CASE STUDY
3rd-Generation Intel® Core™
Processor Family
Industrial System Consolidation
Boosting Efficiency and Performance of
Unique Reusable Glove Processing Solution
Pentamaster Corporation Berhad consolidates the computing infrastructure in its
GURU (Glove Unique Reprocessing Unit) solution, resulting in faster output of glove
processing and more streamlined operation.
Introduction
Pentamaster introduces several technological innovations to the reusable glove industry
with its GURU (Glove Unique Reprocessing Unit) solution. GURU checks every glove
for quality, uses cold plasma technology to decontaminate the gloves, and performs
non-invasive pinhole testing using electrical current. By integrating Intel® architecture,
Pentamaster has brought enhanced speed and efficiency to its GURU solution, thereby
broadening the application of reusable gloves in more industries and minimizing the
impact on the environment through the reusing and recycling of gloves.
CHALLENGES
•Performance bottleneck in vision processing. Vision processing demands the
computing performance to provide real-time capability without disrupting other parts
of the system.
• Technology roadmap for future improvements. Staying ahead of the competition
and keeping up with the demands of the market require a reliable and scalable roadmap
that enables technology leadership and evolution to the GURU solution.
SOLUTIONS
Pentamaster Corporation Berhad,
a leader in providing advanced
manufacturing automation solutions
and services, has more than 19 years
of experience in the manufacturing
automation industry with competencies
in various engineering disciplines.
The technologies and solutions from
Pentamaster are deployed worldwide
across a range of industries, ranging
from semiconductor, automotive, food
and beverages, and consumer products
to general manufacturing.
•Upgrade to the 3rd-generation Intel® Core™ i5 processors. Industrial PCs (IPCs) on
Intel® architecture are part of the vision processing modules in the GURU solution. By
upgrading the existing IPCs to the 3rd-generation Intel® Core™ i5 processor, a relatively
simple procedure, Pentamaster demonstrably increased the throughput of the GURU
solution — processing gloves is 1.5× faster than the previous setup.
•Consolidate computing infrastructure to simplify operation. The newer processor
provides amazing performance and expanded capabilities, which allow Pentamaster
to consolidate the computing infrastructure in the GURU solution. From two cameras
connected to an IPC, now four cameras can be connected to a single IPC powerful
enough to sustain the processing requirements to perform the complex algorithms on
the large image dataset.
Protecting People, Protecting the Environment
With the increasing application of disposable gloves in various areas such as medical,
service, and food industries, the demand is expected to continue to escalate. After a
single use, these disposable gloves are discarded, and they take up space in landfills
and require a long time to biodegrade or decompose. In light of this, there is a growing
awareness among the industries on the environmental impact of discarded gloves. A
better and more environmentally responsible alternative is reusable gloves which
according to Pentamaster can reduce the number of gloves consumed by 70% when
Harnessing the Computing Potential of
Intel® Architecture to Drive Innovation
processed using its GURU solution.
This reduction is possible because each
reusable glove can be processed and
reused up to seven times before it
is recycled.
Overview of the GURU Solution
GURU comprises seven modules that
process reusable gloves. There are two
vision processing modules:
“The 3rd-generation Intel®
Core™ processor made it
possible for us to consolidate
the computing infrastructure
in GURU, specifically in the
vision processing modules.”
– Mr. You Chin Teik,
Product Development Manager,
Pentamaster
2
• Auto-loading module. The first vision
processing module is the auto-loading
module that uses four cameras to load
and position gloves into GURU.
The gloves proceed to the next two
modules for chemical and thermal
decontamination.
• Visual inspection module. The second
vision processing module uses four
cameras to check for cosmetic defects, to
read the unique 2D code on every glove
(for traceability), and to ensure correct
orientation for donning.
The next module detects pinholes in the
gloves using electrical current followed by
another module that decontaminates the
gloves using cold plasma technology. The
final module robotically packages passed
gloves while rejected gloves are shredded
for recycling.
