Communicating with your injection molding machines via secure chat rooms could detect production deviations faster than is currently possible and usher in a new era in machine monitoring. That’s the promise behind KraussMaffei’s new socialProduction mobile app and web application.

SocialProduction combines the advantages of social media with cutting-edge production monitoring technologies, said the Munich-based maker of injection molding machines. It allows users to monitor machine status 24/7, anywhere, in real time either on a mobile device using the smartphone app or on a computer using the web application. Intelligent production metrics help monitor each connected machine efficiently, and the machines’ historical status is displayed in the form of a machine-time profile. The progress of ongoing production orders is made transparent and trackable.

In addition, KraussMaffei said it is breaking ground in the process support area. The production process of the injection molding machines is monitored continuously by a patented self-learning process. Relevant anomalies and trends in the process are identified at an early stage based on all detected machine data and are communicated through user notifications. Process parameters are evaluated autonomously without requiring prior configuration by the process owner.

With socialProduction functionality, each connected machine provides information about important events such as parameter changes and alarms via chat messages. The chat function also helps employees communicate with each other and facilitates collaboration between different production shifts and locations, said KraussMaffei.

Since the beginning of this year, each new injection molding machine produced by KraussMaffei has included the smartCube as standard equipment. The future-proofed hardware is compatible with 5G wireless technology and is "smart-factory" ready. Data streams are captured, analyzed, and stored at the machine in real time. Regular over-the-air updates ensure the security of the globally distributed devices over the entire lifecycle.

The industrial Internet of things (IIoT) cloud infrastructure, which is based on Amazon Web Services, makes it possible to give socialProduction users across the globe a uniform live experience on a desktop computer, smartphone, tablet, or similar device.

Plastics processors not currently in the market for a new injection molding machine have the ability to retrofit their machines with network capabilities. The smartCube features numerous interfaces that give it enough flexibility to bring almost any existing machine into the socialProduction era, said KraussMaffei.

In the near future, socialProduction will be available for machines from third-party suppliers, added KraussMaffei.

Through May 31, KraussMaffei is making socialProduction available free of charge for 12 months to customers with connectivity-enabled machines. For those with older machines, KraussMaffei said that it is making the smartCube available at a deeply discounted price when it’s bundled with a purchase of socialProduction. This offer also is only available through May 31.