Harnessing data to improve
By Elumatec’s Neil Parton.
In today’s Internet of Things environment, connectivity and integration are deemed key components of a successful strategy but having access to relevant information has always been a business need.
It allows us to capitalise on our strengths and drive improvements. Using data to make informed decisions makes sense, but collecting and analysing that data has often been burdensome and unproductive. eluCloud changes all that.
A great piece of machine engineering can give you the capacity you need, the precision you crave, and the longevity you want, but if you want to get the very best out of a machine you need to look beyond the items it’s producing and study the data. eluCloud makes this simple, capturing and analysing the relevant metrics, safely storing them and making them accessible. It doesn’t depend upon hours of manual processing, complex spreadsheets or endless checking and recording. It’s automated, collating the relevant facts 24/7, and making them available 24/7.
Imagine the benefits this could bring to your operation. You’ll have the data that will enable you to optimise production. You can become proactive with maintenance scheduling, reduce your costs and boost your productivity. You can provide your customers with the evidence that you’re a technologically advanced partner who can deliver on the volumes, the timescales and the accuracy they need.
You could be sitting on the opposite side of the world and still be on top of every machine’s output in real-time. Your engineers don’t need to be on site to spot problems. Your scheduling team can use accurate processing times in their planning, rather than estimates. You can see when machine set up times are adversely impacting your output and take steps to solve the problem.
eluCloud is powerful, but it’s been designed to fit alongside existing infrastructure. The eluCloud model doesn’t burden the machine’s own data-processing capacity. It sits apart, but rather than having to invest in new IT capacity to run the software, it can usually be installed on existing servers. What’s more, that installation is quick and simple; in no time, the data you need could be accessed directly from your phone.
The software comprises four different modules and one app that works on any device, smartphone, laptop, tablet or PC. Each module has a different purpose.
eluCloud Monitor is, as its name suggests, the prime monitoring software which gathers machine and productivity data and provides a clear overview in an easily accessible format. It’s an easy way to check in on production efficiency.
eluCloud Server is the eas-to-install programming which brings all the data together, showing you all the facts in a simple dashboard-type overview.
Between them, eluCloud Monitor and eluCloud Server offer the key functionality but a third module, eluCloud Analytics, allows a more in-depth interrogation of data. This module captures utilisation data, spotting where processes can be sharpened up. It also provides accurate information for costing future jobs.
The final part of the jigsaw is eluCloud API, which permits integration with other IT systems. If you want to link your ERP system to your machinery and, for example, have data feeding directly into your costing systems, eluCloud API is the way to do it.
In summary, eluCloud is the ideal partner to Elumatec machinery. It enables constant automated feedback on the performance factors that drive profitability: machine use, cost efficiency, planned maintenance. It helps to reduce cost, prevent breakdowns, refine processes, and really understand what’s happening on your shop floor.