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The Importance of Digital Machine Tool Maintenance

The promise of Industry 4.0 may be long in being realized for many manufacturers with high costs of entry and complexities of integration for automation and robotics. But there is one area in which the proof of concept has passed with flying colors, and even accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic — digital machine tool maintenance.

Ongoing digital analysis of your machine tool’s condition can help identify problems in early stages, minimize service complications and limit the cost of repairs. In addition to more uptime, the additional data being captured in a connected factory provides visibility into operations, which can be used for process innovation and, ultimately, higher overall equipment efficiency (OEE).

How the Pandemic Has Accelerated Digital Machine Tool Maintenance Adoption

The quarantine following the onset of the pandemic brought limits on travel and accessibility, which provided machine shop operators more incentive to sort through issues to avoid a traditional on-site service call. So an error message that previously might have led to a few days of tinkering before a machine eventually shut down now might create a help ticket and a remote check-in.

The ability for a UNITED GRINDING North America service rep to remotely tunnel into a machine and work with a technician at the site often has reduced the speed to resolution from 2–3 days to an hour. In those cases, the overall service costs are significantly less. The remote service subscription might pay for itself in two service calls, less if an urgent airline ticket would have been involved.

Buy-in at the sites for digital solutions has increased as operators and technicians have watched service reps perform virtual runoffs and diagnose issues from their own homes. UNITED GRINDING North America also has led remote training classes for new machines and applications, which have reduced client costs and developed confidence and trust in the power of remote access.

Benefits of Digital Solutions Will Only Increase

Operators are employed primarily to program, run and monitor machines, not fix them. When an error message occurs, many operators may be monitoring only the most recent error code. Remote service technicians are more likely to recognize issues buried in the error log — i.e., they understand how the sequence or combination of events is affecting machine performance. For example, an error message four lines down in the log might have triggered the most recent error in question.

The use of remote service calls may become more common as on-site maintenance staff retires and many smaller manufacturers lean on OEMs for business solutions. The increase in data collection and access to monitoring also will help make the case for preventive maintenance and its long term ROI for productivity and extending machine life.

As more sensors are added to machines, there also will be more data to interpret. For example, an experienced remote service technician might see a temperature increasing slightly over time when monitoring motor loads, which could be addressed to prevent a temperature overload shutting down the machine. The same could be true for monitoring a cooling circuit, a lubrication system, something that might be wearing out at an axis, and ball screws that are starting to wear and bind.

The monitoring also creates baselines for machines. If an operator wants to be more aggressive with grinding — deeper cuts or bigger loads — it can monitor the impact on the equipment to ensure it remains within parameters.

Also, as bluetooth connectivity is used more frequently with sensors and operations, it will reduce the need for so much cable and wiring for machines and production cells.

Digital Solutions Connect Machines With People and Systems

Digital solutions center around making processes simpler and more transparent, which should boost machine availability and increase productivity. Digitization connects machines with people and systems. It allows a window into operations and the collection of better data, which combine to allow a more proactive approach for operations and maintenance.

With that in mind, as experienced machine manufacturers, UNITED GRINDING North America has developed digital solutions to meet your challenges and strengthen your company’s digital transformation. These solutions include:

  • Remote Service Think of this as a 24-7 helpline, which can range from live analysis and troubleshooting by service exports talking to technicians on site or operators asking questions via phone or email. Relevant data such as machine condition, alarm and error log files are automatically transmitted with every service request.
  • Service Monitor This also is an always-on service. It monitors operating hours and alerts the customer to wear and suggestions for machine tool maintenance, part replacement and more.
  • Production Monitor A mobile solution that monitors machines and their capacity, which can help identify production backlogs at an early stage. It also can file a service request from anywhere.
  • Customer Cockpit – This is a central command center somewhere in the machine shop that is linked to all the machines so staff can manage your system users and usage.

Manufacturers Have Security Concerns About Remote Access

A lot of manufacturing companies do not want their information in the cloud, which is understandable given cyber security threats. Digital monitoring systems can be done with an in-plant solution. In some of those cases, remote monitoring and troubleshooting cannot take place without the initiation of the customer. In other cases, remote troubleshooting may require operators to download and export machine data to the service technician.

UNITED GRINDING North America uses a secure communication platform and certified VPN connection that can integrate into existing IT infrastructure. The system is a TÜViT certified Trusted Product.

Find the Right Digital Solutions for Your Machine Tool Maintenance

Digitalization is securing the future of machine tool maintenance while increasing your ability to be competitive. It helps you operate your machines at full capacity and helps prevent or minimize machine downtime, which seems to always happen at exactly the wrong time. Ultimately, digital solutions give you a better overview of your machinery.

Our UNITED GRINDING Digital Solutions™ support you in this process. Contact us today to discuss how we can implement digital solutions to solve your challenges and get the most out of your grinding technology.

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