Fully connected: Engel e-service.24 and e-factory aim to optimize service, production monitoring

"Around the globe and around the clock"; that's the promise of Engel's new e-service.24 service package. The supplier of injection molding machines and automation says that by using a remote connection, Engel's more than 300 service engineers and its worldwide production plants can begin investigating a machine shutdown's cause as soon as an error message appears.

Engel e.service24

Engel service engineers can give molders instructions and explanations by audio, video or text conferencing as necessary, and document sharing functions and red-lining tools allow the parties to work together regardless of location.

The controller's screen can be viewed over the Internet, and because data access is done in real-time, the machine's current state can be displayed whenever needed. VNC conferences and remote desktop provide access to the remote systems, with Engel noting in a release that "many problems can be resolved easily over the Internet with this method," which also means molders "avoid the higher-cost and more time-consuming on-site service visit, which results in higher machine availability and greater productivity in manufacturing."

Status reports and measurement results can be provided, and the machine operator can update software using the online data link. All service activities and their results are stored in a logfile, allowing customers to track the history of any machine issues and their resolution.

e-Factory and ERP, speaking the same language
Prior to the e-service.24 launch, Engel announced that its Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) technology can now be connected directly to ERP systems, even allowing different brands of injection molding machines to be integrated. Engel says e-factory 2 allows production to be remotely observed in real time.

e-factory 2 modules include:

e-factory Monitor: Provides an overview of the current status such as production progress, causes of downtime and machine alarms. Displays machine layout on the plant floor, as well as the current production information for each machine, while automatically warning molders of any deviations from the defined limits.

e-factory Mobile: Provides status information in a "focused and optimized" format for mobile devices, with information remotely available from anywhere over the Internet.

Engel e-factory

e-factory Data: The central management of the parts data records, including machine set-up. The data records are transferred online to the machines and the applied settings can be controlled. All machine settings can be displayed both online and offline, and all changes are documented.

e-factory Chart: Documentation of all process data for comprehensive statistical evaluation and customer required process logs.

e-factory Reports: Automatically generated daily and long-term statistics regarding shifts and orders.

Engel reports that additional modules, including detailed order planning and maintenance management of machines and molds, are currently under development and will "soon complement the newly released Engel e-factory 2."