APEX

Salesforce APEX is a Microsoft-certified framework for building software services (Saas) applications that enables developers to integrate business logic with system events.

API

Application/App

The EquipmentCloud^® service solution is a web-based software-as-service (saas) platform that provides various modular applications (apps) with specific functionalities. These apps are designed for direct use in the service environment for mechanical and plant engineering without any development effort on the customer side (ready-to-use). The apps are field-tested, scalable and can be used independently of each other. At the same time, they are designed interactively so that information or data can be linked and processed between the individual apps in order to reduce resources and time expenditure and to automate processes. 

Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality refers to computer-based perception that extends the real world with virtual elements. These three-dimensional and real-time interactive elements are presented to the user as if they were part of the real world through systems that address one or more senses simultaneously. 
In engineering, for example, AR is used to simplify and speed up maintenance and repair work. Using AR glasses or smartphones, relevant information can be displayed in real time, supporting the work process and minimising errors. AR can also be used to visualise CAD data and 3D models in real space, which can be useful for designing and planning machinery. The use of AR in mechanical engineering can therefore contribute to increased efficiency and cost savings.

Commissioning - FAT & SAT

Depending on the modularity and degree of automation of the systems, the commissioning of machines and plants can be a very comprehensive, complex and lengthy process. This involves pre-processing, assembly and in-house testing (Factory Acceptance Test / FAT) as well as installation and setup and final acceptance at the customer's site (Site Acceptance Test / SAT). In the course of the process, a number of tasks and to-dos arise. In addition, time and efficiency gains can be realized through standardized processes, clearly defined tasks and end-to-end transparency for all parties involved.

Components

Components are individual parts used in the manufacture of machinery and equipment. They can be mechanical, electronic or digital and are assembled into complex systems and machines. In mechanical engineering, selecting the right components is critical to the performance, reliability and safety of a machine or system. Various factors such as material quality, technical specifications and compatibility must be taken into account. Careful selection and integration of components can help improve machine performance, save costs and extend the life of the machine.

Condition Monitoring

In times of digitalization, Industry 4.0, IIoT and IoT, condition monitoring is a central component of interconnectedness, data acquisition and processing. Here, the technical condition of a machine is recorded regularly to continuously through sensors. Certain relevant variables such as oscilllation, temperature, vibrations, oil level or acoustics are measured and evaluated with the help of connected software. By comparing the actual and target values, machine faults can be detected at an early stage.

Consulting

Consulting is a service provided by professionals to help organisations or individuals solve problems or achieve goals. In general, consulting is about bringing an external perspective and expertise into an organisation to help customers improve business processes, implement change and maximise resource efficiency.
Kontron AIS provides consulting and needs analysis services ranging from advisory services and solution implementation to training and support.

Customer portal

Customer portals offer customers the opportunity to access all relevant information about their machines and systems at any time and from any location. Among other things, master data such as serial number, warranty period and selected service contract can be accessed here or spare parts selected. In addition, the customer always has an overview of current service requests, documents and the status of upcoming maintenance or milestones during commissioning. A platform for efficient and transparent communication between machine manufacturer and operator.

Data integration & data interfaces

When it comes to the further processing of data in the machine environment at the edge or in the cloud, the connection plays a central role in enabling the integration of sensor and control data. Due to the large variety of interfaces depending on the industry, area of application or age of the system, it is important to design the data integration as flexibly as possible via a universal interface. At Kontron AIS, we are followingthree different approaches:

1. Data integration using IoT gateways and pre-configured AIS Node-Red node, which supports common interfaces such as MQTT, OPCUA, S4 , HTML, ZML, SQL databases.
2. Direct connection via web standard RESTful API SEGS/GEM Adapter Fablink.  

Data Science

Data science is the process of extracting insights and knowledge from structured and unstructured data. It encompasses a wide range of methods, tools and technologies for collecting, analysing and interpreting data to gain valuable insights.
Applications of data science range from predicting trends and patterns to real-time decision making. Technologies used by data scientists include machine learning, artificial intelligence, statistical methods, data visualisation and big data technologies.

