System Integration

Bits and bytes bounce between computers and devices: PDA (personal digital assistant), bar code readers, card readers, scales, labelling machines, timekeeping cards, etc.

All of these devices should be integrated; they need hardware and software components that connect each other, to make them part of one functional system: the “glue” that holds them together is the System Integration.

From the design to the test, AFA Systems applies the techniques of the Systems Integration to different fields: management and control for a single machine or for the shop floor of the whole factory; supervision and control of natural processes; automation of services for public or private entities.

Integration for the factory

AFA Systems deals with the integration of IT systems for the manufacturing and for the logistics; we offer products and systems fully customized, but contained in their costs.

We respond to the flexible factory's needs to churn out new and unique products in shorter and shorter time frames, making accessible the best technology also to the small and medium enterprises.

In the years, AFA systems has developed many basic hardware and software components to build up solutions, to pilot a single system, to govern an entire factory.

The same basic components make easy the integration among different IT systems: approaching each case with the same principles and with modular technologies, we can respond to most requests in a simple and personalised way.

The result is an offer made up of solutions which are highly reliable, economically affordable and simple to maintain.

Integration and control of natural processes

A dam, an aqueduct, an oil pipeline need control systems that identify alarms, consumptions, average levels and tendencies. These systems should be able to execute commands and actions on the basis of pre-established conditions.

In this scenario, we build certified solutions picking up elements in our portfolio: off-the-shelf widely tested hardware components and robust and optimised software libraries.

Reference technology

For many years, AFA Systems has built the system integration through a constant and refined architecture built around:

• a central unit, based on the architecture of industrial cpu boards
• an input/output system, through modules that are distributed on a fast serial line (USB, BACnet, CAN bus, PROFIBUS, etc.)
• really user-friendly Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI)
• software modules using multi-threaded real-time techniques to cope with real concurrent processes.

Then, we offer solutions which are highly reliable and very interesting from an economic point of view.

They are studied for the harsh environment of the a factory and for all those special environments (not only offices), where the business continuity is a key factor. Our systems are very simple to cable and install, easy to configure and maintain.