Key takeaways: newer technology will mean quicker and better diagnoses
When once asked about his preparation for an upcoming fight, boxer Mike Tyson reportedly said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” The same holds true, it might be said, for the warehouse maintenance person who walks into a building thinking it will be a great day, and then suddenly learns that a machine is “down” again.
So much for the smooth sailing that maintenance person had envisioned.
Equipment down time is a problem that we all contend with on occasion. There’s never an opportune moment for a machine breakdown, we’d all agree. How can our industry minimize warehouse down time, and what technological breakthroughs might assist in that effort? This topic was among the key issues discussed in a series of meetings during our 40th anniversary Open House event, where we brought together vendors, industry leaders, and customers to look at where the industry is now and where it’s headed in the decade ahead and beyond.
For the warehouse manager who has that immediate problem to deal with, today’s solution is probably a series of back-and-forth emails and phone calls to isolate the issue, and possibly a service call also. But there is good news on the horizon. There are innovations that should make life easier going forward.
These are some of the takeaways from the discussion of that day.
First, remote monitoring of material handling equipment will be a game-changer.
We’re at the forefront of this technology in the material handling industry, although remote monitoring is already utilized in other industries, including IT, computers, printers and even automobiles. Our industry challenge is to make this technology economically feasible so that it can be installed on every machine.
This technology will enable us to interact with devices placed in warehouses and facilities.
The operator will be able to push a button on the HMI (Human Machine Interface) or the screen of the machine; and, by dialing a phone number a technician will be on the other end of the line and with the interface be able to speed up the diagnostic process. This technology will reduce what we have now – which is a number of back-and-forth emails attempting to diagnose the problem.
We are moving closer to an interactive approach where we will be able to remotely monitor the machine and help the maintenance person virtually. The maintenance person will have the ability to and interact virtually with someone at the other end. Our task will be how quickly and how economically existing equipment can be retrofitted.
We’re also looking at the convergence between IT and the occupational side of things.
There are concerns among some companies about allowing machines to be plugged into their networks because of security reasons. A network administrator’s first reaction may be “not on my watch.” This particular concern can be mitigated by establishing a separate network, which would contain a number of security systems with appropriate firewalls. And, over time the conveniences and the advantages of being able to have someone gain remote access to that machine will make the prospect more appealing.
What technology is available on our equipment today.
We offer simple IoT into most of our equipment offerings where we have a PLC, hub and modules that network interconnected sensors, photo eyes and switches that enable users to gain data (temperature, fluid levels, cycles, faults, and functions) from their machine and exchange that data over the internet. These systems include hardware and software to monitor this real-time and historical data via a dashboard or graphical user interface, from a location that is not physically on-site. A secure, encrypted VPN (Virtual Private Network) makes it difficult for anyone to intercept or manipulate your data or machine.
We are happy to serve as a resource to customers and interested parties. Maybe it’s a company struggling with a pallet handling issue, or one that has a need that a specific machine could help with. Our company has grown by being a resource and a solution provider. As companies look to improve their safety and their productivity, that’s a discussion we are happy to have, and it’s always better to engage early.
As custom designers and manufacturers of equipment which provides safety and efficiency in the workforce, we’re here to help with any challenges companies have getting from “here” to “there.” If you have questions and would like to discuss in more detail, please contact Cherry’s Industrial Equipment at 224-268-8947 or email sales@cherrysind.com. We’re here to help!
Cherry’s Industrial Equipment strives to positively impact the lives of everyday people, by engineered pallet handling solutions to improve safety and efficiency and to help achieve your goals, browse our selection of pallet inversion systems online to see what we offer, or reach out to discuss a custom solution. To request a quote or get more information, feel free to call us at 224-268-8947 or submit our online contact form. We’ll answer any questions you may have and suggest the best solutions for your facility