.

Figure 7.1: OmniLink (Monochrome) Main Configuration Screen

Figure 7.2: OmniLink (Monochrome) Configuration Screen

7.1

Manual Version 1.1 10/28/2001

• Push the “CONFIG COMM.” softkey
to display the communications setup
screen, which should look similar to
Figure 7.3 (the port configurations
may vary depending on how the
particular machine is set up and what
options have been installed).

• Use the up and down arrow keys to
highlight “Port 5" and hit the
“CHANGE TASK” softkey until the
description for port 5 reads “Link
Network”.

• Hit the “CONFIG TASK” softkey and
a screen similar to Figure 7.4 should
appear. Highlight the field for
“Machine Number” and enter the
machine number desired for this
press. If necessary, highlight the
“Baud Rate” field and hit the
“CHANGE SETTING” softkey until
it reads “19200".

• Exit back out to the main screen.

Figure 7.3: OmniLink (Monochrome) Communications

Configuration Screen

Figure 7.4: OmniLink (Monochrome) Network Configuration

Screen

7.2

Manual Version 1.1 10/28/2001

7.2 Using Down Time Codes on the OmniLink 5000 (Monochrome OIT)

Down time codes (DTCs) are a way for the press operator to easily keep a record of reasons why the
press is not in production. The DTCs are configured by an administrator using LinkNet as discussed in
section 4.8.2. When the LinkNet option is enabled (see section 7.1), a new message appears at the
bottom of the counter screen and a new softkey, “NETWORK OPS”, is displayed (also in the counter
screen).

NOTE: The “NETWORK OPS” softkey and the “Current DTC” message in the
counter screen will not appear unless the Link Network has been configured as explained
in section 7.1.

To select or clear a DTC, hit the
“NETWORK OPS” softkey in the
counter screen. This will bring up a
screen similar to Figure 7.5. Note that
the down time code descriptions are the
ones that are configured in LinkNet and
downloaded to the OmniLink 5000
automatically.
The current down time code and
description are displayed near the top of
the screen. Note that this area may
display “AUTO” for the down time code
and have a description that is not on the
list. These automatic down time codes,
such as “Press Idle” or “Part Count
Reached”, are sent by the OmniLink

Figure 7.5: OmniLink (Monochrome) Down Time Code Screen

5000 under certain conditions without
operator intervention. In all cases, automatically entered down time codes are automatically cleared
when the press makes another stroke.
If the network is not running or if a wiring problem is preventing the OmniLink 5000 from
communicating with LinkNet, the message “* Network NOT on line! *” will be displayed in the current
down time code description area.
To select a down time code, use the up and down arrow keys to move the highlight to the desired
code and press the “SELECT” softkey. The down time code will then become the current code until
cleared or replaced. It is not necessary to clear a down time code before selecting a new one.
If a down time code is active, whether automatic or operator entered, a “CLEAR DTC” softkey will
be displayed. Hitting this softkey or hitting the “CLR” key on the regular keypad will clear the down
time code.

7.3

Manual Version 1.1 10/28/2001

7.3 Network Job Storage on the OmniLink 5000 (Monochrome OIT)

Virtually unlimited job storage is available when using an OmniLink 5000 with LinkNet. Jobs can
be stored from the OmniLink 5000 to LinkNet in the following manner:

• From the main menu of the OmniLink OIT, hit the “JOB SETUPS” softkey to enter the jobs screen.

• Hit the “STORE SETUP” softkey to enter the store screen. Note that the Run/Prog key MUST be in

the Prog position for this softkey to be available!

• Use the “ENTER JOB #” softkey and the “ENTER DESC.” softkey to change the job number and
job description, if desired. This step may be skipped if the job number and job description as shown
in this screen are already correct.

• Hit the “STORE NETWORK” softkey to send the job to the network. A status screen will appear to
show the progress of the job send. A message will appear indicating whether or not the store was
successful. If the network is not on line, a message will appear indicating this condition. A job
CANNOT be stored to the network unless it is online!

IMPORTANT: Jobs stored using the “STORE SETUP” softkey will still be stored as
local jobs on the OmniLink as they always have - NOT the network. A job stored on the
network is independent of the same job number stored at the OmniLink. If you change
the settings for a job on the network, it DOES NOT affect the settings of the same job
number stored on the OmniLink and vice versa! Make sure the job is sent to its intended
destination.

