Digital customer service in machine manufacturing

Smart tools, smart services and a change in the value creation chain mean a fundamental change in collaboration. ENGEL provides digital customer service for its customer Helvoet in the Netherlands for flexibility, and time- and cost-savings. Despite or specifically due to contact prohibitions caused by the Corona pandemic. This has accelerated the move towards virtual coordination for some companies. ENGEL supports its customers in the digitalization of manufacturing processes with a number of solutions.

Three locations, two countries, many video calls and a tight deadline for optimizing the molded part. Helvoet Rubber & Plastic Technologies BV focuses on high-precision injection molded parts for medical technology, diagnostics and other applications.

In collaboration with the ENGEL team, a part, a lab-on-a-chip article that poses the highest demands on the precision and consistency of the injection molding process, was optimized through digital coordination. ENGEL takes a comprehensive approach to digitalization in machine manufacturing and creates the necessary conditions.

The all-electric ENGEL e-mac 75 injection molding machine, on which the parts are produced, is equipped with e-connect.24, the ENGEL solution for remote maintenance and online support. This means that ENGEL technicians have secure encrypted access to all relevant data in real time for digital coordination. The customer gives their consent prior to the work starting. The e-connect.24 online support tool is certified by TÜV-Informationstechnik (TÜVIT). To optimize the process at Helvoet, the data was completed with live images of the part from cleanroom production. A video conference was used to discuss the parameters needing further modification. The optimization process went ahead as desired, making it possible to meet the deadline. The results: fast implementation and substantial savings in terms of time and costs for coordination.

ENGEL has been focusing for years on smart solutions for the injection molding process. Under the product name inject 4.0, ENGEL offers a wide range of digital solutions for smart machine, smart service and smart production applications that help to shape customers' digital transformation to a smart factory.