FEATURE COMMUNICATIONS & NETWORKING Diagnosis from a distance
Imagine being able to fix a customer’s machinery fault without having to hot foot it half way across the country. As Paul Wilkinson, business development manager of Pacepacker Services explains, this scenario is now a reality… Welcome to the world of remote diagnostics
M
achine builders, system integrators and customers are all waking up to
the advantages and benefits of being able to diagnose a given symptom, issue or problem from a distance. A service such as this used to be purely the remit of a value added feature, but it is quickly becoming a customer requirement and a competitive necessity. And as the name suggests, you can do it day or night, and from a distance. In truth, remote diagnostics, and its rapid troubleshooting capabilities, is escalating at a similar pace to the adoption of robotics and automation. An automated system should provide a
manufacturer with an effective solution to suit their products, offer a good payback period and return on investment. Equally, it should carry minimal risk, and importantly, a good technical back-up facility. The latter is increasingly imperative to many, as investing in some of the more complex technology may be a daunting first step into the unknown. Rightly or wrongly, topping the concerns list for Pacepacker customers is determining and fixing faults. Any food producer will affirm that any significant down-time places increased pressure on them to meet tight retail timeframes.
NEVER A BETTER TIME TO AUTOMATE There’s a vast range of robotic equipment readily available today. Some might say that there has never been a better time to look at making a manufacturing facility more efficient and profitable by investing in packing automation. So, what are the key factors that influence machine efficiency? Of all the possible answers, down-time due to faults, time lost during product changeovers, and reject rates cause manufacturers the greatest headache. Thanks to modern technology, a problematic issue can be turned around - from a distance. Take a fault for example. If you’re not
an expert, your patience can be put to the test by even the most basic error.
26 JULY/AUGUST 2014 | AUTOMATION /AUTOMATION
Above: Paul Wilkinson, business development manager of Pacepacker Services
All it takes is a quick phone call to the support team and a service engineer, in a remote location, can connect to your system to see what’s happening and begin diagnosing the issue immediately. In fact, many types of faults can be diagnosed and corrected this way, without an engineer making a site visit. Obviously the time and cost savings that result from this approach are clear for all to see. Coupled with faster and more advanced broadband connectivity, some suppliers can even offer remote systems that connect and view machinery using colour motorised cameras. This visual capability enables an engineer to gauge the machine’s position - even while it is in operation. In many instances, modern systems also offer support teams the capability to connect to and ‘take the wheel’ through the machine’s HMI (touch screen). Customers fitted with this equipment often find it useful to have an operator talking through the issues and
resolution step by step. However, for a
Above: remote systems with broadband connectivity using colour motorised cameras, so engineers can visually see the machine’s position even during operation
Right: through remote diagnostics, connectivity is now an option across multiple lines of automated equipment spread over a large area
quick fix, support operators may also add new ‘recipes’ remotely should problems be encountered.
Pacepacker Services
www.pacepacker-services.co.uk T: 01371 811 544
Enter 230
PROACTIVE BENEFITS While mainly seen as a reactive service, new developments within remote diagnostics also offer proactive benefits. Equipment is now able to pre-empt a potential issue. Communicating production statistics, for instance, could flag impending issues up or downstream that may lead to loss of production time. This feature particularly appeals to companies with multiple lines of automated equipment spread over a large area. Ultimately, and quite rightly, customers should reap the benefits of remote diagnostics. On the flipside, being able to offer this service as a machine builder can dramatically boost your competitive edge - both monetary and strategically. Aside from drastically cutting the labour costs of engineers, there’s the reduction in travel, faster response rates and more efficient deployment of technical personnel. Building the diagnostics and HMI screen and integrating data to a central control system might require an initial small investment. However, it can give your system solutions the added edge over a stand alone machine without connectivity.
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