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Shaw Industries, a global full-service residential and commercial flooring company, has implemented a production control and information system using the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture that allows better access to information on the plant floor and alleviates excessive downtime due to unreliable equipment .The Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture includes the Logix Control Platform and the FactoryTalk suite of production and performance software. Integration of Shaw’s information and control systems has provided significant cost savings as a result of improved information flow throughout the enterprise.

Implementation of the Integrated Architecture included consolidation of an assortment of plant-floor networks into a single communication architecture with a common protocol, and the integration of control, visualization and information technologies for reduced implementation, maintenance and operational costs.

“We previously had multiple networks operating separately from one another, which created considerable complexity and inefficiency,” said Gary Norwood, automation manager, Shaw Industries. “A unified architecture provided by the Logix Control Platform and FactoryTalk software provides us with high-performing, scalable information to meet our evolving needs.”

With the Integrated Architecture, Shaw receives enhanced production capabilities and more efficient control of production processes, such as tufting, dye coloring and backing. Through tight integration between the Logix Control Platform and FactoryTalk software suite, Shaw now can simplify data collection and improve interaction with enterprise level information systems – identifying and correcting potential problems before they occur while improving overall line performance.

Through the network standardization, Shaw can monitor its systems and implement maintenance procedures over a Wide Area Network (WAN).

Shaw’s standardization on the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture has improved equipment reliability and helped the company reduce downtime by 50 percent, significantly decreasing the number of startup errors and easing system maintenance. Through the use of FactoryTalk Historian, Shaw management now can easily archive historical data and pull reports at a moment’s notice.

“Installing the FactoryTalk suite of plant-wide information software alone saved us hundreds of thousands of dollars in off-quality claims,” Norwood said. “We also were able to seamlessly integrate the control technology into our existing infrastructure, which was a key factor in the success of the installation.”

Shaw’s standardization also features EtherNet/IP-enabled FLEX I/O and POINT I/O modules to connect field devices and carpet-processing machines. Rockwell Automation , is a leading global provider of industrial automation control and information solutions that help manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley controls and services and Rockwell Software factory management software. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., the company employs about 19,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.

A Bartlett man is accused of conducting a home repair scam with his flooring business.

An arrest warrant was filed Monday against Ronald L. Hardesty, 42, who is charged with aggravated home-repair fraud and theft, court records said.

South Elgin Police Chief Chris Merritt said Monday that investigators had not located Hardesty. He was not yet in custody Tuesday.

Hardesty is accused of quoting a South Elgin man $4,098 for flooring work with his business, Bella Vista Flooring and Design, Merritt said.

The man wrote Hardesty a check for $2,000 and signed a sales contract, but Hardesty never completed the work, Merritt said.

Although South Elgin police are unaware of other complaints in Kane County, Merritt said a similar accusation was made in Streamwood but no charges have been filed.

Hardesty, who has no other criminal history in Kane County, could not be reached for comment.

s it tile or not? Fabulous fakes are behind the biggest cover-up in home design. And just about any bare surface is a candidate for today’s fashion-forward ceramic tiles — walls, floors, ceilings and counters, indoors and out.

Wood look-alikes, some designed in wide-plank formats with simulated grain, are convincing. Some tiles are dead ringers for leather, suede and skins such as alligator, ostrich and lizard. Others mimic metals like stainless steel, even down to hand-hammered pockmarks and the look of mottling that results from oxidation. Traces of the real element can be infused or embedded, adding shimmer to a metallic look.

Tile patterns that include textural grass cloths, paisleys, polka dots, contemporary Op art or bold graphics channel other types of wall coverings. Florals bloom in tone-on-tone, three-dimensional or bas-relief tiles. Ferns, leaves and corals round out offerings with an organic theme.
Replicated fabric weaves, including damask, linen, denim, nubby chenille, striated moire and even lace, lend texture to tile surfaces when applied in dimensional overlay. Tweeds, herringbones and pinstripes pick up on menswear fashion themes. Even sisal rugs and embroidery can be simulated with corrugated grooves.

Polished marbles, rough pebbles and smooth river rocks are convincingly replicated in mesh-mounted tiles that make installation a breeze.

Look-alikes often cost less than the real thing. But although an average price for tile is $3 to $7 per square foot, some of the high-end tiles, with special glazes or metallic effects, may cost as much as $40 per square foot.

Tile also has other pragmatic attributes that are appealing. Considered an eco-friendly material, ceramic tile is chemically inert and inhibits the growth of mold, mildew and other organisms. It is nontoxic, rarely absorbs odors and improves air quality and hygiene by reducing allergens.

Another plus: It’s easy to keep clean. That it’s durable is attractive to homeowners who wish to shed throwaway habits and stop replacing carpet and wallpaper.

Lifestyle changes are affecting consumer buying, says Patti Fasan, a tile consultant whose firm PATTI, an acronym for Professional Attention to Tile Installations, is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Tile especially appeals to dual-income couples with purchase power but who also may be time-deprived and looking for ways to cut down on home maintenance.

Uncertainty in the world also has shifted the way we want to live in our homes, Fasan says.

”Luxury is in demand, with people wanting as high quality as they can afford,” she says.

And consumers are thinking beyond the backsplash with the availability of uber luxe details like gold flecks, washed looks, glossy finishes and incredibly rich glazes.

Changes in the way we use and combine rooms in our homes create new needs for surfacing materials. That may be especially true in outdoor living spaces, game and media rooms, spa baths and kitchens, for example.

”The kitchen now is part of a great room, which we want to be beautiful, to reflect who we are,” Fasan says.

Aesthetically, tile trends are being influenced by savvy, globe-trotting, digitally linked consumers who want distinctive environments, according to trend spotter Maxine Lauer of Sphere Marketing in Waterford, Mich.

Options for customizing are appealing. At an international ceramic tile and stone trade exposition called Coverings, held in April at Chicago’s McCormick Place, some exhibitors showed how digital and printing technologies now allow images of people, flowers and travel destinations to be translated to ceramic or mosaic tile.

Supersized images on tile can add a powerful dynamic to a room. Used as art, the composition creates an obvious focal point.

Fire Department officials believe smoldering roofing materials left by a construction worker may be the cause of a fire at the America’s Best Value Inn on the 800 block of Felix St. Around 9 p.m., Fort Worth firefighters arrived on the scene to find parts of the motel’s roof on fire, officials said. Loida Gutierrez said she reported the fire when she saw the blaze from Mr. Magoo’s Bar and Restaurant next door. “It got big,” Gutierrez said. “Pretty soon the whole roof was on fire.” Only one wing of the motel was currently in use — occupied by semi-permanent residence. “Everything I own — my ID card, everything is in that room,” Domingo Guerrero, a motel resident, said. No rooms were burned by the fire, but 34 residents were evacuated due to smoke and water damage. Damages to the motel and its contents are estimated to be $300,000.