The intelligent software LOGiQ® is currently being introduced at Schenck Process as the first step in a new range of products. The software is middleware for automating the planning and loading of bulk materials and cargo. Although it is essentially suitable for any area of industry it is however primarily aimed at the cement, chemical and steel industries.
The software was developed using the Java programming language and can therefore be used with a wide range of operating systems. Java, alongside .NET from Microsoft, is one of two software platforms that have emerged in recent years and fulfil all the requirements of modern software solutions. The decision in favour of Java mainly came down to the fact that, unlike .NET, it is designed as an independent system. For a company like Schenck Process, which serves customers all over the world and needs to provide them with optimum solutions for different environments, this is a crucial requirement. With Java, developers can create software for very different operating systems.
The independence from a particular platform gives the customer greater freedom of choice for example as to whether to use Linux or Windows. It also reduces costs because there is no need to install proprietary software. Because the data layer is fully separated, LOGiQ® can be used regardless of the customer’s preferred databases.
Since 1999 Schenck Process has been designing and promoting high-quality automated dispatch systems, the enterprise software Loading Automation System, which can serve individual areas of the bulk materials and cargo industry with one software package for a variety of tasks. But in recent years there have been continually growing demands on logistics. It is now essential to be linked into production data systems and external transport companies and the rapid rise of Internet usage has necessitated the introduction of new concepts. To address these challenges, in 2005 Schenck Process began modernising the software platform for the automated dispatch systems.
This resulted in a form of networking that bundles the available knowledge both bulk material handling and software within Schenck Process GmbH in a unique manner. The pooling of different departments to form a virtual software company created the necessary framework for the development of LOGiQ® as a completely new software concept. LOGiQ® heralds the start of a software focus at Schenck Process which will also see the development of PC-supported industrial process measurement and control products as well as in-travel diagnosis systems.
