One of the most important aspects in the manufacturing industry has always been keeping time. From tracking the time it takes to cure or finish a product or material to the time used by employees on lunch break, making sure these events occur in a timely fashion dictates deadlines and goals that need to be met. Naturally, this puts a lot of importance on the reliability and accuracy of the clocks within the facility. If the clocks aren’t accurate, interruptions occur, output slows, and the manufacturing facility performs below par. To avoid this situation, synchronized clocks have commonly been installed in these facilities, and so far it’s done the trick.

However, what if there was more that you could do to improve the timeliness of this facility without straying from the clocks? In fact, there is a way, and that’s with the use of IP clocks and their count-down and elapsed timing abilities. What is count-down? Never heard of elapsed time? The remainder of this article will go into depth on both functions and explain how they improve the time-sensitive functions of a manufacturing plant.

1. Count-down

In IP clocks, the count-down function can be performed on two platforms. The first is through a computer. The user can locate the clock they wish to count-down on a computer program and send the count-down to that clock through the click of a mouse. This feature can be very useful when timing employee lunch breaks. As employees enter the eating area to take their lunch managers can, through a computer, launch a count-down to all the clocks in that room or area. This way, all employees will consistently have a reference for the time remaining on their break, assuring management that all will return to work on time. On the second platform, count-downs can be commenced from a local area, meaning a manually controlled panel that is located in close proximity to the clock and physically connected by hard wire. If an employee needs to set a count-down on-the-go for such things as curing materials, the control panel can be accessed to perform the count-down on the spot.

2. Elapsed Time

Elapsed time is known as a count-up function in IP digital clocks. Instead of performing a count-down from a predetermined time, elapsed time counts up from zero until the user has fulfilled his or her task and the count-up is stopped. In IP clocks, elapsed time only has one platform—through the use of a manual control panel in close proximity to the clock. In manufacturing facilities, elapsed time can be useful in measuring performance and output of the facility. For instance, if the foreman wanted to know the time it takes to fill an order or complete a process during the creation of their product, the elapsed timer can gauge that time.

With timing capability in a manufacturing facility, employees as well as management will have an easier time completing the day-to-day functions that go on within the building. With better time management from count-down and count-up capability, the timeliness of the facility will improve immensely, which could lead to an increase in the output of the manufacturing plant. By not taking advantage of timer capability in synchronized IP clocks, manufacturers are missing out on the improved efficiency of time management.