European manufacturers of machines and systems are under immense pressure to solve some serious challenges. A shortage of skilled workers is limiting their ability to take advantage of potential in innovation and services, while strong competition from Asia is putting pressure on sales and market share. In light of these challenges, they’re planning to interconnect their machines and systems in order to increase production efficiency, improve customer service, develop intelligent products and establish data-driven business models.

To implement digital services, machine manufacturers need access to machine and process data. They also require special software tools that can be used independently of the production control system to configure and analyze the collected data, and for maintenance purposes. U. Schnepf emphasizes the importance of edge management, including edge gateways, their integration into the operational level via fieldbus or Industrial Ethernet, management and operation of edge gateways and the software and the specific business applications running on them.

“Analyzing and processing data on machines is becoming increasingly complex,” continues the IoT expert. He believes it is no longer enough to simply collect data; today, data pre-processing at the edge is essential. Edge gateways are the solution; they can collect and pre-process the data directly at the machine. Equipped with a hardened and secure Linux operating system, these edge devices are smarter than typical gateways, enabling, for example, remote access to user interfaces and apps, as well as the collection and analysis of machine data for configuration, commissioning, diagnostics, and other IoT applications. They make it possible to operate machines and systems that would otherwise require skilled operators, of which there is an increasing shortage.

Remote management and monitoring of edge devices and the central rollout of updates, for example, are made possible through containerized software via the user account. With an increasing number of edge gateways, this can become quite complex rather quickly. A professional edge management system helps users keep track of the gateways and the software running on them by centrally managing software and configurations. “This is called fleet management,” adds the Hilscher manager. “This can also be implemented as a server solution on the customer’s premises, not just via a public cloud. Firmware updates and software rollouts can be carried out specifically for certain device groups, which can be defined statically or dynamically.”

With its gateways and the netFIELD cloud, Hilscher aims to make machines smarter and more efficient, and provides the complete infrastructure needed to do so. “We leave the data analysis to our customers, who understand their own data better than we do,” adds U. Schnepf. A good example of this is the packaging machine manufacturer MULTIVAC, which has developed digital tools that have now been rolled out and are running on Hilscher gateways worldwide. This enables transparent processes and real-time data, which go a long way in making MULTIVAC systems more efficient.

Remote access also offers advantages during commissioning. “During the Corona pandemic, virtual commissioning proved to be valuable,” says U. Schnepf. At that time, it was often the case that machines could be delivered but not commissioned and therefore not billed because on-site access was not possible or skilled workers were not available. Many machine manufacturers are also considering offering Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). “Digital services help to optimize machine operation, which is particularly important when there is a shortage of skilled workers,” adds the manager.

According to U. Schnepf, another Hilscher customer and leading provider of thermal spraying technology offers its customers Smart Services as an add-on product to the machines. This increases their efficiency, boosts throughput and contributes to greater sustainability and transparency. The solution is based on netFIELD as the IIoT infrastructure. “Our Edge Gateways are installed in every machine ex works and activated as required,” says U. Schnepf.
In addition to machine manufacturers, Hilscher also offers its services to plant operators in order to combine data from different machines and operate plants more efficiently. “This also applies to older systems that are retrofitted,” adds the Head of Product Management IoT. The IoT solutions are also of interest to software manufacturers, for example, who are exploring ways to incorporate artificial intelligence into machines.