Page 13 - MetalForming Magazine September 2022

Industry 4.0
ECI Acquires Makers of Alora and Lojic Dashboards
ECI Software Solutions, provider of cloud-based business-management prod- ucts and services, has announced two acquisitions on behalf of its manufacturing division. The acquisitions include Erie, PA-based Data Inventions, maker of the Alora machine-intelligence platform, and Meadville, PA-based Lojic, maker of Lojic Dashboards, a customizable dashboard product that assists manufacturers in creating and displaying real-time dash- boards across operations.
These two acquisitions will further inte- grate Alora and Lojic Dashboards into ECI’s product portfolio and enable adoption across its customer base of manufacturers, according to ECI officials. Alora integrates out-of-the-box with ECI’s JobBoss, Job- Boss2, M1 and Macola enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, while Lojic inte- grates with JobBoss. Together, Alora and Lojic connect and analyze data from ERP business systems and shop-floor data sources, and visualize production per- formance in real time.
ECI Software Solutions: www.ecisolutions.com
Fanuc Software Uses AI, Machine Learning to Monitor Drive Systems
Fanuc has introduced a new Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) software, AI Servo Monitor, designed to prevent production problems before they occur. The software employs artificial intelligence (AI) to predict possible failures of the drive systems for
Fanuc servomotors and spindle motors. AI Servo Monitor, in conjunction with Fanuc’s MT-Linki machine-tool-monitoring software and through machine learning, analyzes the daily performance of machines equipped with Fanuc CNCs. Daily data are displayed in intuitive graphs, allowing users to monitor abnormalities on these machines. AI automatically cre- ates a baseline model of the machine while running in a normal state. An ‘anom- aly score’ expresses a difference in the baseline model and the daily recorded values. On a web interface, users can see the anomaly scores in a graph. Plus, email notifications can be issued if this
value exceeds predefined thresholds. “The power of IIoT software is that it detects a failure before it happens, not after,” says Jon Heddleson, general man- ager of factory automation for Fanuc America. “Predictive maintenance is key in preventing unexpected downtime. AI Servo Monitor helps ensure that production
keeps running smoothly.”
MT-Linki connects shop-floor equipment,
including machine tools, robots and PLCs. It monitors, collects and presents data in color-coded graphical representations of the factory floor to provide more infor- mation about manufacturing processes as well as historical data. Non-Fanuc CNCs, PLCs and various sensors can be connected using MTConnect or OPC-UA protocol.
Information presented via MT-Linki enables data-driven business decisions to optimize operations through enhanced
maintenance capabilities such as sched- uling memory backups; presenting alarm/operator history; and monitoring the status of memory backup batteries, cooling fans, motor temperatures, etc. Fanuc America: www.fanucamerica.com
John Deere Driving Forward with Industry 4.0 Initiatives
Vertex Software, Inc., a provider of 3D manufacturing-visualization and cloud- collaboration technology, has been selected as a supplier to Deere & Company, a man- ufacturer of agricultural, forestry and other heavy equipment, and an Industry 4.0 innovator. Deere employees will use Vertex to access the state of the factory and service needs for equipment, for forecast planning, and to gather information about how equipment functions in real time. They’ll have access to the content on any computing device in seconds, including tablets, laptops and smartphones.
By pushing 3D information data beyond the engineering department, Vertex’s pur- pose-built software will support Deere’s Industry 4.0 initiatives, including Smart Connected Factory programs, by delivering real-time, actionable 3D data across man- ufacturing and business operations. The platform will help Deere build and deploy fit-for-purpose apps that deliver decision- making systems with rich, interactive 3D content.
Vertex: www.vertexvis.com
10 MetalForming/September 2022
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