Following recent enhancements to its dispatch platform, Command Alkon is preparing a formal unveiling for a new Windows-based system of batching controls at 2004 World of Concrete (Orlando, Feb. 17 — 20). Commandbatch combines what company officials contend are the best features of the Eagle, Spectrum and AC2000 line of batching controls, and integrates them into a Microsoft Windows XP-driven graphical interface.

Commandbatch gives operators a means to determine plant status at a glance as on-screen icons representing bin(s), scale(s), conveyor(s) and other plant equipment are positioned similar to the way a plant is laid out. The icons, visually indicating whether the equipment is running, idling or stopped, are accompanied by added information such as target and actual batch weights.

The product uses Microsoft's MSDE database, or optionally, its full-scale SQL Server database, which allows the system to store large amounts of historical business and batch process data for later analysis. This database makes it easier to integrate Commandbatch with other systems, Command Alkon programmers note, and allows the user to modify the program's standard reports. Users can create their own reports using the built-in report generator feature and export them to common spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel, Access and Crystal Reports.

Connecting Commandbatch and its centralized database with available networking technology makes it easy for multiple users to accomplish various tasks simultaneously and to batch remotely. For example, quality control and credit personnel can update mix designs and customer credit status at the same time that orders are being entered and loads are being batched.

Flexibility in the use of programmable sequences to control interactions between batching steps is another Commandbatch feature. The start of each step, such as the feed of a particular material or the discharge of a scale, can be defined in terms of the status of other steps in the process. For example, the aggregate scale can be programmed to discharge when a certain amount of water has been discharged (with or without regard for cement and admixes), or cement can be programmed to wait until a certain amount of water and aggregate has discharged. Any number of separate sequences can be developed and saved for use with special situations such as grout mixes or trucks with unusual loading characteristics.

Initial installations of Commandbatch — or conversions to the platform from Eagle, Spectrum or AC2000 systems — began in the second half of 2003. The product will have a standard one-year Priority Support Agreement to include 24/7 telephone support, software support, and hardware replacement. A support agreement for subsequent years after the first year of service is available at an additional cost. Along with the Commandbatch roll out, Command Alkon plans to continue supporting the Eagle, Spectrum and AC 2000 products.

Information on the Commandbatch and related Commandseries technologies can be obtained by contacting Command Alkon at 800/624-1872; or visiting www.commandalkon.com.
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