Data security

Data security refers to the practices and technologies used to protect data from unauthorised access, loss or theft. The importance of data security has increased in recent years as more data is stored and exchanged digitally.
Common methods of data security include encrypting data, implementing access controls and monitoring systems for potential threats. Data encryption transforms data so that it cannot be read without the correct key. Access controls ensure that only authorised individuals have access to certain data. Monitoring systems involve monitoring activities to detect potential threats at an early stage.

Devices

Devices are physical objects that typically interact with other systems or networks to perform a specific function.
Devices range from simple appliances to complex systems such as smartphones, tablets, wearables and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Each device has a specific functionality and can receive, store, process and transmit data.
Devices play an important role in the delivery of products and services, particularly in the information technology sector. Many organisations use devices to increase efficiency and productivity, for example by implementing wireless networks, cloud computing systems and other digital infrastructures.

Digital workplace/dashboard

The digital workplace bundles all information relevant to the user in a dashboard by means of dynamic widgets/tiles. This enables intuitive navigation within the EquipmentCloud digital transformation solution and quick access to frequently used functions. The user is informed via dashboard about changes such as upcoming tasks, occurring alarms, current key performance indicators (KPIs) or new documents related to the equipment. The digital workplace can be individually configured and aligned to specific user groups.

Docker Container

Docker containers work in a similar way to virtual machines (VMs), but are more specific and granular. They isolate individual applications and dependencies, including external software libraries and operating systems. Docker containers share a common operating system, Linux or Windows, but are still separate from each other and the overall system. They combine efficiency in terms of system resources and cost savings. They offer rapid scalability in software development and deployment, as well as portability between environments.

Equipment

In the EquipmentCloud^® everything revolves around the equipment (analog: plant, machine or system) of the machine builder at the customer's site. All data and information along the machine lifecycle are made available via the equipment and stored there. It is also used for central navigation within the service solution and the basis for scaling the license model.

Equipment availability

The term equipment availability indicates the percentage of the planned production time in which a plant has actually produced. In principle, this is a target/actual comparison. Analogously for machines, we speak here of machine availability, which is the decisive key figure in machine and plant engineering and is used to compare the actual productive time of the machines.  

Factory operator

A factory operator is a person or organisation that operates a production facility and is responsible for the production of goods or the provision of services. The operator is usually responsible for planning, controlling and monitoring production processes and ensuring that they run smoothly. A factory operator's responsibilities may include procuring raw materials, organising production, and ensuring quality and safety. Today, factory operations are often supported by digital technologies to achieve greater efficiency and flexibility.

Global search

A global search is a search function that allows you to search for content, data or information within an application or system. The search is global because it accesses all available data sources and is not limited to a particular subset of them. Global search is particularly useful in systems with many different data types and sources. Here, a global search can help find information and data quickly, regardless of where it is stored. For example, in EquipmentCloud, a global search allows users to search for equipment, maintenance histories, open tickets and other critical information.

Industrial interfaces

Industrial interfaces are special connections between different devices and systems in industry that enable the exchange of data and information. They are an essential part of automated production processes, helping to increase efficiency and productivity. Well-known industrial interfaces include OPC UA and MQTT. OPC UA is an open standard for industrial communication and data exchange that enables secure and reliable data transmission. MQTT is another open protocol designed specifically for IoT applications and also enables fast and efficient data transmission. The advantage of using such industrial interfaces is that data can be collected, transmitted and analysed in real time. This enables quick decisions to be made based on up-to-date data, which in turn leads to greater efficiency and productivity.

IoT-Gateway

IoT gateways are compact and robust industrial PCs that are suitable for stand-alone PC or DIN rail mounting in the control cabinet. These devices are installed locally at the plant/machines to temporarily store sensor and control data, buffer it in case of connection problems and pre-process it before selected data is forwarded to cloud solutions for in-depth analytics. Kontron AIS primarily relies on the Kbox-250 series to realize high-performance data integration.