7.4 Network Job Recall on the OmniLink 5000 (Monochrome OIT)

Jobs may be recalled from LinkNet to the OmniLink 5000 in the following manner:

• From the main menu of the OmniLink OIT, hit the “JOB SETUPS” softkey to enter the jobs screen.

• Hit the “RECALL SETUP” softkey to enter the recall screen. Note that the Run/Prog key MUST be

in the Prog position for this softkey to be available!

• Hit the “RECALL NETWORK” softkey to enter the network job recall screen.

• If the network is off line, a message indicating this will appear. Jobs may NOT be recalled from the

network if it is off line! Otherwise, a prompt will appear asking for the job number to recall.

• Enter the job number to recall and hit the “ENT” button on the OmniLink OIT keypad. If the job
has not been previously stored on LinkNet, a “Job Not Found” message will appear. Otherwise, this
screen will display the status of the job download. A message will appear at the end of the download
indicating success or failure or the job recall.

IMPORTANT: A job recalled from the network is independent of the same job number
recalled from regular internal job storage at the OmniLink. Make sure the job being
recalled is from the location intended!

7.4

Manual Version 1.1 10/28/2001

7.5 Sending Tonnage Graphs from the OmniLink 5000 (Monochrome OIT)

LinkNet has the ability to receive and display tonnage signatures from the OmniLink 5000 tonnage
monitor. To send a tonnage signature to LinkNet, take the following steps:

• From the main menu of the OmniLink OIT, hit the “TONNAGE MONITOR” softkey to enter the
tonnage monitor main screen.

• Hit the “GRAPH” softkey to enter the tonnage monitor graph settings screen.

• Hit the “SEND GRAPH” key to enter the wave screen. Note that the Run/Prog key MUST be in the

Prog position for this key to be available.

• Hit the “WAVE TO NETWORK” softkey to send the signature to LinkNet. It will be displayed in a
window automatically at the LinkNet computer. It may then be viewed, saved, or printed. If the
network is off line or not configured this softkey will not be present. The status of the transfer will
be shown on the screen and an indication of success or failure will be made at the end of the transfer.
Note that depending on the number of machines connected and network load this operation can take
more than a minute.

• Hit the “PRINT WAVE” softkey to automatically print a reference waveform to the configured
printer (see section 4.14 for details on this). If the network is off line or not configured this softkey
will not be present. The status of the transfer will be shown on the screen and an indication of
success or failure will be made at the end of the transfer. Note that depending on the number of
machines connected and network load this operation can take more than a minute.

• Hit the “ARCHIVE WAVE” to send the waveform to LinkNet for storage in the waveform database.
The waveform will be stored in the database by machine number, die number, and date/time of
capture. If the network is off line or not configured this softkey will not be present. The status of
the transfer will be shown on the screen and an indication of success or failure will be made at the
end of the transfer. Note that depending on the number of machines connected and network load this
operation can take more than a minute.

7.6 Viewing Machine and Job Notes on the OmniLink 5000 (Monochrome OIT)

OmniLink 5000 operator interface terminals can display notes entered at the LinkNet computer for
both the machine and the current job - if any have been entered. This requires the following steps:

• From the main menu of the OmniLink OIT hit the “COUNTER” softkey to enter the counter screen.

• Hit the “NETWORK OPS” softkey to go into the down time code screen.

• Hit the “NOTES” softkey to enter the notes screen. Any machine notes that have been entered in the

LinkNet machine configuration (see section 4.9.1.5 for details on how to enter machine notes) will
appear on the screen. If the notes are longer than a screen, then a “NEXT PAGE” or “PREV PAGE”
softkey will appear as appropriate.

• A softkey called “DIE NOTES” will appear when viewing machine notes, and a softkey called
“MACHINE NOTES” will appear while viewing job notes. Once in the notes screen, hit the “DIE

7.5

Manual Version 1.1 10/28/2001

NOTES” softkey to display the notes entered for the currently selected job (see section 4.13.1.5 for
details on how to enter job notes). The same paging action is available as discussed for machine
notes above. Hit the “MACHINE NOTES” softkey to view the machine notes again.

7.6

Manual Version 1.1 10/28/2001

Section 8 Using the OmniLink 5000 with LinkNet (Color OIT)

The OmniLink 5000 press automation control gains some powerful new capabilities when combined
with LinkNet. The OmniLink 5000 will work the same way it always has, but with a few additional
screens and softkeys.

