A new powder coating extruder at a factory in India has been commissioned and started-up remotely by Baker Perkins engineers based in the UK.

 

This is an extension of our existing capabilities where, with the customer’s permission, we are able to log in to their machine regardless of its location and, providing there is access to the internet, carry out fault-finding and software updates. This feature has allowed Baker Perkins to modify equipment functionality, including the options to add upstream and downstream equipment to the existing extruder control. These alterations can be made with minimal cost, as the engineer does not have to leave our office in the UK.

 

The MPX50 extruder in India is now in full production: a video link allowed step-by-step guidance from our technician in the UK to the customer’s engineer on-site. Remote support was achieved using an Industrial Router mounted in the extruder control panel, which enabled remote PLC access via a Wi-Fi VPN connection.

 

This unit is setup to connect to a specific WiFi access point. This facility allows Baker Perkins technicians to remotely assist during commissioning / start-up, and then provide ongoing support when required, having the ability to evaluate and give advice to solve problems and improve performance throughout the machine’s life. In addition we have the ability to control the extruder remotely, and operate at the same level as if we are standing right next to the machine.

 

Crucially, the secure and certificated VPN connection does not have to be permanent and does not require interaction with customer IT systems. Customer security is not compromised as we do not need to access their internal network and there is no inter-connectivity with customer IT systems.

 

This machine was commissioned at the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, when international travel was severely restricted. This is an option available to Baker Perkins customers throughout the world with capable engineers who can be assisted remotely. An additional benefit is that Commissioning costs and time can be significantly reduced.

Other additional benefits are that the system can gather and store up to 20 days’ worth of extruder process data. This can then be accessed remotely for analysis or extraction. Baker Perkins technicians can evaluate extruder process data and advise on improvements to overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), or identify route causes to production issues.

 

By comparison, standard platforms offer a maximum of 10 days data logging.

 

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