Smart connected CNC machine

As a manufacturer of industrial machines for woodworking and processing other materials, the customer's initial requirement was primarily to reduce warranty costs while increasing spare parts sales for CNC machines. The machines are CNC machine tools that are fully automated and do not require the presence of an operator.

SECO made it possible to equip the CNC machines with specially developed smart sensors and gateways that were connected to the EDGEHOG Device Manager. With an appropriate algorithm, process data analysis, remote monitoring, rolling out OTA updates and predictive maintenance are thus possible. Connectivity was achieved by equipping the machines with a global SIM card, WLAN and Bluetooth connectivity and a geolocation microservice.

The client's smart and connected machines improved the user experience. The possibility of remote maintenance with an annual maintenance contract also had a positive impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty. On the production side, the concept improved the quality of the parts produced and reduced scrap by 30%. The supply chain had better support, so spare parts costs were reduced (10%) and delivery times for spare parts were shortened (40%).