Key figures & KPI

The most common key figures in mechanical engineering include machine or plant availability, overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) or the yield of a plant. These key figures are decisive acceptance criteria during commissioning SAT & FAT and are also used again and again as a reference during operation. They allow comparisons across machines and sites and are an indicator of the production success of the machines and systems.

Machine Learning

Machine learning is a subfield of artificial intelligence and describes the artificial generation of knowledge from experience. IT systems are enabled to recognize rules and develop procedures on the basis of existing data and algorithms. The knowledge gained can be generalized and used for finding solution strategies of unknown data sets. 

Machine life cycle

The life cycle of a machine ranges from development to commissioning, operation, optimization and final utilization of the machine. During the course of the machine lifecycle, various information and services must be made available to service employees, product managers, the machine manufacturer's sales department, and the machine operator (end customer).

Machine states

In the course of the production process, a machine or plant is regularly set to different states. A distinction is made here between productive, planned state, unplanned state, development, standby or unplanned time. These machine states are used for the calculation of the key figures and are a good indicator of how many interruptions there are in the production process or how smoothly the production runs and how high the number of operating hours of the machine is.

Mobile App

Complementing the web app, EquipmentCloud^® - the digital enabler and is available as a mobile app for Android and iOS. The native app can be used on various mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets. Users such as manufacturers and factory operators in mechanical and plant engineering receive a mobile tool that can be used to work in a focused and productive manner in the field at the machine, at the customer's site or during service visits.

Go to app store for iOS App

Go to google play for the Android App

Node-Red

Node-RED is a browser-based data integration application built on Node.js. It provides a visual interface for developing data processing workflows. These workflows are called flows and consist of nodes that perform different functions. Node-RED is easy to use and requires no programming skills, making it an attractive option for data integration.

Node-RED supports many different types of nodes, including data source, data processing and data target nodes. It also offers a wide range of integrations for different APIs and protocols. This makes it easy to integrate data from different sources and route it to different destinations.

OEE

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (Gesamtanlageneffektivität)

OEE stands for Overall Equipment Effectiveness and is a key figure that is seen in the machine and plant sector for productivity. In the EquipmentCloud^®, the OEE key figures and various information and plant can be retrieve.

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is a cloud computing platform from Oracle that provides a wide range of cloud-based infrastructure services, including compute, storage, networking, and applications. OCI is a powerful and flexible platform that enables customers to run their workloads securely and reliably. OCI also offers advanced features such as GPU-accelerated compute instances and bare metal instances to support high-performance workloads. OCI is built on the latest technologies and architectures, including virtualisation, software-defined networking (SDN), and automated management. A key component of Oracle's cloud offerings, OCI provides a fast and cost-effective way for organisations to migrate their IT infrastructure to the cloud. To provide a complete cloud experience, OCI is also connected to other Oracle Cloud services such as Autonomic Database and Oracle Integration Cloud.

Predictive Maintenance

Predictive maintenance is the collection and analysis of machine and production data to proactively maintain machines. The aim is to maintain high quality standards, avoid downtime and reduce maintenance costs. To achieve this, machines are fitted with sensors that collect and store data, which in turn is used for analysis and prediction of maintenance needs. Experts believe that predictive maintenance can prevent 70% of all unplanned downtime by allowing technicians to be dispatched to fix a problem before it even occurs. 

Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance is the term used to describe routine maintenance work carried out on machines and plants at regular intervals. Due to the trend towards Industry 4.0, machines and systems have developed enormously. To ensure availability, continuous maintenance must be carried out. Maintenance is time-based (weekly, monthly, quarterly), condition-based (as soon as signs of wear on machine parts are visible) and usage-based (based on certain parameters, e.g. 500 machine hours or 200 parts produced). This offers companies many benefits, such as reduced unnecessary maintenance, less downtime and increased equipment reliability. However, it is also very time and resource consuming as more manpower is required to carry out regular maintenance.

