The woodworking industry is rapidly changing and in a world where technology is the main driving force of the future, digitalisation is key. Positioned at the forefront of Homag’s developments lies a digital platform specifically designed for manufacturers to gain more efficiencies from production as well as representing a universal transformation within the industry.
Unveiled for the first time at Ligna 2017, and more recently shown at the Holz-Handwerk and Xylexpo exhibitions, Homag presented its latest technological partner, tapio – a cloud-based service built in partnership with Microsoft.
Working across the entire manufacturing chain, the platform opens up the countless possibilities of networked production to all workshops. Whether it’s a small workshop, medium-sized operation or a global co-operation, tapio ensures the accessibility of true transparency and optimally-controlled production.
Pooling knowledge of mechanical engineering, servicing, software and ultimately the status of machinery, tapio provides operators with live updates of their complete manufacturing facility. Accessible through a mobile phone app, tablet or even a smart watch, automatic alert notifications are sent highlighting where detailed attention is required.
The platform also reports when future maintenance requirements are needed as well as sending warnings when a critical value exceeds or falls below a certain level, ensuring peak production times are not compromised. The data which tapio produces allows companies to monitor their entire production process, ensuring the performance of all equipment is maximised at all times.
ServiceBoard – fast support at your fingertips
When error messages arise during production, operators sometimes find it difficult to solely rectify the problem and require the assistance of the Homag Service centre. ServiceBoard offers a simple, yet effective remote solution to ensure faults can be identified quickly with the aid of video diagnoses, ultimately avoiding any unplanned interruptions to production.
Electronic layout plans, 3D models and drawings can easily be exchanged enabling better error identification via mobile video whilst the operators are in front of the machine.
Operators are also able to easily keep up to date with machine maintenance by having all relevant documentation to hand as well as the opportunity to electronically order any parts via the online shop. With simple machine prediction the ServiceBoard also shows upcoming maintenances within the calendar function.
DataSave – automatic data back-up
Whether resources are short or simply due to a lack of IT knowledge, data back-up is sometimes overlooked within businesses, yet in situations where a machine has a malfunction this can be fatal for productivity: in some extreme cases, loss of data can lead to a complete system restart.
DataSave ensures that data losses and related problems are a thing of the past. With this mobile solution, machine production data is guaranteed to be automatically and securely saved within the central cloud of tapio. Freely accessible at all times, this tapio function prevents machine downtime and service costs.
MachineBoard – optimum machine operation
Delays in production can have a crippling effect to manufacturing and are unwelcomed within any environment, yet the effective monitoring of machine operations can prevent any unnecessary delays.
Nobody works more closely nor is more involved with machines than the operators themselves so, the opportunity to tend to machines in good time and continuously react flexibly is an unquestionable advantage. Whether the remaining time of a CNC program needs to be checked, impending set-up processes need to be viewed or remotely activating the glue unit on an edge bander, the MachineBoard’s capabilities are indisputably true time savers.
Automatic push notifications can be displayed on smartphones or smartwatches allowing operators to act as soon as manual intervention is required.
For further information on tapio and its digital solutions, call Adele Hunt at Homag UK on 01332 856424.
