Esys Automation, a leading innovator of full service automation and software solutions for manufacturers, and 3M, a technology company known for innovation, have announced their selection as finalists for the prestigious PACE Award. The Automotive News' PACE Award honors superior innovation, technological advancement and business performance among automotive suppliers. This prestigious award, now in its eighteenth year, is recognized around the world as the industry benchmark for innovation. The joint submission by Esys and 3M was based on precision wheel balancing attained through automation of installing 3M™ Wheel Weights using the AutoW8t™ equipment.

AutoW8t is Esys Automation's patent-pending technology for dispensing, cutting and robotic application of 3M's new adhesive wheel weight product. Together, the two companies helped initiate a leap forward in tire and wheel assembly technology, dramatically improving the speed, quality and cost of the OEM high-speed tire balancing processes. This innovation has made wheel balancing easier and faster than ever, while reducing inventory and freeing up valuable manufacturing floor space. The companies' entry is one of five finalists in the Manufacturing Process Category.

"We're very pleased to be considered for what is widely regarded as the most coveted award in the automotive industry," said Chris Marcus, Esys Automation CEO, "and the opportunity to partner with 3M on such a unique innovation was invaluable."

Greg Piserchia, U.S. sales and marketing director, 3M Automotive Division, stated, "We are thrilled to be finalists with Esys for this prestigious award, and we are excited about presenting our product and production automation innovations to the judging panel for consideration."

The PACE Awards are announced in April, after an extensive judging process that includes site visits and customer references.

For information about Esys and its products and services, visit www.esysautomation.com, e-mail info@esyscorp.com, or call 1.248.754.1900, extension 260.

For more information about the 3M Wheel Weight System, visit www.3M.com/wheelweights or contact the 3M Automotive Division at 877-266-1192 in Livonia, Mich.

About Esys Automation.

Esys Automation is a leading full service automation solutions and software provider to the automotive, construction vehicle, and complex assembly industries. Esys provides automation design, simulation, & prototyping, machine building and deployment, advanced robotic systems, integration, and industry-specific software solutions designed to automate and improve production processes. The company specializes in innovative manufacturing automation solutions designed to meet exacting tolerances, enhance operational efficiency, and improve visibility, tracking, and control of production processes. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Esys Automation operates across North America, including Canada and Mexico.

For more information, please visit www.esysautomation.com. AutoW8t™ is a trademark of Esys Automation.

About 3M

3M captures the spark of new ideas and transforms them into thousands of ingenious products. The company's culture of creative collaboration inspires a never-ending stream of powerful technologies that make life better. 3M is the innovation company that never stops inventing. With $27 billion in sales, 3M employs about 80,000 people worldwide and has operations in more than 65 countries. For more information, visit www.3M.com or follow @3MNews on Twitter.

For more information, visit www.3M.com. 3M is a trademark of 3M Company.

Oct 07, 2011 - Auburn Hills, MI – Esys, a leading innovator of full service automation and software solutions for manufacturers announced today it had completed commissioning of the Anti-chip and Cosmetic Seam Seal flex production cells at a major OEM Assembly Plant. For this engagement, Esys pioneered an innovative machine that achieves dramatic improvements in precision of anti-chip/rocker panel spray coatings. The AutoMask^TM rotary masking tool for robotic coating applications is easy to maintain and reliably delivers a perfect spray line without on-vehicle masking. In the highly automated world of vehicle assembly, precision and quality are critically intertwined attributes, and AutoMask delivers on both counts.

AutoMask ^TM is the latest addition to Esys Automation’s open architecture for paint and dispense solutions. Open architectures provide OEM’s choice, flexibility, and maintainability by allowing customers to independently select the best robotics, vision systems, controls, and equipment available today. Esys PerfectProcess^TM software completes the solution footprint, delivering powerful, exacting control over the many variables that impact a coating process, such as surface contours, temperatures, pressure, and material viscosity.