Proactive customer service

Customer service in the machinery and equipment industry is sometimes reactive. The service team responds to the customer's call, usually ad hoc, in the event of a malfunction or machine downtime. Preventive or even predictive measures are therefore hardly possible, which severely limits the scope for action. Proactive customer service, on the other hand, relies on data-based services throughout the entire lifecycle of the machine in order to remain in constant contact with the end customer and to be able to act proactively in the event of deviations in key figures, process values or machine conditions.

Process optimization

Internal and external processes are characterised by the fact that they are divided into several phases and involve a large number of actors/participants. The more interlocked, automated and clearly defined the tasks and interfaces are, the better these processes run. Transparency and digitalisation are critical components in driving process optimisation. Digital tools such as EquipmentCloud^® can be a valuable tool for redesigning processes and optimising workflows in the long term.

Remote maintenance

Remote maintenance refers to the ability to monitor, diagnose and service machines and equipment remotely. This can help avoid unnecessary travel and on-site service calls and maximise uptime. Remote maintenance is usually carried out over a secure connection, allowing machine parameters and operating data to be accessed and adjustments to be made without the need for a technician to be physically present. By using remote maintenance technology, companies can save time and money, improve the quality of maintenance and increase customer satisfaction.

Remote Service and Support

Remote Service and Support is a service that is used for training, maintenance, repair, trouble shooting for immediate assistance from a distance in service. Customers with acute problems can be supported immediately by means of interactive video telephony via smartphone or data glasses on site at the machines or plant. The service can be provided 24/7 and prevents long downtimes, waiting times and high travel costs and enables a fast turnaround time and high customer satisfaction. With the integrated Remote Assistance app from our cooperation partner Bitnamic, machine builders can offer this service to their customers web-based or via the mobile device.

Retrofit

The term retrofit refers to the general upgrading and modernization of existing systems with new components that add additional features. In times of increasing digitalization, the adjustment of existing systems becomes inevitable in order to keep the machines applicable in the area of Industry 4.0 and applications for the Internet of Things (IoT). Retrofitting with modern sensor technology is usually a more cost-effective alternative to purchasing new equipment. 

SaaS

Software-as-a-Service gives users the right or access to cloud-based applications/software via an annual license, which can be operated web-based or via mobile device. All that is required is an Internet-enabled end device. High investment costs in terms of own IT infrastructure are eliminated. The finished applications can in turn be used for the development of own services for end customers.

Spare parts management

Spare parts management is the planning, procurement, storage and provision of spare parts for a machine or plant. Effective spare parts management is essential for the smooth operation and availability of production equipment and machinery. It involves determining the need for spare parts and ensuring that they are available in sufficient quantity and quality. Digital solutions can help optimise inventory, ordering and delivery of spare parts. This increases efficiency and helps to minimise downtime. Well-designed service parts management increases productivity and reduces costs.

Supervised learning / Unsupervised learning

Supervised learning is a branch of machine learning and is one of three ways machines 'learn': supervised, unsupervised and reinforcement learning. Supervised learning uses training data to train a model so that computers can find hidden insights without being explicitly programmed to look for them. It uses models and training data to predict known outcomes. Methods used include neural networks, CART and support vector machines. 

Its counterpart is unsupervised learning, which describes finding patterns in unlabelled data sets. It is used to identify new patterns and detect anomalies. Unsupervised learning methods include cluster analysis, principal components and neural networks.

Third party systems

A third party system is a software application developed and provided by a third party vendor, usually offering special features not available in the main application. These third party systems can be integrated into an organisation to provide additional functionality and benefits. Integrating third-party systems into an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system enables companies to automate and streamline their processes. ERP connectivity ensures that data is exchanged and synchronised between the different systems, enabling seamless and efficient collaboration.

User login

A user login is used to uniquely identify a user in a system. The user is identified by a combination of username and password. This ensures protection against third party access and therefore confidentiality of the content in the system. A user can belong to several user groups or have different user roles. The user then has all the rights of the respective group or role.