Availability and efficiency in focus as AP&T develops Industry 4.0 solutions together with customer | AP&T

“Using online services, we can offer our customers new ways to achieve more efficient production,” says CTO Product Development Christer Bäckdahl at AP&T.

Production data can be presented on the customer’s or the operator’s smartphone, laptop or tablet.

AP&T is intensifying its investment in new online functions that give customers and operators better control over their production equipment’s availability and efficiency. Together with a large manufacturer of sheet metal components within the car industry, AP&T is testing a new complete Industry 4.0 solution for press hardening lines.

“Since we are responsible for the complete line, all of the included units are fully integrated from the start. This makes it relatively easy to produce and analyze selected information and have it presented in an easily accessible manner,” says CTO Product Development Christer Bäckdahl at AP&T.

The solution comprises features that AP&T already offers its customers as well as some awaiting just around the corner. In simple terms, the features generate different types of data to help users optimally utilize their equipment. The data can be used to achieve better control over production, optimize processes, prevent unplanned stoppages, increase availability, streamline energy efficiency and improve the quality of the produced products.

From a practical perspective, measurement data from the line’s various units is collected on an ongoing basis and then analyzed and stored in the customer’s database using AP&T's data acquisition platform. Advanced analyses are performed there, and information is presented in web-based format according to customer preferences. The customer decides who is to have access to the information and which classification level applies.

“All of the data is available and can be accessed through our cloud service for remote connection. You can have the data presented on your tablet or smartphone, on the control panels at the line or on your computer at the office,” says Christer Bäckdahl.

The tests will result in several commercial applications in 2018.

Some of AP&T's online features include:

Performance monitoring
Condition monitoring
Process monitoring
Energy monitoring
Remote maintenance
Operation monitoring