8.1 Configuring the OmniLink 5000 for LinkNet (Color OIT)

Before the OmniLink can communicate with LinkNet, it must be assigned a machine number.

No two machines may have the same machine number or a machine number of 0!

Since LinkNet shares a single cable with all machines on the network, the machine number is used

by LinkNet to call out the machine it wants to “talk” to.

• From the main screen
(the screen the
OmniLink powers up
in), select the “PRESS
CONTROL” softkey.

• With the Run/Prog
keyswitch in the
“Prog” position, press
the “CONFIG”
softkey. Note that this
softkey will not be
present unless the unit
is in program mode.
After entering the
access code, a screen
similar to Figure 8.1
should appear.

TOP

Figure 8.1: OmniLink Main Configuration Screen (Color Terminal)

0

0

Stroke

Top Stop Calibration

Machine Parameters

Lubrication System

Operator Terminal

Restricted Programmable Limit Switch

Names and Messages

Exit Calibration

Mode

Single Stroke

Drive

Speed
Stroke

Speed

0
0

SPM

SPM

Order

Counter

Program/Run Switch

Counter OFF

PC STATUS

P/C
CONFIG.

TOP STOP
CALIBRATE

MACHINE
PARAMETERS

LUBE

OPERATOR
TERMINAL

RESTRICTED
PLS

NAMES

EXIT

8.1

Manual Version 1.1 10/28/2001

• Push the softkey for
“OPERATOR
TERMINAL”. A
screen like Figure 8.2
should appear.

• Push the
“AUXILIARY
COMM SETUP”

Area 1: Drive Speed
Area 2: Stroking Speed
Area 3: Distance to Bottom
Area 4: Current Status

softkey to display the
communications setup
screen, which should
look similar to Figure

8.3 (the port
configurations may
vary depending on
how the particular
machine is set up and
what options have
been installed).

Figure 8.2: OmniLink Operator Terminal Configuration Screen (Color OIT)

• Use the up and down
arrow keys to
highlight “Port 5" and
hit the “CHANGE
COMM TASK”
softkey until the
description for port 5

Port 1: OmniLink 5000 Card Rack Connection

reads “LinkNet
Network”.

Port 2: Laptop Interface

• Hit the “CONFIG
COMM TASK”

Port 3:

softkey and the
LinkNet configuration

Port 4: Not Assigned

screen should appear.
Highlight the field for
“Machine Number”

Port 5:

and enter the machine
number desired for
this press. If
necessary, highlight
the “Baud Rate” field
and hit the “CHANGE

Figure 8.3: OmniLink Auxiliary Communications Configuration Screen (Color

SETTING” softkey
until it reads “19200".

• Exit back out to the main screen.

0

0

Stroke

Mode

When in a Setup Mode
(Inch, Timed Inch, Etc.)

Operator Terminal Type:

Single
Stroke

TOP DISPLAY AREA CONFIGURATION

Rod/Stroke Units:

Rod Length:

Stroke Length:

Default Language:

0

0

Stroke

TOP

Mode

Single Stroke

115200,N,8,1

PLC Interface
9600,N,8,1

LinkNet Network

19200,O,8,1

Terminal)

Drive

Speed
Stroke

Speed

When in a Production Mode

(Single Stroke, Cont. . . . Etc.)

Area 1: Drive Speed
Area 2: Stroking Speed
Area 3: Order Count
Area 4: Current Status

Date: 03/18/2000
Time: 12:38:25 PM

In

30.000 in

7.500 in

Link Standard
English

Drive

Speed

Stroke
Speed

200

0

0
0

SPM

SPM

SPM

SPM

Order

Counter

Program/Run Switch

Order

Counter

Program/Run Switch

Counter OFF

PC STATUS

TOP DISP.
CONFIG.

CHANGE
SETTING

ZERO
STROKE
COUNT

ACCESS
CONFIG

AUXILIARY
COMM SETUP

EXIT

Counter OFF

PC STATUS

Aux Comm
Setup

CHANGE
COMM TASK

CONFIGURE
COMM TASK

EXIT

8.2

Manual Version 1.1 10/28/2001

8.2 Using Down Time Codes on the OmniLink 5000 (Color OIT)

Down time codes (DTCs) are a way for the press operator to easily keep a record of reasons why the
press is not in production. The DTCs are configured by an administrator using LinkNet as discussed in
section 4.8.2. When the LinkNet option is enabled (see section 8.1), a new softkey, “LINKNET”,
appears in the “Quick Access” screen. This screen can be displayed from any screen in the operator
terminal by pressing the “ACC” key on the operator terminal keypad. In addition, the current DTC will
be displayed in the main screen and the counter screen.

