Bridging the gap to digital for machine builders

Wouter Meijers of Lenze, a leading provider of machine automation solutions, discusses the benefits of investment in IIoT technologies and the added value that digitalisation of a machine’s information and full digitalisation of existing processes can bring.

There has been a significant move to invest in IIoT technologies in machines over recent years, as the sector continues its Industry 4.0 journey. Not surprisingly, the transition has been quicker amongst larger companies but demand across the spectrum is on an upwards trajectory.

As end users seek to improve the output of their machines and look to achieve digital transformation, there is a significant opportunity for OEMs willing to bridge the analogue-to-digital gap.

Producing more with less has been the driving force behind manufacturing for many years now. Machine builders are wanting solutions that are reliable, quick to build with fewer resources and deliver the increasing flexibility demanded by their customers. The end user customer is wanting machines that will help them reduce costs and deliver results more quickly, all whilst helping run them with a less skilled workforce.

As companies look to progress on their journey from initial digitalisation to industry 4.0, they need to ensure that their machinery makes the most of the data that is already in existence. To do this, machines need to not only be remotely accessible, but give visibility to what is happening when they are running and why this is happening.

They also need to deliver sufficient data to show what is limiting productivity to enable the elimination of these factors and to predict what will happen to the machine in the near future. It is no surprise therefore that machine builders are feeling the pressure to deliver in the face of such challenging customer expectations. Increasingly key to meeting these high requirements is the collation and management of machine data and to do this, digitalisation of machine information is required.

The benefits of digitalisation

By exploiting the value of the data that is now more accessible than ever before (thanks to increased computing power, greater bandwidth, and open comms standards), as well as staying competitive with other machine builders, OEMs can ensure that their companies are fit for the future. Also, the digitalisation of a machine’s information and full digitalisation of existing processes presents a range of other business opportunities to OEMs, including adding predictive maintenance and condition monitoring to service contracts and the implementation of business models such as pay-per-use.

The barrier to entry was previously higher for OEMs more used to OT than IT, but there has never been a better time – or more straightforward way – to begin the digital journey.

Many machine builders are still unsure about the best software route to choose to achieve significant improvements in the cost-efficiency, quality, and productivity of their customers’ industrial operations. However, the journey to digitalisation of machine information isn’t as complicated as it might first appear, thanks to the introduction of integrated solutions such as Lenze’s X4 Remote.

With the majority of existing machines already containing an advanced PLC, when combined with HMI-panels, sensors and smart inverter drives the foundations for an intelligently controllable machine are already in place. By using a remote access solution, such as Lenze’s X4 Remote, access can then be achieved to the machine for service and maintenance procedures. Interestingly, the X4 Remote ‘out of the box’ solution has been trialled alongside an OEM also designing their own system and has been found to be significantly quicker and cheaper to get up and running.

Counting the cost

When it comes to embracing digitisation of machines, OEMs are faced with either expanding the team to include those with specific and expensive IT skills, or using cost-efficient solutions such as X4 Remote, that simplify the digital transition process. Remote access can reduce costs during commissioning and warranty periods using Lenze’s solution, and by monitoring OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) it is possible to better track and compare the productivity of different machines and remotely check any problems using the x500 hardware.

As an additional cost-saving benefit, the X4 Remote solution can be used as a cost-effective but highly effective condition monitoring alternative to installing costly sensors; for example, it can be set up to analyse the harmonics in the current of a motor and initiate early warning alerts if there are any subtle changes.

An ‘out of the box’ digital solution such as Lenze’s X4 Remote is only as good as its ability to be tailored to suit each machine builder’s needs. Notably, using the X4 Remote platform machine builders can create, brand, and easily customise their own IIoT platform. Importantly the app allows device pages to be customised without any significant programming skills or development costs and everything is at hand to adapt the platform to suit their specific machine requirements.

Thanks to the promotion of open standards and compatibility between systems, and supporting a broad range of industry standard protocols, the X4 Remote solution offers engineers and operators even greater machine tailoring flexibility. Also, OEMs can connect the solution to existing customer MRP systems, using an API as a connecting device, and for those going for growth, scalability is only limited by the machine builder’s and customer’s imagination.

Lucrative business models

A machine’s OEE is a key KPI in understanding its output. The PLC in a machine already has all the relevant data in it, with the addition of software to calculate specific OEE’s and show them in real-time on any pc, smart phone or tablet. Due to solutions such as X4 Remote, the world of predictive maintenance is opened to both the end customers and OEMs alike. OEMs can offer to monitor and alert their customers as to repair and maintenance issues when key indicator alerts are activated, creating a previously untapped revenue stream.

Alongside predictive maintenance, as an additional business model some of Lenze’s OEMs are at present considering the implementation of application models such as pay-per-use; the ability to track which machine has been used, for how long and where, the option of renting out machines and offering usage licences has now been opened to OEMs, too.

The jump for OEMs wanting to make the move from OT to IT isn’t as big as some might have perceived it previously, thanks to advances in interfaces such as Lenze’s X4 Remote. For those OEMs looking to combine intelligent machines with intelligent services, to create new revenue streams and business models, there is no better time to try out Lenze’s solutions for digital user-friendliness and future growth.