16.02.2022 - Proof of Concept with Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG has started

16.Feb.2022 Proof of Concept with Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG has started Producing more efficiently and on a sustainable basis due to industrial apps

At their plant in Illingen, the Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG produces car washing systems. The manufacturing processes include various manual phases. This makes the supervision of production progresses more complicated, especially when compared to a fully automated manufacturing facility.

Kärcher therefore counts on customized industrial apps that can be adjusted at any time. With these, information can be accessed when necessary. Machine and device data, for example, can be accessed with IoT-Software. It is displayable via dashboard and it can be included in the existing ERP system.

Currently, the project is still a proof of concept. But we convinced that, with our software – both the IoTHub and the AppDesigner – we will not only take forward Kärcher when it comes to digitizing manufacturing processes.

Project description

The core idea behind the IoTHub and the AppDesigner is to ‘‘read‘‘ data from a machine (e.g. via sensors or via control system) and to visualize it by the means of a dashboard or an industrial app. Kärcher’s requirements had been very specific but thanks to the AppDesigner, the realisation was no problem at all. The main focus was digitizing manual processes in a production line. 1. Registration of order information via QR code including all work stages that are involved 2. Optimization of ordering/re-ordering processes for quicker provision of missing items 3. Notification when quality deficits or other incidents occur (e.g. machine breakdowns or failures) 4. Notification when a manufacturing process is finished or when a product is ready to be picked up

Besides much savings in time and the optimization of different process workflows, Kärcher highly values environmental protection. By using industrial apps, the enterprise will soon be able to save resources, reduce their paper consumption and, thanks to decreased downtimes, avoid a high amount of emissions.

Current state

The ELCO IoTHub was recently updated to the latest version (V. 4.0). Kärcher now has the opportunity to test the product and get used to its new functions. The final concept should be ready in February 2022, ideally we will already have access to first field test data by then. By the end of the first quarter of 2022, Kärcher plans to make a decision whether they want to use our system or a competitor’s solution – or whether a new approach is worth considering. In any case, we are very curious and we are pleased about the current cooperation