NOTE: The “LINKNET” softkey in the “Quick Access” screen and the “Current
DTC” message in the main screen and counter screen will not appear unless the Link
Network has been configured as explained in section 8.1.

To select or clear a
DTC, hit the
“LINKNET” softkey in
the quick access screen.
This will bring up a
screen similar to Figure

8.4. Note that the down
time code descriptions are
the ones that are
configured in LinkNet
and downloaded to the
OmniLink 5000
automatically.
The network status

TOP

Current Down Time Code: 1 --

DTC Description

1

Die Removal

2

Die Installation

3

Feed Jam

4

Bad Material

5

Feed Mechanical

6

Feed Electrical

7

Machine Mechanical

8

Machine Electrical

9

Operator On Break

0

0

Stroke

Mode

Single Stroke

Network Status --

Drive

Speed

Stroke

Speed

LinkNet Online

Die Removal

0
0

SPM

SPM

Order

Counter

Program/Run Switch

Counter OFF

PC STATUS

LinkNet

SELECT
DOWN TIME
CODE

CLEAR
DOWN TIME
CODE

NETWORK
NOTES

and current down time
code are displayed near
the top of the screen.
Note that this area may
display “AUTO” for the

JOB
SCHEDULE

NETWORK
DIAGS

EXIT

down time code and have
a description that is not
on the list. These

Figure 8.4: OmniLink Down Time Code Screen (Color OIT)

automatic down time codes, such as “Press Idle” or “Part Count Reached”, are sent by the OmniLink
5000 under certain conditions without operator intervention.

NOTE: In all cases, automatically entered down time codes are automatically cleared
when the press makes another stroke.

If the network is not running or if a wiring problem is preventing the OmniLink 5000 from
communicating with LinkNet, the message “LinkNet Offline” will be displayed in the network status
area.
To select a down time code, use the up and down arrow keys to move the highlight to the desired
code and press the “SELECT DOWN TIME CODE” softkey. The down time code will then become the
current code until cleared or replaced. It is not necessary to clear a down time code before selecting a
new one.

8.3

Manual Version 1.1 10/28/2001

If a down time code is active, whether automatic or operator entered, a “CLEAR DOWN TIME
CODE” softkey will be displayed. Hitting this softkey will clear the down time code.

8.3 Network Job Storage on the OmniLink 5000 (Color OIT)

Virtually unlimited job storage is available when using an OmniLink 5000 with LinkNet. Jobs can
be stored from the OmniLink 5000 to LinkNet in the following manner:

• From the main menu of the OmniLink OIT, hit the “JOB SETUPS” softkey to enter the jobs screen.

• Hit the “STORE SETUP” softkey to enter the store screen. Note that the Run/Prog key MUST be in

the Prog position for this softkey to be available!

• Change the job number and job description, if desired. This step may be skipped if the job number
and job description as shown in this screen are already correct.

• Hit the “STORE SETUP TO NETWORK” softkey to send the job to the network. A status message
will be displayed near the bottom of the screen to show the progress of the job storage. A message
will appear indicating whether or not the store was successful. If the network is not on line, a
message will appear indicating this condition. A job CANNOT be stored to the network unless it is
online!

IMPORTANT: Jobs stored using the “STORE SETUP” softkey will still be stored as
local jobs on the OmniLink as they always have - NOT the network. A job stored on the
network is independent of the same job number stored at the OmniLink. If you change
the settings for a job on the network, it DOES NOT affect the settings of the same job
number stored on the OmniLink and vice versa! Make sure the job is sent to its intended
destination.

8.4 Network Job Recall on the OmniLink 5000 (Color OIT)

Jobs may be recalled from LinkNet to the OmniLink 5000 in the following manner:

• From the main menu of the OmniLink OIT, hit the “JOB SETUPS” softkey to enter the jobs screen.

• Hit the “RECALL SETUP” softkey to enter the recall screen. Note that the Run/Prog key MUST be

in the Prog position for this softkey to be available!

• Hit the “RECALL FROM NETWORK” softkey to enter the network job recall screen. Note that
this key will not be available if the network is offline.

