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Software helps OEMs to track, monitor and fix machines remotely
Schneider Electric has announced a software platform that lets OEM machine-builders track, monitor and fix their machines remotely, and pass on the benefits to their customers. The EcoStruxure Machine Advisor software is designed to turn data into key insights.
“OEMs gain real-time remote access to their machines, allowing them to add and modify new services to each installed machine, at any production site worldwide,” explains Ali Haj-Fraj, Schneider’s senior vice-president for Machine Solutions.
The cloud-based software provides a framework for reliable machine operation through three key functions:
• Track OEMs can visualise the location of all of their machines, with real-time access to documentation and history – such as bills of materials, manuals, maintenance logs and task management schedules.
• Monitor The software allows OEMs to collect and visualise machine data in real time, providing them with OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) analyses, widgets for comparing performance against KPIs and other trends, and dashboards to monitor machine availability and output quality.
• Fix The platform includes a mobile app that uses augmented reality to facilitate maintenance and operations with contextual information, step-by-step procedures and remote expertise. It also provides remote access to engineering software in the cloud, enabling service technicians to use “software-as-a-service” to deliver the right versions and libraries.
Schneider says that these functions will help OEMs to improve customer satisfaction and to offer new services. The Augmented Operator Advisor app puts real-time information at their fingertips, and allows operators to superimpose data and virtual objects onto cabinets, machines or plants.
Schneider has piloted EcoStruxure Machine Advisor with OEMs in Europe and Asia. For example, Leadermac, a Taiwanese manufacturer of four-side moulders, now uses it to perform early diagnosis and preventive maintenance on its machines, which are better connected, more flexible, more efficient, and safer.
“EcoStruxure Machine Advisor is the future,” predicts Leadermac’s president, Michael Chang. “It helps OEMs like us to provide better services, such as remote preventive maintenance, alarm monitoring, tooling usage and IoT applications.”
