Interview: Digitization
Wanted: The concrete benefit
Digitalization is on everyone's lips and yet many companies are struggling to implement it consistently. An industry expert explains how things can be done differently. Three questions for Walter Dunkmann, Head of Vacuum Automation at J. Schmalz.
materialfluss: Mr Dunkmann, everyone is talking about digitalization. However, it often seems that the topic doesn't really take off. Why is that?
Walter Dunkmann: The topic of digitalization has been discussed at all levels for some time now. And although a great deal is now technically possible and there are numerous solutions on the market, it is often not clear to users what specific benefits they will derive. This means that they need more than universal promises such as "increased efficiency" or "market growth". Ultimately, the aim is to work with the customer to analyse their applications and demonstrate the usable benefits of digitalization. For example, information on the current status such as performance, the condition of the system, forecasts on the service life of components or recommendations for the next maintenance. And this is precisely what has often been lacking to date.
Furthermore, it is not enough to simply make data available to the user. Instead, they must be able to record and transfer data as easily as possible and from any location. We are therefore now equipping all of our mechatronic components, such as vacuum generators or switches, with NFC. This means that the user can read important process or system data directly from the processor of the field device using a smartphone or tablet. We are also programming apps with which our NFC-enabled devices can not only be read, but also written to. The next step for us will be to transfer this data to the cloud. This will allow me to check how my machine or system is running on the other side of the world from anywhere, i.e. from any location, or to compare systems with each other. In my opinion, three features are crucial for a customer to use the product: The digitization capability of the device itself, the connectivity and the usability of the data in the cloud using apps.
mfl: Why do companies find it so difficult to demonstrate the added value of digitized processes to their customers?
Dunkmann: Digitalization is not an end in itself, but should always be associated with added value for the customer. If I don't provide data in a processed and condensed form - using the "watering can" principle, so to speak - the customer benefits nothing. On the contrary: they then bear the high costs of data storage, for example, both in terms of hardware and software. And even if solutions are available that provide the user with the right data in a sensible format, the question still remains as to what the resulting customer benefit is. In other words, what are they ultimately prepared to pay? For many providers of digitalization solutions, this balancing act between "cost" and "benefit" is not yet sufficiently defined. For us at Schmalz, it is important to show exactly what our products do and how they help the customer. Take our vacuum generator ECBPi, the "CobotPump", for example: it provides the user with energy and process data via a data interface. This data is used to derive recommended actions for the next maintenance and helps to avoid unwanted downtime.
mfl: What specific path is Schmalz taking now?
Dunkmann: For example, we are showing what the "digital version" of predictive maintenance looks like. It doesn't even require a large infrastructure: vacuum components in conjunction with an app and a smartphone provide a wealth of data to further optimize the process, detect faults at an early stage or improve the energy consumption of a system in a targeted manner. With the app as a "control station to go", users can install, parameterize and operate their devices via smartphone or tablet. How does the user benefit? Well, if a gripper system or plant comes to a standstill, the app provides clear information about the source of the fault - and no cryptic error codes. To minimize the risk of device failure, the app enables predictive wear monitoring: a reminder for predictive maintenance and a list of possible wear parts can be stored. The user can intervene quickly if necessary and service times are reduced by up to 80% - this is measurable added value for the customer that is only made possible by digitalization.
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