• Hit the “RECALL NETWORK SETUP” key in the network recall screen and a prompt will appear
asking fore the job number to be recalled.

• Enter the job number to recall and hit the “ENT” button on the OmniLink OIT keypad. If the job
has not been previously stored on LinkNet, a “Job Not Found” message will appear. Otherwise, this

8.4

Manual Version 1.1 10/28/2001

screen will display the status of the job download. A message will appear at the end of the download
indicating success or failure or the job recall.

IMPORTANT: A job recalled from the network is independent of the same job number
recalled from regular internal job storage at the OmniLink. Make sure the job being
recalled is from the location intended!

8.5 Sending Tonnage Graphs from the OmniLink 5000 (Color OIT)

LinkNet has the ability to receive and display tonnage signatures from the OmniLink 5000 tonnage
monitor. To send a tonnage signature to LinkNet, take the following steps:

• From the main menu of the OmniLink OIT, hit the “TONNAGE MONITOR” softkey to enter the
tonnage monitor main screen.

• Hit the “GRAPH OPERATIONS” softkey to enter the tonnage monitor graph screen. Note that this
key will not be present while the press is running.

• Hit the “SEND GRAPH” key. A list of destinations will be displayed. This list will vary depending
on what options are enabled on the OmniLink 5000. With LinkNet enabled, three of the destinations
should be “Send To Network”, “Print To Network”, and “Archive To Network”.

• Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight the “Send To Network” destination and hit the
“SELECT” softkey to send the signature to LinkNet. It will be displayed in a window automatically
at the LinkNet computer. It may then be viewed, saved, or printed. If the network is off line or not
configured this selection will not be present. The status of the transfer will be shown at the top of
the screen and an indication of success or failure will be made at the end of the transfer. Note that
depending on the number of machines connected and network load this operation can take more than
a minute.

• Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight the “Print To Network” destination and hit the
“SELECT” softkey to automatically print a reference waveform to the configured printer (see
section 4.14 for details on this). If the network is off line or not configured this selection will not be
present. The status of the transfer will be shown at the top of the screen and an indication of success
or failure will be made at the end of the transfer. Note that depending on the number of machines
connected and network load this operation can take more than a minute.

• Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight the “Archive To Network” destination and hit the
“SELECT” softkey to store the waveform in the database by machine number, job number, and
date/time of capture. If the network is off line or not configured this selection will not be present.
The status of the transfer will be shown at the top of the screen and an indication of success or
failure will be made at the end of the transfer. Note that depending on the number of machines
connected and network load this operation can take more than a minute.

8.5

Manual Version 1.1 10/28/2001

8.6 Viewing Machine and Job Notes on the OmniLink 5000 (Color OIT)

OmniLink 5000 operator interface terminals can display notes entered at the LinkNet computer for
both the machine and the current job - if any have been entered. This requires the following steps:

• From the any screen, hit the “ACC” key on the OmniLink keypad to enter the “Quick Access”
screen.

• Hit the “LINKNET” softkey to go into the down time code screen (see Figure 8.4). Note that this
softkey will not be present if LinkNet is not enabled or if it is offline.

• Hit the “NETWORK NOTES” softkey to enter the notes screen. Any machine notes that have been
entered in the LinkNet machine configuration (see section 4.9.1.5 for details on how to enter
machine notes) will appear on the screen. If the notes are longer than a screen, then a “NEXT
PAGE” or “PREV PAGE” softkey will appear as appropriate.

• A softkey called “JOB NOTES” will appear when viewing machine notes, and a softkey called
“MACHINE NOTES” will appear while viewing job notes. Once in the notes screen, hit the “JOB
NOTES” softkey to display the notes entered for the currently selected job (see section 4.13.1.5 for
details on how to enter job notes). The same paging action is available as discussed for machine
notes above. Hit the “MACHINE NOTES” softkey to view the machine notes again.

8.6

Manual Version 1.1 10/28/2001

Section 9 Using the MicroLink OIT with LinkNet

The MicroLink OIT gains some powerful new capabilities when combined with LinkNet. The
MicroLink OIT will work the same way it always has, but with a few additional screens and softkeys.

9.1 Configuring the MicroLink OIT for LinkNet

Before the MicroLink OIT can communicate with LinkNet, it must be assigned a machine number
and the network option must be turned on.

No two machines may have the same machine number or a machine number of 0!

