PC-Topp.NET News (en)

Workaround for PC-Topp.NET Issues Caused by Internet Explorer 9 Memory Problem

PcTopp — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 16:25:52 +0100

As a temporary workaround for the Internet Explorer 9 memory hogging problem described earlier, PC-Topp Terminal pages will automatically refresh every 60 minutes, causing a momentary flicker, and potentially displaying the start page of the terminal (and not the page that was last being viewed). We do however watch out for ongoing user interaction and delay the refresh until we are have not seen any user interaction with the page for a reasonable time.

This workaround now makes it possible to use Internet Explorer 9 with PC-Topp's terminal pages without suffering the effects of long term memory loss inside Internet Explorer 9.

However, any other problems Internet Explorer 9 still has will not disappear with this trick, so users may still experience browser failures and similar effects in PC-Topp under IE9, the same effects Internet Explorer 9 users experience in popular Internet services like Google's www.gmail.com.

PC-Topp.NET Issues Caused By Internet Explorer

PcTopp — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:09:34 +0100

Internet Explorer 9

When working with PC-Topp.NET in Internet Explorer 9 you may face difficulties like unexpectedly high memory usage or browser crashes.

These are Internet Explorer 9 specific problems; in Internet Explorer 8 PC-Topp.NET is stable and runs with the usual reliabilty.

Microsoft has admitted the memory hogging problem in Internet Explorer 9 (see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2572253/en-us); concerning the browser crashes a Microsoft statement is still pending.

Our developers are currently trying to find a workaround. However, in the meantime resp. as long as there is no official Microsoft fix we recommend using PC-Topp.NET with Internet Explorer 8. We will inform you via this blog as soon as there is a solution available.

Internet Explorer Add-Ons

No matter which version of Internet Explorer you are using, Internet Explorer add-ons can cause performance and stability problems in PC-Topp.NET.

Therefore, we advise you to disable all Internet Explorer add-ons like search engine toolbars, social networking tools etc., except those you absolutely need.

You can find instructions on how to disable add-ons here:
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-vista/Internet-Explorer-add-ons-frequently-asked-questions

Calculate Exact Die-Cut Waste with New Machine Terminal Option

PcTopp — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 12:27:00 +0100

PC-Topp now gives you close control of the amount of die-cut waste occurred during production at the PC-Topp.NET Machine Terminal.

This optional new feature prompts the user to enter the sheet weight before and after production before allowing him to close an order. From the difference between these two figures you can easily calculate the die-cut waste of this order.

In the production statistics, the die-cut waste appears in the PC-Topp.NET Plant Performance Report.

To enable this feature, some PC-Topp parameters have to be modified so if you want to use it please contact the PC-Topp team.

Production Summary with Passes and Products

PcTopp — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 10:23:00 +0100

We have created a variation of the PC‑Topp.NET Production Summary which shows the same data as the original report but gives the number of finished goods in products as well as in passes. (The Production Summary displays passes only.)

PDF Report on Pallet Requirements

PcTopp — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:13:00 +0100

The pallet requirements can now be downloaded in PDF format for printout, emailing etc.

They are available in summary form as well as in full detail in the toolbox of the Pallet Requirements page.

Better Visibility of Machine Performance on Plant Summary Page

PcTopp — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 14:45:00 +0100

Now you can see the machine performance on the plant summary page at a glance because the speed is now displayed in different colors. The following colors indicate the relation between actual speed (including downtimes) and planning capacity (defined in the Conversion Machine settings):

Red – Actual speed is more than 20% lower than planning capacity
Bright Blue – Actual speed is more than 20% greater than planning capacity
Dark Blue – Actual speed is within tolerance

Easier Overview of Quality Checks at the Machine Terminal

PcTopp — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 09:45:00 +0100

The list of quality checks during the current shift at the PC-Topp.NET Machine Terminal has been enhanced so that you can now optionally display it either vertically as usual or horizontally in a more graphical style.

The new horizontal view is rather graphical than textual and therefore more or less self-explaining. With its economical layout, clear organization and color codes, it provides a well-structured overview of the shift's quality checks.

The overview can show more quality checks at a time because the quality checks are listed in a timeline, additionally organized by check type (rather than just by chronological order as before).
Whether upcoming, pending, or already performed, all quality checks remain in view (whereas in the vertical layout you see mostly the pending and upcoming ones).
The status of the quality checks is instantly visible thanks to their color codes which are similar to the PC-Topp order status colors:
- Yellow – Upcoming quality checks
- Blue – Due / imminent quality checks
- Gray – Performed quality checks
- Red – Expired quality checks
Additionally, failed quality checks are marked in red, passed quality checks in green:

You can switch the quality checks to the new view in the Machine Terminal tab of the DataSet Parameters page:

Suspended Orders Marked in Conversion Machine Scheduling

PcTopp — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:38:00 +0100

Due to their pink background color, orders flagged as "Forbidden" by Planning or Sales clearly stand out in the machine schedule of the PC‑Topp.NET Conversion Machine Scheduling page. As of now, you can spot orders flagged as "Suspended" by Planning or Sales more easily, too: They are displayed with a pink order number.

