>>> Industry 4.0

Digitalization: Today an option, tomorrow a must

from Markus Laesser, Director Operational Excellence

Digitalization is a competitive advantage. Today, customers are willing to pay for it, but this may very well be different in two to three years. Digital processes and services will be a must for doing any business at all. Knowing this, CGS supports its portfolio companies with its own digitalization program to stay a step ahead of the competition. The case of the laser specialist InnoLas Solutions, a company of Photonics Systems Group, exemplifies the advantages for customers and suppliers. 

The CGS digitalization initiative is a largely standardized procedure that helps portfolio companies introduce applications for Industry 4.0 production. But their machines must be digitized first, as their digitalization is the basis for the 4.0 services provided to customers. These services include analyzing data coming from their sites in real time in order to ensure high overall equipment efficiency (OEE). With preventive and predictive maintenance, companies can shorten the durations of planned machine downtimes and avoid unplanned ones. The latter in particular are expensive and make the production process inefficient and unpredictable. Virtual reality glasses can be used to provide customers with remote maintenance or troubleshooting support.

Focusing on customer benefits

CGS builds up internal and external programs within the portfolio companies’ operations in order to offer the customers innovative and technologically advanced solutions. The core concern here is always how these activities can benefit the customers. By default, CGS uses the industrial service platform EQCloud, short for EquipmentCloud, which allows customers to access all the data regarding their machines. The platform offers CGS portfolio companies the major advantage of being able to jointly utilize resources and expertise.

A typical example of the digitalization process and its specific benefits for customers is InnoLas Solutions and its cooperation with a German technology firm with a turnover of over EUR 20 billion.

Two years of preparation

InnoLas Solutions needed about two years to digitize its internal processes and map them substantially in the cloud – a must for offering digital services externally. For over 15 years now, the machines have been equipped with databases that record all statuses and signals from sensors.

Creating more value

By connecting the new machines to EQCloud, the technology firm mentioned above can monitor and control the InnoLas Solutions machines as well as connected systems remotely. With the smart phone app, the firm can check on the performance and status of each individual machine. The customers receive a message whenever there are down-times or errors and can contact InnoLas’ support department directly to take any measures necessary. They receive status updates automatically while service is underway.

In this technology firm's case, this helped reduce the installation’s downtime significantly and raise its OEE from 95.4% to 98.1%. This increase creates additional value amounting to about EUR 200,000 per year.  

See www.innolas-solutions.com for more information.

 

Examples of digitized projects that CGS facilitates within the portfolio companies.

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