Machine Monitoring: Redefined.

Originally published on Modern Machine Shop. When pen-and-paper methods of tracking job efficiency left AccuRounds’ engineers and managers in the dark, the shop switched to MachineMetrics. But machine monitoring brought morale challenges along with it. After trying to track shopfloor efficiency with pen and paper, AccuRounds chose to implement a machine monitoring system with the help of MachineMetrics. This data-driven practice quickly demonstrated the benefits of real-time...

What is an Edge Device? Edge devices are pieces of equipment that serve to transmit data between the local network and the cloud. They are able to translate between the protocols, or languages, used by local devices into the protocols used by the cloud where the data will be further processed. Local devices use protocols like Bluetooth, wi-fi, Zigbee, and NFC while the cloud uses protocols like AMQP, MQTT, CoAP, and HTTP. In order for IoT data to move between the cloud and...

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is a methodology that has been around for many years.  It is a straightforward system that measures a machine’s performance and productivity.  By factoring in variables such as downtime associated with changeover, breaks, off-quality part fallout, and others, OEE can determine how productive an operation truly is by measuring the effectiveness of the production equipment. Today, OEE is being advanced using machine monitoring OEE software...

For decades manufacturers have used data as a way to gain a competitive edge. Perhaps the biggest change today is how data is collected. Some companies have technicians walking around the plant checking gauges, filling out forms, and writing down operation and maintenance history for machines. All tedious, error-prone, and inacurate methods of collecting and using data to drive decision-making. Other companies have started transitioning to digital software and connected...

In today’s world of interconnected everything, too many manufacturers are finding themselves a day late and a dollar short when it comes to quality, on-time delivery, and inventory management. Why? Because by the time the information is collected and reports are cobbled together and delivered to the top floor, the data is already obsolete. The gap between the time when information is collected and when that information is used for business decisions can quickly separate the...

At MachineMetrics we are consummately focused on making data consumable by manufacturers so they can take action on that data to improve productivity. Today, we're taking the next big step forward with the launch of MachineMetrics Workflows! Using MachineMetrics, we are now enabling our customers to merge insights into “Workflows”. These workflows start with insights derived from machine monitoring data which act as triggers to automatically fire off actions- notifications,...

Digital transformation technologies in the oil and gas industry have received a lukewarm reception from stakeholders across the sector, which has resulted in approximately 53% of companies postponing their adoption of these powerful tools. The reasons for this very average adoption rate for oil and gas OEMs can be traced to a variety of barriers, including the belief of ‘not changing what currently works’ (or ‘if ain’t broke, don’t fix it’) and the fact that 70% of DIY IoT...

Although the oil and gas industry has begun to warm up to the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and its possibilities, Gartner says that 53% of businesses within the sector have not undertaken any implementation strategy. These businesses include oil and gas original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who produce the equipment the industry relies on.  The reluctance of oil and gas OEMs to embrace the IIoT can be traced to the profits earned in past years, being comfortable...

The oil and gas industry’s competition with alternate, green energy sources, and calls for more accountability from the public have led to the industry embracing digital transformation technologies to spur growth and innovation. According to Quantzig, leading oil and gas OEMs are looking to digital technology like IIoT to improve decision-making processes, and to tap new revenue streams to improve profitability. The digital transformation of the oil and gas industry starts...

As with any new technology, there has been both a lot of hype and a lot of fear surrounding industrial automation. It can be difficult to separate fact from fiction with so many myths proliferating across the internet. These fluctuations in perception are to be expected, though. They are primary aspects of the hype cycle, a progression of events that impacts nearly all truly disruptive technologies from discovery, through early adoption, and into mass adoption. Industrial...