The company was selected as the turn-key general contractor for the showcase OEM project in 2010. Esys provided comprehensive architectural and engineering responsibilities from design and simulation, to solution commissioning for this high-profile product launch. Esys engineers coordinated every phase of the project, including materials handling and conveyance, robotics, controls, structural integration of support systems, and integration with existing line production operations.

“I’m very proud of our team’s performance, and of the confidence our customer placed in us for such a ground breaking product launch.” said David Valentine, President of Esys Automation. “This is just one more example of how technology can help revitalize our country’s manufacturing footprint, helping us better compete in the global automotive manufacturing business.”

Esys Automation Paint and Dispense applications are employed in a variety of OEM final assembly lines today, including anti-chip/rocker panel coatings, roof ditch applications, underbody and interior seam sealing, and liquid apply sound dampening. In addition to paint and dispense applications Esys Automation is a global market leader in tire and wheel assembly solutions, and recently introduced AutoW8t, revolutionizing wheel weight apply in high-volume production environments.

For information about Esys, and its products and services, visit www.esyscorp.com, e-mail info@esyscorp.com, or call 1.248.754.1900, extension 260.

Auburn Hills, MI, Aug 2, 2011 – Esys Automation, a leading innovator of full service automation and software solutions for manufacturers, has announced the launch of AutoW8t^TM, its patent-pending technology for dispensing, cutting and robotic application of 3M’s new adhesive wheel weight product.

AutoW8t represents a leap forward in tire and wheel assembly technology, dramatically improving the speed, quality and cost of OEM high-speed tire balancing processes. It is designed specifically to apply 3M™ Wheel Weights, a break-through advancement in precision wheel balancing. AutoW8t leverages Kokusai balancing components along with a patent-pending Esys direct drive technology to apply level-wound rolls of 3M Wheel Weights in high-speed, high-volume environments with exacting specifications. Together, AutoW8t and 3M have made wheel balancing easier and faster than ever, while reducing inventory and freeing up valuable manufacturing floor space. In addition, the 3M product, unlike traditional industry-standard lead wheel balances, uses lead-free material to lessen environmental impact.

3M is a leader in the production of lead-free wheel weights and the only manufacturer of a composite-based wheel weight system. 3M’s award-winning product, made of a highly flexible polymer composite, can be cut to meet exact weight requirements and fit all wheel diameters. The material is flexible enough to cut with scissors, yet tough enough to withstand rigorous durability, weathering, salt spray and salt fog testing to exceed current OEM standards. 3M Wheel Weights are designed to replace traditional systems that require large inventories of individual parts – from14 to 24 SKUs -- down to 1 SKU.

Esys and 3M collaborated over two years, conducting multiple trials of this technology in actual production environments with customers. 3M utilizes AutoW8t at its production facility in Minnesota, and has produced over 3 million pieces to date -- an enormous production volume that validates its scalability and performance for the most demanding manufacturing environments.

“We were impressed with the innovative design, quality and sheer simplicity that Esys brought to the table,” said Greg Piserchia, U.S. sales and marketing director, 3M Automotive Division. “Innovation is a core value for 3M, so it’s gratifying to work with a team that exhibits a strong desire to innovate. Esys possesses deep domain expertise and a rock-solid reputation in the automotive industry, making it a natural collaborator for this effort.”

The first machine of its kind, AutoW8t was designed with only three moving parts – creating a virtually maintenance-free, extraordinarily reliable, automated production solution (pictures). OEM trials underscored AutoW8t’s ability to improve balancing technique, when it reduced static-residual imbalance up to 24 percent and couple-residual imbalance up to 31 percent. These impressive quality improvements mean a smoother ride, better gas mileage, and more even, reduced tire wear for vehicle owners.

For assembly plants, AutoW8t, combined with 3M Wheel Weights, delivers a more efficient assembly process with fewer balancer rejects, as well as less rework and parts to track. The AutoW8t launch is underscored with its selection for General Motors Level A Enhancements program. Twenty-one AutoW8t systems will be deployed at four locations in the next two years.

