Greycon
Encyclopedia
Greycon Ltd is an information technology
firm based in London
, England
developing software for scheduling (production processes)
and the cutting stock problem
primarily for the paper, film and nonwovens industries. The company's solution for the cutting stock problem is responsible for savings equivalent to 0.5 – 1.5% of production, with important environment and financial benefits. It is used, among others, to optimise more than one third of total North American paper production and in the largest paper mill in China. Greycon tools are also used in the production of all UK banknotes.
In April 2008, Greycon introduced a new product for block scheduling and production cycle optimisation called D-Opt. D-Opt has been selected as a finalist for the Innovations award by SoftwareCEO in the Vertical Industry category. This product was replaced in March 2010 by opt-Studio, which combines block schedule optimisation and trim optimisation capabilities into one application.
In October 2008, Greycon introduced parallel processing technology into its mainstream X-Trim trim optimisation product. This takes advantage of multi-core processors in order to improve the time taken to solve difficult problems.
In September 2009 Greycon introduced GreyconMill, an industry-specific manufacturing execution system
emanating from its acquisition of Effsys. The industries targeted by this product are in the paper and (plastic) film sectors primarily.
In December 2010 Greycon, together with several of its US customers and some of its competitors, was sued by Abnoba, a non-practicing entity
, in the Eastern District of Texas
for patent infringement
of US patent 6,745,099. The case was settled in April 2011 on confidential terms.
Greycon has acquired the followed businesses:
problems in the paper, film and nonwovens industries.
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
firm based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
developing software for scheduling (production processes)
Scheduling (production processes)
Scheduling is an important tool for manufacturing and engineering, where it can have a major impact on the productivity of a process. In manufacturing, the purpose of scheduling is to minimize the production time and costs, by telling a production facility when to make, with which staff, and on...
and the cutting stock problem
Cutting stock problem
The cutting-stock problem is an optimization problem, or more specifically, an integer linear programming problem. It arises from many applications in industry. Imagine that you work in a paper mill and you have a number of rolls of paper of fixed width waiting to be cut, yet different customers...
primarily for the paper, film and nonwovens industries. The company's solution for the cutting stock problem is responsible for savings equivalent to 0.5 – 1.5% of production, with important environment and financial benefits. It is used, among others, to optimise more than one third of total North American paper production and in the largest paper mill in China. Greycon tools are also used in the production of all UK banknotes.
In April 2008, Greycon introduced a new product for block scheduling and production cycle optimisation called D-Opt. D-Opt has been selected as a finalist for the Innovations award by SoftwareCEO in the Vertical Industry category. This product was replaced in March 2010 by opt-Studio, which combines block schedule optimisation and trim optimisation capabilities into one application.
In October 2008, Greycon introduced parallel processing technology into its mainstream X-Trim trim optimisation product. This takes advantage of multi-core processors in order to improve the time taken to solve difficult problems.
In September 2009 Greycon introduced GreyconMill, an industry-specific manufacturing execution system
Manufacturing execution system
Manufacturing Execution Systems , are information technology systems that manage manufacturing operations in factories. Over the years, international standards and models have refined the scope of such systems in terms of activities, that typically include:...
emanating from its acquisition of Effsys. The industries targeted by this product are in the paper and (plastic) film sectors primarily.
In December 2010 Greycon, together with several of its US customers and some of its competitors, was sued by Abnoba, a non-practicing entity
Patent troll
Patent troll is a pejorative but questioned term used for a person or company who is a non-practicing inventor, and buys and enforces patents against one or more alleged infringers in a manner considered by the target or observers as unduly aggressive or opportunistic, often with no intention to...
, in the Eastern District of Texas
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
The United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas is the Federal district court with jurisdiction over the eastern part of Texas and is a part of the Fifth Circuit. The court's headquarters are in Tyler, Texas and has five subdivision offices in Beaumont, Lufkin, Marshall,...
for patent infringement
Patent infringement
Patent infringement is the commission of a prohibited act with respect to a patented invention without permission from the patent holder. Permission may typically be granted in the form of a license. The definition of patent infringement may vary by jurisdiction, but it typically includes using or...
of US patent 6,745,099. The case was settled in April 2011 on confidential terms.
History
Greycon is a spin-off company, founded in 1985 by Prof. Greyham Bryant, Dr. Constantine Goulimis and Mr. Alexander Dimitriadis of Imperial College to capitalise on research in production planning and scheduling for the paper industry.Greycon has acquired the followed businesses:
- BCW (2004)
- The Paper Mill Manager business from i2 TechnologiesI2 Technologiesi2 Technologies was a supply chain management software and services company, founded in 1988 by Sanjiv Sidhu and Ken Sharma in Dallas, Texas...
(2004) - Effsys Effektiva (2008)
Aims
Greycon develops and implements solutions that contain elements of mathematical optimisation and are used in supply chainSupply chain
A supply chain is a system of organizations, people, technology, activities, information and resources involved in moving a product or service from supplier to customer. Supply chain activities transform natural resources, raw materials and components into a finished product that is delivered to...
problems in the paper, film and nonwovens industries.