“Reusable latex gloves offer improved
tactile sensitivity and grip, better fit,
and superior elasticity suitable for a
variety of uses. However, concerns from
users are trust and cost associated
with reusable gloves,” says Mr. You Chin
Teik, Product Development Manager at
Pentamaster. “To lower these barriers,
every glove processed using GURU is
cleaned, tested, and logged to ensure safe
usage. Furthermore, the cost to purchase
processed reusable gloves is cheaper than
the cost to purchase new gloves.”
Addressing the Upward Trend in
Processing Performance
Pentamaster is cognizant of the upward
trend of processing performance required
for vision processing. The IPCs employed
in GURU would eventually become a
performance bottleneck. In light of this,
Pentamaster identified the following
key challenges:
•Performing the complex algorithms
on the large image dataset require
considerable amount of processing
performance from the IPCs in GURU.
•The limited processing performance
of the older processors restricted the
number of high resolution and high frame
rate cameras that can be connected to a
single IPC.
Thermal decontamination. Gloves are subjected to high infrared heat to dry both sides, and
the extreme heat also decontaminates the gloves.
The Glove Unique Reprocessing Unit (GURU). Reusable gloves processed with GURU can be
used in various industries such as food processing, laboratory, law enforcement, and service.
Innovating and Adopting New
Technologies Go Hand in Glove
Vision processing based on Intel®
architecture brings processing
performance, energy efficiency, and
reliability to GURU, allowing Pentamaster
to utilize the expanded capabilities of
Intel’s leading-edge silicon and to extract
greater performance from GURU.
The processors of the IPCs in the vision
processing modules were upgraded
to the 3rd-generation Intel® Core™ i5
processor that features Intel® Turbo Boost
Technology 2.01, boosting the processor
speed automatically when additional
processing performance is required,
and Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology1,
allowing each processor core to work on
two tasks simultaneously to speed up the
processing time.
The new processor fits right in with
Pentamaster’s established vision
processing software, making deployment
a breeze. “Upgrading the Industrial PCs in
our existing setup to the newer processor
was a relatively simple task,” explains
Chin Teik. “The upgraded Industrial
PCs worked flawlessly. We gained an
increase in computing performance
and also additional capabilities such
as built-in remote management and
integrated graphics processor. Using Intel®
architecture has opened exciting new
possibilities for innovation in our
GURU solution.”
Without having to spend much time and
skilled resources to perform software
optimization, Pentamaster improved the
performance of GURU by simply upgrading
the processors in the vision processing
modules. With the exceptional processing
power of the 3rd-generation Intel® Core™
i5 processor, the overall inspection cycle
of GURU improved to less than 2 seconds,
thereby boosting the output of GURU from
600 gloves per hour to 900 gloves per
hour — a significant improvement made
possible by a simple processor upgrade.
Supporting Consolidation of
Computing Infrastructure
As the industry leader in microarchitecture
and fabrication technology, Intel is driving
the development of more capable and
energy efficient processors. The highperforming 3rd-generation Intel® Core™
i5 processor enabled Pentamaster to
consolidate the IPCs supporting vision
processing in GURU. Each vision processing
module has four cameras connected to
IPCs that capture a large image dataset,
which is then interpreted using complex
algorithms to load and position the gloves,
to check for cosmetic detects, and to log
the unique 2D code on every glove.
“The 3rd-generation Intel® Core™ i5
processor made it possible for us to
consolidate the computing infrastructure
in GURU, specifically in the vision
processing modules,” says Chin Teik.
“Previously, we needed four Industrial PCs
to support the eight cameras in GURU.
With the new processors, we only need
two Industrial PCs to support the eight
cameras without any performance issues.”
The consolidated computing
infrastructure in GURU streamlines
administration and maintenance by
reducing the number IPCs required to
support the vision processing modules.