“We’re dedicated to designing, developing, and deploying the most advanced automated systems possible for the transportation-based OEM markets,” said Chris Marcus, Esys CEO. “Bringing that vision to life would not be possible without our 3M relationship. AutoW8t and 3M Wheel Weights will set a new standard of performance for wheel assembly operations across the industry, and I’m very pleased that Esys is a driving force behind that change.”

For information about Esys and its products and services, visit www.esyscorp.com, e-mail info@esyscorp.com , or call 1.248.754.1900, extension 260.

For more information about the 3M Wheel Weight System, visit www.3M.com/wheelweights or contact the 3M Automotive Division at 877-266-1192 in Livonia, Mich.

During the upcoming holiday season Esys will once again be supporting the Toys for Tots organization. In these tough times it is important to step up and help out. Our team has an amazing ability to rise up to any challenge. We are excited to see what we can accomplish by setting our minds to the challenge of collecting as many gifts as possible for those less fortunate this holiday season. We can make a difference through our contributions as well as involving customers, suppliers, family and friends of Esys.

In our office there will be collection boxes in the front near the reception area. If you are in the area and feel compelled to contribute you can drop off your donation with us. We were told that they have the most difficulty collecting gifts for the 10-14 years age group. The toy drive goes from now until December 16th. Last year the outpouring of generosity by our team and our suppliers was truly amazing. I am certain that this team can accomplish similar results this year.

If you want to learn more about Toys for Tots please visit their website at: www.toysfortots.org

If you have more questions please feel free to stop by or please contact Scott Claxton at scott.claxton@esyscorp.com.

In the tire and wheel assembly business, radical innovations are few and far between. So when 3M stepped up to the plate and developed a wheel weight technology that allows precision balancing, the industry took notice. The 3M™ Wheel Weight System makes wheel balancing easier, faster and more precise than ever while reducing inventory and freeing up floor space. In addition, the lead-free material has less impact on the environment than industry-standard lead weights.

Esys learned of this new product in 2008 and quickly jumped on board with 3M to develop a production worthy Weight Dispense and Cut System (DCS) using level wound rolls of 3M Wheel Weights. The Esys DCS was developed around the premise that it must be production worthy with as few moving parts as possible and virtually maintenance free. This project was a collaborative effort in which Esys equipment engineers worked closely with our customers and 3M engineers to create an easy-to-use and highly dependable machine. The ultimate test came once the machine was complete and 3M purchased one for its production facility in Minnesota. 3M production staff and engineers wasted no time putting the equipment to work and have since produced over 3,000,000 pieces! This enormous volume of production created a unique opportunity to learn how the equipment would perform in the real world. Many lessons were learned from this and have since been incorporated into our Gen2 DCS equipment. To the end user, this means a durable piece of equipment that eliminates the risk associated with deploying a new technology.

Over the course of the past two years, Esys and 3M have teamed up to conduct multiple online trials of this technology in actual production environments. These trials were conducted for several of the largest OEMs. The results of each test showed the ability of this technology to streamline the balancing process by reducing static residual imbalance by (up to 23.9%) and couple residual imbalance by (up to 31%). To the vehicle buyer, this improved balancing technique will result in a smoother ride, better gas mileage and more even, reduced tire wear. To the assembly plant, this will result in fewer balancer rejects and less rework, fewer parts to keep track of and a more efficient assembly process.

The parts supplier has very demanding quality standards to follow for their customers that require regular testing of parts during the production process. The previous method for the manufacturer was to manually record values by hand on paper. When reports were required for trending or submittal to customers, data was manipulated by manual calculation and entered into a excel spreadsheets for charting. Now the data gets directly entered into PerfectPart for long term storage and reports are run through a customized query routine. The results are provided in graphical X-R charts and can also be exported into predefined formats for other reports and usage. The system has eliminated the need for binder after binder of hand written data.