Plant Summary: More Details on Machine Performance

PcTopp — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 12:04:00 +0100

In the PC‑Topp.NET Plant Summary you can now click the Plus icon in the upper right corner of any machine box to open a dialog displaying more performance figures for this machine.

In addition to the information shown in the machine overview, in this new dialog you will find:

More orders from the machine schedule
More details for those orders
Production times and OEE of the displayed shifts
Performance details of the current order

Users Can Change Printers for Pallet Labels Themselves Now

PcTopp — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 10:44:00 +0100

So far PC‑Topp has allowed only administrators to create and manage the configurations for pallet label printing in the plant (via the classical Pallet Label Assignments program). There can be numerous such configurations for specific workstations, individual users, or groups of users, e.g. for use by planners or supervisors, for printing internal and external pallet labels etc.

However, in everyday work sometimes those configurations must be modified while there is no administrator available, e.g. if the default label printer breaks down during the night shift.

Therefore we have created the new PC-Topp.NET Pallet Label Printer Settings page which allows ordinary users to do just that: They can select a different printer for any label printing configuration so they needn't rely exclusively on the system administrator for this simple task anymore. (Only printers preconfigured in the Pallet Label Assignments are available for selection.)

You can find the Pallet Label Printer Settings page in the PC-Topp.NET Service menu.

Configuration of Color Set-Up Times Extended

PcTopp — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 12:06:00 +0100

In the PC-Topp.NET Machine Settings, you can now configure set-up times for up to seven different ink colors. (Before this was restricted to max. four ink colors.)

This way the set-up time for orders with four or more ink colors can be calculated more precisely than before and thus the total work time calculation is more accurate.

New PC-Topp Support Email Address

PcTopp — Mon, 23 May 2011 15:09:25 +0100

We are currently reorganizing our customer response management to further improve our customer support in terms of reaction time and solution quality. In order to streamline our handling of customer inquiries we have introduced a new central e-mail address for support requests. As of now, please exclusively use this e-mail address if you need our support.

Nouvelle adresse de support de PC-Topp

Afin d’améliorer notre support concernant le temps de réaction et la qualité des solutions nous avons réorganisé le système de réponses de nos clients. Nous avons introduit une adresse e-mail centrale spécialement conçue pour les demandes de support : Désormais, veuillez utiliser uniquement cette adresse si vous avez besoin de notre support.

Neue Mailadresse für den PC-Topp-Support

Wir reorganisieren derzeit unser Kundenreaktionsmanagement, um unseren Kundensupport im Hinblick auf Antwortgeschwindigkeit und Qualität der angebotenen Lösungen zu verbessern. Zur Optimierung der Bearbeitung von Kundenanfragen haben wir eine neue zentrale E-Mail-Adresse für Support-Anfragen eingerichtet. Bitte wenden Sie sich ab sofort ausschließlich an diese Adresse, wenn Sie per E-Mail Support anfordern möchten.

support@pctopp.com

Alternatively you can give us a call on / Ou bien vous pouvez nous appeler au / Oder rufen Sie uns an unter +49 (911) 994000

Define When Machine Terminal Switches from Set-Up to Run

PcTopp — Thu, 12 May 2011 17:34:00 +0100

So far the PC-Topp.NET Machine Settings only allowed you to define when the machine should switch from status “Running” to “Stopped” (in sheets), and this value was used to determine a status change from “Set-Up” to “Running” as well.

As this might be disadvantageous for certain machines the PC-Topp.NET Machine Settings now offer a new option where you can specifically define when the machine should change from “Set-Up” to “Running”.

(If you leave this field blank the software will use the value given for “Stopped” > “Running” for both “Stopped” > “Running” and “Set-Up” > “Running” as before. )

Password Protected Actions More Comfortable at Machine Terminal

PcTopp — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:10:00 +0100

In the past, if you wanted to execute a password protected action at the PC-Topp.NET Machine Terminal you had to re-enter your password for each following restricted action as well which could be quite bothersome.

This policy has been changed to make consecutive restricted actions easier: After a user has authenticated himself for a password protected action his user rights remain extended for one minute so he doesn’t have to enter his credentials again for the next restricted action.

New PDF Report on Paper Changes

PcTopp — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 11:28:00 +0100

The PDF version of the classical Paper Change Statistics report is now available in the Corrugator section (Paper Related Reports) of the PC‑Topp.NET Statistics page.