Since LinkNet shares a single cable with all machines on the network, the machine number is used

by LinkNet to call out the machine it wants to “talk” to.

• From the main screen (the screen the MicroLink powers up in), select the “Diagnos” softkey.

• From the diagnostics screen press the “Config OIT” softkey. Note that this key will not be present

unless the Run/Prog keyswitch is in the “Prog” position. When prompted, enter the pass code to
enter the configuration screen.

• Enter the machine number in the “Machine Number” field.

• Push the “Serial Ports” softkey to display the communications setup screen

• Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight “Port 5" and hit the “Change Task” softkey until the

description for port 5 reads “Link Network”.

• Hit the “Config Task” softkey and the network configuration screen should appear. If necessary,
highlight the “Baud Rate” field and hit the “Change Setting” softkey until it reads “19200".

• Exit back out to the main screen.

9.2 Using Down Time Codes on the MicroLink OIT

Down time codes (DTCs) are a way for the press operator to easily keep a record of reasons why the
press is not in production. The DTCs are configured by an administrator using LinkNet as discussed in
section 4.8.2. When the LinkNet option is enabled (see section 9.1), the “DOWN TIME CODE” key on
the MicroLink keypad will bring up a network screen no matter what screen is being displayed.

To select or clear a DTC, hit the “DOWN TIME CODE” softkey on the MicroLink keypad. This

will bring up the network operation screen with a list of down time codes. Note that the down time code
descriptions are the ones that are configured in LinkNet and downloaded to the MicroLink
automatically.
The current down time code and description are displayed near the top of the screen along with the
current time. Note that this area may display “AUTO” for the down time code and have a description
that is not on the list. These automatic down time codes, such as “Press Idle” or “Part Count Reached”,

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are sent by the MicroLink under certain conditions without operator intervention. In all cases,
automatically entered down time codes are automatically cleared when the press makes another stroke.
If the network is not running or if a wiring problem is preventing the MicroLink from
communicating with LinkNet, the message “* Network NOT on line! *” will be displayed in the current
down time code description area.
To select a down time code, use the up and down arrow keys to move the highlight to the desired
code and press the “Select” softkey. The down time code will then become the current code until
cleared or replaced. It is not necessary to clear a down time code before selecting a new one.
If a down time code is active, whether automatic or operator entered, a “Clear DTC” softkey will be
displayed. Hitting this softkey or hitting the “CLEAR” key on the regular keypad will clear the down
time code.

9.3 Network Job Storage on the MicroLink OIT

Virtually unlimited job storage is available when using a MicroLink with LinkNet. Jobs can be
stored from the MicroLink to LinkNet in the following manner:

• From the main menu of the MicroLink OIT, hit the “Job Setups” softkey to enter the jobs screen.

• Hit the “Store Job” softkey to enter the store screen. Note that the Run/Prog key MUST be in the

Prog position for this softkey to be available!

• Change the job number and job description, if desired. This step may be skipped if the job number
and job description as shown in this screen are already correct.

• Hit the “Store Network” softkey to send the job to the network. A status screen will appear to show
the progress of the job send. A message will appear indicating whether or not the store was
successful. If the network is not on line, a message will appear indicating this condition. A job
CANNOT be stored to the network unless it is online!

IMPORTANT: Jobs stored using the “Store Setup” softkey will still be stored as local
jobs on the MicroLink as they always have - NOT the network. A job stored on the
network is independent of the same job number stored at the MicroLink. If you change
the settings for a job on the network, it DOES NOT affect the settings of the same job
number stored on the MicroLink and vice versa! Make sure the job is sent to its intended
destination.

9.4 Network Job Recall on the MicroLink OIT

Jobs may be recalled from LinkNet to the MicroLink 5000 in the following manner:

• From the main menu of the MicroLink OIT, hit the “Job Setups” softkey to enter the jobs screen.

• Hit the “Recall Job” softkey to enter the recall screen. Note that the Run/Prog key MUST be in the

Prog position for this softkey to be available!

• Hit the “Recall Network” softkey to enter the network job recall screen.

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• If the network is off line, a message indicating this will appear. Jobs may NOT be recalled from the
network if it is off line! Otherwise, a prompt will appear asking for the job number to recall.

• Enter the job number to recall and hit the “ENTER” button on the MicroLink OIT keypad. If the job
has not been previously stored on LinkNet, a “Job Not Found” message will appear. Otherwise, this
screen will display the status of the job download. A message will appear at the end of the download
indicating success or failure or the job recall.