The customer is so pleased with the new SPC system; they are now in the process of adding our OEE module of PertfectPart. This module allows them to interface directly to PLC controllers and CNC machines to collect key performance parameters used for OEE reporting. PerfectPart provides WEB access for OEE reporting and the ability to provide real time OEE status reporting on the plant floor via LCD monitors located in key areas of production. The key for this manufacturer’s success has been the modular nature of PerfectPart software that allows them to expand the system when funds are available.

Esys engineers were brought in to support the launch of General Motor’s new “Astra” vehicle in Ellesmere Port, England. Since, Esys has been successfully supporting the body shop line leaders to reduce down-time and train GM skilled trades on GM’s GCCH (Global Common Controls Hardware) and GCCS (Global Common Controls Software). The Ellesmere Port body shop consists of 45 PLC’s and 500 robots.

Bringing GM’s line leaders and Esys engineers together has minimized product launch time and drastically reduced production down-time. The GM & Esys Partnership has reduced the learning curve and enabled the plant skilled trades to maintain all the new “global equipment”. This has been a “Win-Win” for GM and Esys.

Esys recently received a contract to provide a Pick to Light system for Texas Powertrain Assembly Inc., a company providing engine assemblies to Caterpillar. The company manages an engine assembly process that really needed a Pick-to-Light and Put-to-Light system. The requirement for P2L (pick to light system) was driven by the need to assist assembly operators in ensuring accuracy of build with an extremely diverse product variation. It is very common for operators to assemble product they have not seen in weeks. The P2L aids the operator in locating the part content of each engine variation only when needed.

The Esys P2L solution is a server based system (with web interface) that is in constant communications with the PLEX ERP system that coordinates material throughout the facility. The server communicates with over 120 part racks that contain 12 – 40 bins of tote storage. The P2L is flexible for material coordinators, material is “put” to the racks using a mobile PC/Barcode reader that dynamically programs the location of material in the rack for the picking process. As engines are presented to the operator, the engines “bill of material” is transferred to P2L system and it determines the part location and quantity required for build. The information is displayed at the pick bin(s) using a new rack mounted P2L device. This new device has a 2 digit seven segment display and a photo detection feature that senses when the correct parts have been retrieved for assembly. The P2L communicates back to the ERP and conveyance systems that the correct parts were used in the process.

Esys was chosen to supply the system because of our history of providing robust/flexible solutions for P2L and other mistake-proofing applications.

Recently, Esys teamed with Valiant Machine & Tool (Canada), Valiant International (US) & TMS (European) divisions to design controls for BMW’s F25 program. The Esys contract included hardware design of Bodysides, Framing & Metal Finish, software design of Bodysides and commissioning of all three areas. BMW is located in Spartanburg, South Carolina and will build the second-generation X3, a premium compact Sports Activity Vehicle.

Hardware design was created using Eplan5 along with BMW supplied templates. Hardware technology included Siemens S7, Pilz Safety PLC’s and Phoenix field distributed I/O. Motor control utilizied SEW Movimots, Movidrives & Motor Switches. Pneumatic control consisted of Festo components, including slow start safety valves. Communications included Interbus (fiber optics), Ethernet, and SafetyBusP.

BMW specified the use of Siemens 416-3 PLC’s for the F25 program. The software architecture combines Siemens Step 7, Siemens S7 PDiag & Siemens S7 Graph software along with Pilz safety PLC’s. The HMI’s used on the project were also Siemens and Siemens WinCC software was used for development.

Process controls included Siemens VS130-2, INOS, Pepperl & Fuchs OIT200, 500 & 1500, VMT & HGV vision systems. Robotic welding, material handling and sealing applications were handled by ABB robots and incorporated ABB’s new “Safemove” technology.

The commissioning team included hardware installation, software debug and safety buy-off. Because of time constraints, this program was built at BMW's facility. Esys began support October of 2009 and is scheduled to complete support September of 2010.

For further information, please contact Kevin Gaines at kevin.gaines@esyscorp.com.

