FEINmonitoring and Smart Maintenance: Feintool relies on Industry 4.0 for maximum fineblanking press availability

FEINmonitoring is a web-based maintenance and analysis tool that continuously mon0itors the technical status of Feintool's fineblanking presses and analyses the data acquired. In particular Feintool has significantly expanded this data analysis function once again in recent months. Following the principle of 'what you cannot measure, you cannot control', FEINmonitoring is part of and the basis for the Smart Maintenance concept. 'FEINmonitoring makes it possible to detect problems early. Smart Maintenance exploits this advantage to increase plant availability by means of needs-based maintenance and to guarantee predictable maintenance costs,' explains Marc Schneeberger, Business Development Manager at Feintool.

FEINmonitoring means: Sensors built into the fineblanking presses continuously measure different values such as power consumption, particles in the oil, temperature or pressure at various points. The data are transferred via a mobile connection to the FEINmonitoring database, where they are collected, analyzed and evaluated. If these measured values are in a critical range, the customer receives an automatic message. Marc Schneeberger uses the example of oil temperature to explain this: 'In the past, if the maximum oil temperature was exceeded this was only displayed when the limit was reached, and on a thermometer on the press. With FEINmonitoring, customers receive an e-mail or a text message even before the limit is reached. They can then appropriately intervene beforehand to prevent or shorten any impending break in production.'

But in addition to this warning function, FEINmonitoring also makes an important contribution to the optimum productivity of the fineblanking press. The continuously recorded data add up to provide a valuable overview of the operating status of the Feintool press. This includes such details as the level of of use, downtime and run-time, which can be displayed at any time via your PC, tablet or smartphone. This enables trends to be detected and systematic production problems to be corrected. Users can also reduce disturbance variables and reproduce functioning settings. 'In this way FEINmonitoring enables higher overall productivity from the fineblanking presses and more stable production,' says Marc Schneeberger, summing up.

The Feintool Smart Maintenance service is in turn linked with FEINmonitoring and intervenes precisely at the critical points identified by it. This means, for example, that FEINmonitoring makes it possible to promptly detect problems with parts subject to wear. In this case, Feintool service engineers can independently carry out the preventive replacement of these parts. 'As a result, we always achieve the optimum timing for maintenance,' emphasizes Marc Schneeberger.

FEINmonitoring is now standard on Feintool presses, which means that all newly delivered HFA plus/speed and XFT presses are equipped with FEINmonitoring ex works.

Feintool at EuroBLECH 2016, in hall 27, stand J104.