IMPORTANT: A job recalled from the network is independent of the same job number
recalled from regular internal job storage at the MicroLink. Make sure the job being
recalled is from the location intended!

9.5 Viewing Machine and Job Notes on the MicroLink OIT

MicroLink operator interface terminals can display notes entered at the LinkNet computer for both
the machine and the current job - if any have been entered. This requires the following steps:

• From any screen on the MicroLink hit the “DOWN TIME CODE” softkey to enter the network
down time code screen.

• Hit the “Display Notes” softkey to enter the notes screen. Any machine notes that have been entered
in the LinkNet machine configuration (see section 4.9.1.5 for details on how to enter machine notes)
will appear on the screen. If the notes are longer than a screen, then a “Next Page” or “Prev Page”
softkey will appear as appropriate.

• A softkey called “Die Notes” will appear when viewing machine notes, and a softkey called
“Machine Notes” will appear while viewing job notes. Once in the notes screen, hit the “Die Notes”
softkey to display the notes entered for the currently selected job (see section 4.13.1.5 for details on
how to enter job notes). The same paging action is available as discussed for machine notes above.
Hit the “Machine Notes” softkey to view the machine notes again.

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Section 10 Using the System 1100 Tonnage Monitor with LinkNet

The System 1100 tonnage monitor gains down time codes, tonnage logging, and virtually unlimited
job storage with the addition of LinkNet.
The unit will operate as it always has, but will have an additional menu selection in the main menu
called “NETWORK”. This menu will allow the operator to store and recall network jobs, view the
network clock, and send tonnage graphs to the network. In addition, the “DOWN TIME CODE” key on
the keypad will call up down time codes for selection.

10.1 Configuring the System 1100 Tonnage Monitor for LinkNet

Before the System 1100 can communicate with LinkNet, it must be assigned a machine number.
Since LinkNet shares a single cable with all machines on the network, the machine number is used by
LinkNet to call out the machine it wants to “talk” to.

NOTE: No two machines may have the same machine number or a machine number of 0!

For a System 1100, the machine number is set as follows:

• From the top-level menu (the menu the 1100 powers up in), and with the RUN/PROG/BYPASS key
in the PROG position, use the up and down arrow keys to select “CONFIG” and hit the “Enter” key.

• Enter the access code when prompted, use the up and down arrow keys to select “MACH
NUMBER”, and hit the “Enter” key. Enter the desired machine number at the prompt.

• Hit the “EXIT” key until back in the main menu.

10.2 Using Down Time Codes on the System 1100 Tonnage Monitor

Down time codes (DTCs) are a way for the press operator to easily keep a record of reasons why the
press is not in production. The DTCs are configured by an administrator using LinkNet as discussed in
section 4.8.2. When the network is running and the System 1100 is properly configured (see section

10.1), the “DOWN TIME CODE” key will bring up the DTC screen.

Note that pressing the “DOWN TIME CODE” key will result in a message of “NETWORK NOT
ACTIVE” if LinkNet is not running, if the System 1100 has been not been properly configured as
explained in section 10.1, or if there is a wiring problem! The DTCs are shown one at a time on the
System 1100s 2-line screen. The up and down arrow keys scroll through the available DTCs. The first
part of the top line shows the DTC number while the second shows the currently selected DTC number.
The bottom line shows the DTC description. An example screen might look like:

05 (CURRENT DTC:00)
Material Bad

The above screen is showing DTC number 5, which is “Material Bad”. The current DTC is number
0, which means that no DTC has been entered and the press is considered to be in production.

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Note that the current DTC can be shown as “SP”. This signifies that an automatic DTC is in effect.
These automatic down time codes, such as “Press Idle” or “Part Count Reached”, are sent by the System
1100 under certain conditions without operator intervention. In all cases, automatically entered down
time codes are automatically cleared when the press makes another stroke.

When a user entered DTC (not an automatic DTC) is active, the bar graphs beside each channel
blink on and off to remind the operator that the DTC is in effect. In addition, the production counters
(part, batch, and quality) do NOT count and average tonnage is not collected since the machine is not
considered to be in production!

To enter a DTC:

• Go to the DTC screen if not already there by pressing the “DOWN TIME CODE” key.

• Use the up and down arrow keys to scroll through the list of available DTCs and hit the “Enter” key

when the screen shows the desired DTC.

