1
Initial situation
In times of digitalization, industry 4.0 and more flexible production processes, the need for possibilities for machine data acquisition and evaluation in the form of mobile applications is increasing. In order to optimally utilize the available machines, efficient maintenance and servicing must be guaranteed.
In order to provide customers and employees with the best possible support, XENON Automatisierungstechnik GmbH would also like to focus increasingly on mobile applications in the future. As an owner-managed company, XENON has been developing and building customer-specific systems for the automation of manufacturing processes for more than 25 years. Precision and innovation are a tradition in Saxon precision engineering for the approximately 270 employees. XENON has grown steadily with the construction of special machines for the assembly and testing of mechatronic systems and is today one of the leading suppliers of complex, turnkey automation systems.
2
Business Challenge
In the future, XENON would like to shorten the service response time for its customers with a mobile application. This means that maintenance staff can eliminate errors more quickly. Furthermore, engineers who work with the system should be supplied with live data. Thus, the condition of the machine can be better monitored and controlled and maintenance scenarios can be carried out independently on site. By displaying digital instructions, these maintenance steps should be processed one after the other.
“Xenon has been working on innovative digital applications for many years in order to offer our customers and employees mobile services for all aspects of machine data.“
Tobias Reissmann
CEO of XENON Automatisierungstechnik GmbH
3
Solution
Based on the low-code platform Simplifier, an application was created which offers XENON the possibility to display machine data using Augmented Reality (AR). The following functionalities are available for the user on the tablet:
Live-Data
By connecting the OPC UA server, the current data of the machine on the tablet can be read out via AR. If, for example, the pressure in a vacuum chamber of a machine changes, this can be observed live. If, for example, the corresponding target value is reached, this is indicated by a change in the font color.
Instructions
If problems occur at the machine, a step-by-step guidance supports the employee during the repair process. The employee immediately knows, for example, how to replace the needle on a machine with a needle dosing system and what to do when refilling the cartridge. If the instructions on the tablet are not sufficient, videos of the individual steps can be accessed at any time. Technical drawings can also be shown.
Remote Support
If the employee no longer knows what to do during the repair process, he can call an expert at any time via Remote Support. The remote maintenance connects the expert at the browser via video streaming to the employee’s mobile device. This makes it easy to provide assistance.
„The biggest challenge in the project was to integrate the Augmented Reality approach into the project because the machine has moving parts that cannot be easily identified. This is now possible by using AR on the low-code platform Simplifier.“
Dominik Schmitt
Head of Product Services at Simplifier AG
4
Results
With the solution on the low-code platform Simplifier, XENON can further expand its digitization strategy in the future. By automating and digitizing recurring documentation tasks and providing context-specific information via AR, efficiency gains and increased customer and employee satisfaction can be achieved.
„The application on the low-code platform Simplifier is a building block within the framework of an integrated digitalization strategy for all data relating to our machines. In the future, we want to further expand our digital services.“
Tobias Reissmann
CEO of XENON Automatisierungstechnik GmbH
PARTNERSHIP
Since 2016, Simplifier AG and XENON Automatisierungstechnik GmbH have been working in partnership on the innovation project “ARinFLEX – Supporting Flexible Service Processing by Augmented Reality”. The research project is part of the Federal Government’s Action Plan for Services 2020 and aims to integrate service research into other research and development areas at an early stage.
XENON App as Enterprise Mobility Award Winner (Platinum Award)
At the annual Enterprise Mobility Summit in Frankfurt in 2018, the Simplifier won a platinum award. At this event, project manager Dominik Schmitt presented the maintenance application jointly developed with XENON featuring Augmented Reality Integration based on Simplifier technology. The project convinced the jury of experts from industry and research – and the Simplifier received its second award within a very short time.
Read more about the awards for Simplifier and Simplifier AG.
