DAILY NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR THE GLOBAL GRID COMMUNITY /    ( Table of Contents )

Systems/Enterprise:

BROOKS UNVEILS FACTORYworks3, INDUSTRY'S FIRST THIRD-GEN MES

Brooks Automation Inc, which develops and produces hardware, software and systems to enable manufacturing efficiencies for the semiconductor and other complex manufacturing industries, announced the release of Brooks FACTORYworks3, the industry's first Third-Generation Manufacturing Execution System (MES) software solution. By enabling continuous monitoring and active management of manufacturing conditions as well as data and intelligence sharing throughout all levels of the enterprise, FACTORYworks3 helps manufacturers "sense, decide and respond" to environment changes and exceptions in real time. Already deployed in more than 30 installations globally, including multiple sites at Toshiba, UMC and Samsung, FACTORYworks3 has been proven to lower MES cost of ownership while shortening cycle times and improving yields.

"Brooks FACTORYworks3 pioneers the next generation in MES," said Joe Bellini, senior vice president of Software Systems Group at Brooks Automation. "FACTORYworks3 provides 'always-on,' enterprise-wide data access and superior analytics that enable manufacturers to adapt to changing conditions in real time across a collaborative manufacturing environment. FACTORYworks3 is a vital part of our customers' Supply Chain Execution, Closed Loop Automation, Lean Manufacturing, and Enterprise Performance Management strategies."

HP Japan recently implemented FACTORYworks3 in three of Toshiba's primary semiconductor plants as part of an ongoing project to renew the fabrication process management systems of its semiconductor production lines.

"From the moment of implementation, we began to see the benefits of FACTORYworks3's extensive features," stated Hiroyuki Kitagawa, Semiconductor Service Group director at HP Japan. "From its rich out-of-the-box functionality, to its ease of customization, to its open architecture for strong integration with other systems, plants and partners, FACTORYworks3 distinguishes itself as a new type of MES that is intimately aligned with a manufacturer's unique business processes. HP Japan will be implementing FACTORYworks3 in a number of other Toshiba fabs in the future as a key component of the company's drive toward real-time manufacturing productivity and efficiency."

As the first third-generation MES, Brooks FACTORYworks3 leverages a Web-based architecture and industry standard protocols to enable collaborative manufacturing and supply chain execution. FACTORYworks3 also offers real-time integration with top-to-bottom factory solutions -- from ERP systems to shop floor equipment -- to unite manufacturing planning and execution. It is the first MES to provide a comprehensive manufacturing application platform for fully-integrated equipment maintenance management, corrective/preventative action and tooling and container management. Additional features that distinguish Brooks FACTORYworks3 as the first third-generation MES system include:

• Comprehensive, out-of-the-box functionality: FACTORYworks3 provides modeling, process planning, WIP, inventory and order tracking, data collection and analysis, equipment monitoring and work order dispatching. Packaged business rules, comprehensive Web-based reporting and an intuitive operator client reduce the configuration effort and set-up costs typically associated with MES implementations.

• Advanced customization environment: Unlike earlier MES systems that provided either robust functionality but difficult configuration or robust toolkits but limited functionality, FACTORYworks3 enables manufacturers to easily add to or extend the out-of-the-box capabilities provided with customizable "snap-ins" to further reduce system integration costs.
• Multi-site manufacturing support: FACTORYworks3 provides enhanced work-in-progress (WIP) and line management capabilities that allow for advanced component-level tracking and shipping of lots and their history between collaborative manufacturing lines.
• Industry-optimized data models: FACTORYworks3 supports the batch and unit-based manufacturing models of the high tech, automotive, aerospace & defense, and medical device industries.
• Web Services framework and powerful API's: FACTORYworks3 supports XML- based communication with enterprise-wide systems regardless of data format or platform, providing ease of integration with 3rd party and legacy applications. Additionally, Web services-based reporting works seamlessly with data warehouse technology to support enterprise-wide reporting on real-time and historical data.
• Manufacturing Application Platform: FACTORYworks3 provides plug-and- play access to other Brooks applications including Cornerstone for engineering data analysis, SPACE for advanced statistical process control, iAutomate for tool control, iProcess for process fault detection, and Alarm Manager for automated system alerts.