• Note that it is not necessary to clear a DTC before entering a new one.

• The “EXIT” key will cause the System 1100 to return to the screen it was in before the “DOWN

TIME CODE” key was pressed.

To clear a DTC:

• Go to the DTC screen if not already there by pressing the “DOWN TIME CODE” key.

• Either select “Production” (DTC 0) or hit the “CLEAR” key.

10.3 Network Job Storage on the System 1100

By using LinkNet, virtually unlimited job memory is available. Jobs can still be stored and recalled
locally, (that is, in the System 1100 itself) as they always have. When LinkNet is active, a new top-level
menu (the menu that is active when the 1100 is first powered up) called “NETWORK” becomes
available.

NOTE: The “NETWORK” menu will not appear if LinkNet is not running, if the
System 1100 has been not been properly configured as explained in section 10.1, or if
there is a wiring problem.

IMPORTANT: Jobs stored or recalled under the “STO/RCL” menu are stored or
recalled locally - not on the network. Likewise, jobs stored under the “NETWORK”
menu are stored on the network - not locally. The same job number and description can
be stored both locally and on the network but with different setpoints. Use care to recall
or store the job from or to its intended location!

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To store a job:

• From the top level menu (the top level menu can be reached by hitting the “EXIT” key until the
menu does not change), use the up and down arrow keys to select “NETWORK” and hit the
“ENTER” key.

• Use the up and down arrow keys to select “STORE JOB” and hit the “ENTER” key.

• A prompt will appear for confirmation to store the current job on the network. Hit the “YES” key to

store the job or the “NO” key to abort. Note that this is the current job. To change the job number
or job description, go into the “STO/RCL” menu and change them the same way as for a local store
operation (See System 1100 manual for details).

If the network is not active, the message “WAITING FOR NETWORK - HIT EXIT TO
CANCEL” will appear on the screen. A successful store will result in the message “JOB
STORAGE DONE - PRESS EXIT”.

10.4 Network Job Recall on the System 1100

By using LinkNet, virtually unlimited job memory is available. Jobs can still be stored and recalled
locally (in the System 1100) as they always have. When LinkNet is active, a new top-level menu (the
menu that is active when the 1100 is first powered up) called “NETWORK” becomes available.

NOTE: The “NETWORK” menu will not appear if LinkNet is not running, if the
System 1100 has been not been properly configured as explained in section 10.1, or if
there is a wiring problem.

IMPORTANT: Jobs stored or recalled under the “STO/RCL” menu are stored or
recalled locally - not on the network. Likewise, jobs stored under the “NETWORK”
menu are stored on the network - not locally. The same job number and description can
be stored both locally and on the network but with different setpoints. Use care to recall
or store the job from or to its intended location!

To recall a job:

• From the top-level menu (the top level menu can be reached by hitting the “EXIT” key until the
menu does not change), use the up and down arrow keys to select “NETWORK” and hit the
“ENTER” key.

• Use the up and down arrow keys to select “RECALL JOB” and hit the “ENTER” key.

• A prompt will appear to request the job number to recall. Enter the job number using the numeric

keypad and hit the “ENTER” key.

If the network is not active, the message “WAITING FOR NETWORK - HIT EXIT TO
CANCEL” will appear on the screen. A successful recall will result in the message
“NETWORK JOB RECALLED - PRESS EXIT”.

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10.5 Sending a Tonnage Graph from the System 1100

The System 1100 can send a tonnage graph to LinkNet for archival or analysis purposes.

To send a tonnage graph:

• From the top level menu (the top level menu can be reached by hitting the “EXIT” key until the
menu does not change), use the up and down arrow keys to select “NETWORK” and hit the
“ENTER” key.

• Use the up and down arrow keys to select “SEND GRAPH” and hit the “ENTER” key.

The graph will appear in its own window back on the host computer. The graph title will tell which

machine and job it originated from as well as the date and time it was sent.

10.6 The Network Clock on the System 1100

For convenience, the time as transmitted from the host computer can be displayed on the 1100.

To display the clock:

• From the top-level menu (the top level menu can be reached by hitting the “EXIT” key until the
menu does not change), use the up and down arrow keys to select “NETWORK” and hit the
“ENTER” key.

• Use the up and down arrow keys to select “CLOCK” and hit the “ENTER” key.

A screen with the current time as transmitted from the host computer will be displayed.

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