OEMs Expand Possibilities Through Digital Transformation

Leading OEMs are leveraging the latest digital transformation technologies to give their customers a competitive edge

Companies are under constant pressure to produce more products, faster and cheaper with the highest possible quality. Now more than ever there is a need for OEMs to reinvent their operations with digital transformation technologies. Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) integration is key to accelerating innovation and achieving productivity gains.

Harpak-ULMA, an industry leader in complete packaging line solutions for food, medical and industrial products, recently collaborated with Rockwell Automation to deliver a packaging platform for digital transformation. Leveraging the latest technologies to enable increased packaging agility and performance, Harpak-ULMA is resetting expectations of what is possible when it comes to solving some of the most difficult and costly challenges faced by today’s industry.

The company’s vision incorporates faster, easier integration of OT/IT systems, tight integration with FactoryTalk® InnovationSuite, powered by PTC and its Vuforia augmented reality (AR) Platform, expanded IoT connectivity, and the use of machine learning plus predictive analytics to reshape maintenance business models and customer cost structures.

Smart, connected machines

Harpak-ULMA’s commitment to standardize on the Rockwell Automation Integrated Architecture® platform replaced multiple disparate control systems and provided one common framework for control, visualization, motion, safety and networking – converging control and information into a single, secure high-performance architecture for their customers’ packaging lines.

This information-centric, highly connected approach is a major step towards building a richer, enterprise-wide, contextual view of packaging operations and their interaction with other business and production systems. This single automation architecture simplifies operations on multiple levels, from parts and supplies, support availability, and equipment troubleshooting to line performance management, operational simplicity, and scalability. It meets customer demands through greater agility, speed, accuracy, and shortened production lead times.

Benefits include asset and system auto-discovery, data model sharing and reuse, integrated analytics and AR empowerment. This smart, connected packaging platform provides customers a competitive edge by helping them more rapidly adapt to market changes at less cost, improves manufacturing performance metrics, productivity and safety metrics. Furthermore, it overcomes the challenges of an aging and evolving workforce and delivers better control maintenance expenses.

Unlocking productivity

Cama is an international leader in engineering and production of high-technology secondary packaging systems in the food and non-food markets. With a strong commitment to creating smart machines to help their customers meet the ever-changing needs of consumers, Cama collaborated with Rockwell Automation to digitize their machines.

The key goal was to implement condition monitoring, analytics and augmented reality into their systems, providing an effective interface between their machinery and their customers. By leveraging knowledge of real time control processes from Rockwell Automation and combining it with information software from PTC, it is possible to unlock a traditional level of connectivity – bringing the Connected Enterprise to life.

Mixed reality reduces downtime

Today, industrial companies are facing serious issues relating to downtime. Industry reports suggest that a single hour can cost between one and five million dollars. The latest mixed reality and augmented reality technologies can help industrial customers reduce downtime.

This was certainly the case for Howden, a global leader in air and gas handling solutions whose products can be found in many applications around the world.

Compressors are critical equipment within many plants but a large number of plant operators are typically not experts in compressors. Howden’s customers are looking to them for solutions to empower them and how to best service their equipment.

To meet these needs, Howden implemented Vuforia’s studio solution with ThingWorx IIoT platform.

As part of FactoryTalk InnovationSuite, the ThingWorx IIoT platform connects disparate devices, applications and data sources across the enterprise, providing a single source to collect, aggregate, and enable secure access to industrial operations data.

Howden is overlaying that information in context on the physical product through mixed reality to show customers the operating condition and performance of the equipment. With Vuforia and the Microsoft HoloLens mixed reality device, Howden can provide a truly transformative experience for their customers in the industrial market.


Differentiating machine offerings

Digital transformation technologies are helping to enable OEMs deliver smart, connected equipment that can reduce downtime and unlock new levels of productivity for their customers. It creates new value and revenue streams, helping OEMs differentiate their offerings in a competitive market.

3V Automation is an intelligent automation company focusing on automated production and process engineering. With a rapidly growing specialty in new energy process automation for the automotive industry, 3V Automation knew that digital transformation of their operations would help create new value and revenue streams.

To continue to provide industry leading smart machines to tier 1 automotive customers, 3V Automation knew that by making their data more accessible productivity and visibility would be improved – ultimately enabling more informed business decisions.

The focus of the project was to leverage the existing plant floor data to bring more value with the new IoT platform, FactoryTalk InnovationSuite, powered by PTC. The ThingWorx IIoT platform provides the capability to connect, manage, monitor, and control diverse automation devices and software applications through one intuitive user interface.

3V Automation also implemented the latest AR technologies to improve workforce productivity, efficiency and customer satisfaction. FactoryTalk Innovation Suite’s Vuforia provides the capability for machines to be assembled with AR technology. This helps to improve diagnostics through access to the machine’s real time data. It also provides detailed, xray analysis of key machine parts for customer demonstrations and training.

With the introduction of advanced IIoT technologies, 3V Automation has created a new ecosystem of connected machines and analytics to remotely support global customer workforces, while growing their digital service business model.

3V Automation’s domain expertise and progressive nature, together with the technology platform from Rockwell Automation will help them differentiate in the marketplace. It will help to deliver new revenue streams and return on investment for their customers.

By utilising information solutions, analytics and augmented reality, 3V Automation has been able to improve production, reduce downtime, and lower maintenance costs and risks.