During the upcoming holiday season, Esys will be supporting the Toys for Tots organization. In these tough times, we feel that it is more important than ever to step up and give back wherever and whenever possible. Our team has an amazing ability to rise up to any challenge. We are excited to see what our organization, customers, suppliers, family and friends can accomplish by setting our minds to the challenge of collecting as many gifts as possible for those less fortunate this holiday season. By giving your time and contributions we can make a difference to a child in need!

If you are in the area and feel compelled to contribute you can drop off your donation with us. The toy drive goes from now until December 17th. We sincerely appreciate your help in making this toy drive a success and bringing some joy to those who otherwise might go without.

If you want to learn more about Toys for Tots please visit their website at: http://www.toysfortots.org/.

For further information, please contact Scott Claxton at scott.claxton@esyscorp.com.

Auburn Hills, MI – October 8, 2009 – Esys Corporation, an engineering and manufacturing systems integration firm, announced today two LASD Robotic Cells will be supplied to General Motors. These Robotic Cells will support the manufacturing of GM’s highly anticipated new vehicle – the Chevy Volt. Founded in 1999 to provide engineering excellence in electrical, mechanical and controls services, Esys’ has diversified its services over many industries; however, the roots of the company came from the automotive industry which it still serves today. The firm’s growth and sustainment realized over ten years of “collective talent, collaborative effort and consistent results.”

In line with GM green initiatives, Esys will utilize reclaimed equipment from another facility to provide two robotic LASD application cells. Fanuc robots will apply the material to the vehicle using pumps and guns supplied by Graco. Transfer conveyors will also be integrated into the cells for a complete turn-key installation to be completed during first quarter of 2010. By applying LASD material with robots, the solution will improve overall quality by increasing consistency while decreasing material cost. Esys is pleased to be a part of the manufacturing of GM’s new and groundbreaking vehicle.

Located in Auburn Hills, Michigan, Esys provides automation engineering expertise in control systems, robotic cell integration, Manufacturing Execution Systems, material handling, and custom engineered products to our customers.

For more information about Esys’ capabilities or integration solutions, contact Chris Marcus, CEO at (248) 754-1900 or visit our website at www.esyscorp.com.

Esys will be on display at the upcoming Assembly Technology Expo located at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center (adjacent to O’Hare Airport, Chicago, IL) on September 22nd through 24th. With the theme “You Be the Operator,” Esys will showcase an interactive demonstration of its MES solution at Booth #1210.

Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) options start at under $30,000.00, offering the most affordable MES system on the market.

On the plant floor, operators and tooling have the biggest impact on cost and quality. Esys provides the first and only MES solution to emphasize the operator and tooling. Esys MES solutions are built by manufacturing integration engineers, not IT software people. Our engineers spend more time on concrete than carpet, creating real world solutions for manufacturing excellence.

Please contact us directly for more information about Esys or the Show:
sales@esyscorp.com
248-754-1900 P
248-754-1901 F

Esys engineers continue to support the launch of General Motor’s hot new car in Oshawa, Canada - the all new Chevy Camaro! GM engineers worked exclusively with the Esys engineers to successfully design and deploy the controls for more than 700 robots and all of the tooling in the body shop for this exciting new vehicle. The body shop utilized GM’s GCCH (Global Common Controls Hardware) and GCCS (Global Common Controls Software) for controls which significantly reduced design time and cost . Almost all of the electrical cabinets utilized throughout the body shop are standard, off the shelf panels that require little or no design time. The majority of the PLC and HMI software was auto generated utilizing GM’s software creation tools. Commissioning the Camaro’s tooling with all of the standardization in place proved to be a time saver as well – the tooling, cells and zones were up and running in an unprecedented amount of time!

Esys is proud to have played a role in assisting GM with the development of their global architecture designs and was pleased to see the benefits first hand. Bringing GM’s engineering team together with the Esys’ engineers was a perfect match, the result is a body shop with a very tight tolerance to their standard controls architecture which is producing a very exciting new product for General Motors!

