TAKRAF's Current and Future IIoT Service Offerings
TAKRAF is a highly specialized supplier of machines and services within the mining, materials handling and minerals processing fields with a significant number of globally installed machines. These machines generate valuable data on a daily basis, from which we are able to obtain information regarding the optimization of design, operation, maintenance and/or troubleshooting.
Data Logging Systems and Cloud Connection Tools
Based upon current IIoT technologies, TAKRAF equipped a select sample of machines with remote data logging systems as part of our associated R&D initiatives.
One of our first successfully integrated systems is running in one of machines in South East Asia – a high-capacity spreader and tripper car for a large overburden-handling project. This system was designed and is based upon hardware and software components supplied by iba AG, a specialist for data logging and analysis. A machine connector reads defined data from the Profibus DP of the machine control system without jeopardizing its security and/or integrity and writes this to the iba PDA server. On this server, the data is locally stored and analyzed, e.g. for automatically generated reports. Recorded data is then sent to our head office simultaneously or in batches.
Remote Support Solutions Employing “Smart Glasses”
Another interesting outcome from some of our R&D activities include remote support solutions employing “smart glasses”. Such tools are relatively easy to implement and already quite readily available. With these glasses, we are able to connect experts in an office with our commissioning engineers or our clients’ maintenance staff on site in order to solve specific problems quickly and effectively, avoiding long trips and associated travel costs.
Augmented Operator Advisor
A "smart tool" we successfully presented at the 2019 BAUMA mining exhibition in Munich (Germany) is based upon Schneider Electric’s “Augmented Operator Advisor”. This software tool, which runs on a tablet, is able to determine its positioning in the field based upon image recognition of the various machine parts around the user. Based upon this recognition, various “points of interest” can be defined together with context sensitive information such as manuals and maintenance procedures - live data can also be made available to the user.
It should be borne in mind that digitalization and IIoT developments are more a “journey” which has just started, rather than being a completely defined approach to a well-defined destination. Nonetheless, we strongly believe that IIoT technologies have the ability to provide an enormous benefit across many areas including the improvement of business processes. TAKRAF will continue with such developments with a view to achieving acceptance by our customers and/or users and ultimately delivering value to all stakeholders.
For further information regarding TAKRAF 4.0 and what we can do for your business, please send us an e-mail at: info@takraf.com.