A New Central Communications Platform
GF Machining Solutions has introduced rConnect, a new central communications platform for the company’s milling, EDM and laser texturing machines. Advancing the Industry 4.0 vision of the smart factory of the future, rConnect offers the industry’s most in-depth remote machine tool analysis.
The rConnect platform will be especially valuable to manufacturers seeking to optimize their competitiveness and machine uptime through the digitization of their facilities. The first phase of rConnect is Live Remote Assistance (LRA), which allows customer-authorized remote assistance by connecting machines to GF Machining Solutions local diagnostics center and plants in real time. LRA enables remote diagnostics and inspection by a GF Machining Solutions technician or the manufacturer using the system.
LRA’s customer cockpit serves as the user interface for the machine operator, maintenance manager or operations manager. In enables central access to GF Machining Solutions’ digital services and provides the machine operator with support in the daily maintenance of the machine through status messages and machine performance reports.
Through LRA, instances of unexpected machine downtime are minimized and downtime is reduced when an issue does occur, thanks to faster diagnoses and interventions. LRA allows a manufacturer to interact directly with GF Machining Solutions via audio, video, chat, whiteboard, file transfer, screen sharing and system access. All interactions are logged and recorded. rConnect and LRA are powered by an instant virtual private network that allows highly secure access to the machine and is certified with TÜViT Trusted Product Certificate.
rConnect and LRA result from GF Machining Solutions Industry 4.0 partnerships with leading European research institutes including the University of Birmingham (UK), the University of Geneva (CH), the Swiss Federal Technical Institute in Zurich, RWTH Aachen University (DE) and the Fraunhofer Institute (DE).
About GF Machining Solutions: GF Machining Solutions is the world’s leading provider of machines, automation solutions and services to the tool and mold making industry and to manufacturers of precision components. The products range from electric discharge machines, high-speed and high-performance milling machines, including clamping and palletization systems, and 3D laser surface texturing machines, to services, spare parts and expendable parts, consumables and automation solutions. GF Machining Solutions is a globally acting division of the Georg Fischer Group (Switzerland) and maintains a presence on 50 sites worldwide within its own organization. Its 3,008 employees generated sales of CHF 905 million in 2014. More information can be found at www.gfms.com/us.