Furthermore, with fewer IPCs, all using
Intel® architecture that offers superior
processing performance and energy
efficiency, Pentamaster is able to lower
the energy costs to operate GURU. “Using
the GURU solution is greener in terms of
the amount of gloves reused, recycled,
and saved from filling up landfills, and it
is also more energy efficient with lower
energy costs in the operation of GURU.”
says Chin Teik.
3
Enabling Innovation and Agility with
Intel® Architecture
Intel continues to make advances
in smart designs and intelligent
fabrication technology. Intel’s 3D TriGate, 22-nanometer microarchitecture,
introduced in the 3rd-generation Intel®
Core™ processors, enables Intel to continue
supporting Pentamaster by designing
processors with higher performance,
further expanded capabilities, and lower
power consumption.
Pentamaster is poised to design further
improvements and innovations in GURU
with future Intel® processors. The higher
performance ceiling in newer processors
gives Pentamaster the option to add more
test functions into the vision processing
algorithms to increase accuracy and
further reduce the overall inspection
cycle. Pentamaster also sees the potential
for further consolidation of the computing
infrastructure by having a single IPC
support the eight cameras used in the
vision processing modules.
The Intel® Core™ processor family with
Intel® vPro technology includes a builtin remote management feature: Intel®
Active Management Technology (Intel®
AMT). Using this capability designed into
the Intel® architecture-based platform
and applications that support remote
management, Intel® AMT enables
the possibility for Pentamaster to
manage, repair, and protect remotely
the computing infrastructure in
GURU. Leveraging this built-in remote
management feature could lower support
costs for the GURU solution.
“As people become more conscious of
environmental issues, the application
of reusable gloves in various industries
continues to grow wider,” Chin Teik says.
“We have a promising path to continue
innovating and improving the GURU
solution using Intel® architecture.”
For more information on Pentamaster solutions
based on Intel® architecture, visit
www.pentamaster.com.my
SOLUTION PROVIDED BY:
1Intel® Turbo Boost Technology, Intel® Hyper-Threading Technology, and Intel® Virtualization Technology require a computer system with a processor, chipset, BIOS, enabling software and/or operating system, device drivers, and applications
designed for these features. Performance will vary depending on your configuration. Contact your vendor for more information.
INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED IN CONNECTION WITH INTEL® PRODUCTS. NO LICENSE, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, BY ESTOPPEL OR OTHERWISE, TO ANY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS IS GRANTED
BY THIS DOCUMENT. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN INTEL’S TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE FOR SUCH PRODUCTS, INTEL ASSUMES NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER, AND INTEL DISCLAIMS ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY, RELATING TO SALE AND/OR USE OF INTEL PRODUCTS INCLUDING LIABILITY OR WARRANTIES RELATING TO FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, MERCHANTABILITY, OR INFRINGEMENT OF ANY PATENT,
COPYRIGHT OR OTHER INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHT. UNLESS OTHERWISE AGREED IN WRITING BY INTEL, THE INTEL PRODUCTS ARE NOT DESIGNED NOR INTENDED FOR ANY APPLICATION IN WHICH THE FAILURE
OF THE INTEL PRODUCT COULD CREATE A SITUATION WHERE PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH MAY OCCUR.
Intel may make changes to specifications and product descriptions at any time, without notice. Designers must not rely on the absence or characteristics of any features or instructions marked “reserved” or “undefined.” Intel reserves these for
future definition and shall have no responsibility whatsoever for conflicts or incompatibilities arising from future changes to them. The information here is subject to change without notice. Do not finalize a design with this information.
The products described in this document may contain design defects or errors known as errata which may cause the product to deviate from published specifications. Current characterized errata are available on request. Contact your local Intel
sales office or your distributor to obtain the latest specifications and before placing your product order. Copies of documents which have an order number and are referenced in this document, or other Intel literature, may be obtained by calling
1-800-548-4725, or by visiting Intel’s Web site at www.intel.com.
Copyright © 2013 Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
*Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.
Printed in Malaysia
0813/DRK/DT/PDF
Please Recycle
329387-001EN