Mobile Tool Data Communication Application for the Industry 4.0 Smart Factory

Digital monitoring of the state of tools and machines is a hot topic in smart factory manufacturing. The i.com smartphone and tablet application from Benz Inc. (Hickory, NC) is an Industry 4.0-ready system for monitoring the condition of their sophisticated CNC tooling for metal and composites machining applications. It scans, saves and processes tool data and uses it to provide important information about the tool’s current condition. The i.com app is located on a chip that is powered by an integrated generator or a battery, depending on the application, and saves the data. Benz i.com transfers the data to the app via NFC and Bluetooth, either in real time or after specific events. The app uses this information to provide important notifications about the tool’s state, such as the number of hours of operation, the temperature, speed or vibration values. Using the Benz cloud solution, the user not only has access to the data that they have scanned themselves, but to all of the tool data saved in the cloud.

Thanks to this transparent tool monitoring system, the service life of a tooling unit can be extended by identification of optimum service intervals, minimizing production standstills. Working with a receiver module, this system communicates directly with the machine control system to trigger multiple functions, such as automatic lubrication or an emergency stop if there is an emergency. This is essential, as even a few seconds can make a difference when it comes to preventing bearing damage that might cause the unit to fail due to overheating or excessive vibration, and that is often not enough time for a manual intervention.

Benz Incorporated, 1095 6th Street Court SE, Hickory, NC 28602, 704-529-5300, Fax: 704-529-5009, [email protected], www.benztooling.com.