Challenge
A Fortune100 corporation that manufactures industrial machines used at factories across the globe was looking to solve a specific problem with the help of the Internet of Things (IoT).
Like most modern manufacturing equipment, the machines produced by the company are equipped with Computer Numerical Control (CNC) modules that enable automated processing of materials.
The company decided to add adaptors that read the data from machine sensors and send it in a decoded format from a CNC module to computers in a local network for monitoring. But the growing global demand for industrial IoT solutions propelled the need to upgrade these adaptors with advanced remote monitoring software.
The company partnered with Devvela to build a mobile application, enabling engineers to monitor machining tools from any place in real-time.
Solution
CNC data formats vary. To ensure the uniformity of this data at the output, an adapter encodes it into MTConnect format using a specific XML schema. We made the apps capable of recognizing the data in MTConnect.
The apps read the current operational state of the machine and display it with the interface color: green for “Normal”, yellow for “Warning”, and red for “Fault”. Other parameters can also be monitored within the app interfaces.
Managers can create lists of machines and assign them to the operators specifically responsible for them, and operators can filter relevant machines out of the complete list and keep them at hand.
The client also wanted to be able to display the CNC information on a bigger screen as well to showcase how this works at a technology show. For this purpose, Devvela built a web application that can be run on a desktop computer or laptop.
Results
Developing from scratch and working within tight deadlines, we managed to deliver the product on time.
We began the development of the apps in early summer 2018; in September, the client showcased the product at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in Chicago.
Operators of the machines equipped with adapters can now check several appliances in a stretch from a smartphone or PC. They get an instant notification if the status of any machine changes, which helps businesses to act timely on potential issues, preventing and reducing downtime.
Today, our client offers CNC monitoring systems that include their adapters and the mobile app built by Devvela.