Esys recently deployed an MES system to an Ohio manufacturer looking to reduce defects and incorporate traceability. MES (Manufacturing Execution System) has many definitions and functions in logistics and manufacturing. MES – Is typically thought of as a solution for measure and control of activities in areas of production to increase productivity and improve quality. The main focus is on the activities at the plant floor level to provide “real-time” information to respond to events as they occur. Many systems also serve as bridge to ERP/MRP systems or can also be a stand-alone solution for many users. MES is used to collect all types of data from all types of sources, including directly from the manufacturing equipment and from personnel performing production activities. It is often set-up to provide real-time feedback to production personnel, as well as supervisors and managers.

In one of our most recent installations, the customer was experiencing some difficulties in shipping product with the wrong option content or process defects. Instead of purchasing a large and expensive suite of software, they turned to Esys. We provided them with a couple of our MES software modules and also delivered a hardware platform to suit the application. The software modules gave them the ability to schedule production, provide operators with electronic work instructions and record traceability and geneology information. The unique advantage Esys brings is our experience as a systems integrator. Our systems integrate with the production environment. In addition to interfacing with a QAD ERP system, our MES system records LOT information from assembly parts, torque data from the line side tools and interfaces to the conveyor to provide containment. The customer is very happy with the system and notes Esys saved them tens of thousands of dollars over other competitive offerings.

Esys Corporation, an engineering and manufacturing systems integration firm, today announced the successful upgrade for the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA) for the Bureau of Reclamation in Yuma, AZ. Created in 1999 to provide engineering excellence in electrical, mechanical and controls services, Esys’ services are diversified across many industries including supporting many Government agencies. The firm’s growth and sustainment realized over ten years of “collective talent, collaborative effort and consistent results.”

The Bureau of Reclamation required the upgrade to their Senator Wash and Imperial Dam facilities outside Yuma, Arizona. The old system was running on PC based hardware that was outdated, unreliable and unsupported. The engineering team at Esys took on the challenge to help modernize their critical power generation equipment. The result is an up to date system that is fully supported and reliable.

Esys supplied the facilities with new computers running the latest Microsoft operating system in addition to the latest Cimplicity HMI Server with Proficy Global Care software. The Cimplicity application runs on a desktop computer and is used as the interface between the operators and the control of the pumps and gates at the facilities. Our integration team completed the upfront software engineering conversion. Complete software testing occurred at our Auburn Hills office to ensure a smooth transition once the equipment was deployed to the facilities at Yuma. Once on-site, Esys executed a seamless transition from the outdated hardware to the new hardware and tested the communication to the existing Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) without incident or interruption. Our team provided training and support to the on-site operators. The project was completed on-time resulting in a customer satisfied with our work.

Esys is a progressive company that operates in an open book management environment that shares success with the employees. This approach has provided Esys with a tremendous core of talented engineers that consistently provide customers with the type of service and products they expect and deserve.

Auburn Hills, MI – January, 29, 2009 – Esys Corporation, an engineering and manufacturing systems integration firm, today announced the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) approval of its Professional Engineering Services (PES) services. Created in 1999 to provide engineering excellence in electrical, mechanical and controls services, Esys’ services will now be available for government-wide acquisition through GSA’s approved suppliers list. The firm’s growth and sustainment realized over ten years of “collective talent, collaborative effort and consistent results.”

“We are excited to be approved by the GSA and are committed to providing competitive, high value and innovative engineering talent to our federal agencies,” comments Chris Marcus, CEO of Esys. “Our engineering staff is committed to providing a first-class level of service and response to new clients within the government,” Chris added.

Esys is an engineering and manufacturing systems integration firm located in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Esys provides automation engineering expertise in electrical control systems, material handling, and custom engineered products to our customers.

Established in 1999, the Esys team is comprised of almost 100 engineers experienced in automation controls and cutting edge technologies for data collection, error-proofing, and traceability. Our core expertise is with automotive manufacturers and their suppliers but we also provide engineering solutions for a wide variety of industries.

Esys is a progressive company that operates in an open book management environment that shares success with the employees. This approach has provided Esys with a tremendous core of talented engineers that consistently provide customers with the type of service and products they expect and deserve.