IoT for SMEs

The IoT TeamViewer Remote solution pre-installed on the sysWORXX CTR-700 allows you to combine remote access and control with remote monitoring. This enables you to access and edit your data remotely, reducing the risk of damage and saving time – and, of course, money. The accompanying case study, which outlines the challenges and corresponding solutions, has now finally been published.

TeamViewer supports predictive maintenance for SMEs

The connected factory is a reality – at least for the industrial giants. For SMEs, however, getting started can sometimes present major challenges. With the support of TeamViewer IoT, SYS TEC electronic AG offers its customers a remarkably simple solution for remote monitoring and predictive maintenance.

Erich Köster is getting fed up. This is already the fourth call today from a customer reporting a problem. Köster works as a technician at a medium-sized mechanical engineering firm and is always the first point of contact whenever a customer is stuck with a piece of equipment. He actually enjoys ‘troubleshooting’. However, when – as is the case today – the calls for help start piling up, he can’t get anything else done. Still, some time ago, his company integrated the sysWORXX CTR-700 edge controller from SYS TEC electronic into almost all its machines and systems. This has already led to a significant increase in efficiency and reduced machine downtime for customers. The controllers enable customers to monitor machines and systems in real time by reading out and making available the data they generate. This – combined with the necessary expertise – allows faults to be detected before they occur, and processes and maintenance intervals to be optimised. Particularly useful: the sysWORXX CTR-700 also supports what is known as retrofitting. This means the controller can also read data from older machines, allowing existing plant and machinery to be easily upgraded and digitised.

Predictive maintenance and convenient remote maintenance

Today, however, Erich Köster finds himself once again thinking about how much easier and more efficient his work could be if the machine data were accessible not only on-site directly at the machines, but also from his office. A solution, therefore, that allows the monitoring, maintenance and control of the machines remotely via a communication interface to the edge controller from SYS TEC electronic.

This is precisely what SYS TEC electronic has now achieved in collaboration with TeamViewer, as Nadine Mensdorf, Head of Product Management at SYS TEC electronic, explains: “We see ourselves as a premium provider of electronics services; our solutions are always bespoke and tailored to individual needs. It’s practically in our DNA to think about how we can solve our customers’ problems.” Many of these customers are medium-sized manufacturers, for example of specialised machinery. And they are increasingly moving towards Industry 4.0. “On the one hand, they want to harness the value-creation potential of the IoT – particularly in the areas of live monitoring and predictive maintenance – for their own production facilities. Another important aspect, however, is the added value they can offer their own customers through additional services based on the IoT.”

The demand for suitable solutions is there – and it is growing, explains Mensdorf. Initially, SYS TEC electronic used various partner solutions for remote access to its controllers, which could be used with any cloud service. “However, it wasn’t exactly straightforward to use. And in the SME sector in particular, there is considerable reluctance towards cloud solutions because of concerns about whether data is truly secure both within the cloud itself and during transmission to it.”

Secure networking of critical production facilities

Consequently, the company sought a solution that would enable access to the data not only via the cloud, but also within the customer’s local network. And one that was also simple, secure and quick to implement. TeamViewer IoT proved to be the ideal solution. SYS TEC electronic now offers its customers the option of flexibly accessing the data collected by the edge controllers via TeamViewer IoT. It is flexible because the user decides where their data is stored and who is authorised to access it.

“Our customers – and their end customers too – are delighted to have complete control over data access. Users and machine owners decide entirely independently whether the data can be used within their own network or whether, for example, the machine manufacturer is granted external access.” All TeamViewer connections run via fully secure data channels, established using a 2048-bit RSA public/private key exchange and encrypted with 256-bit AES. As the private key never leaves the client computer, this procedure technically ensures that intermediate computers on the internet cannot decrypt the data stream.

With TeamViewer IoT integration, performance and status data, as well as a machine’s current maintenance requirements, can be recorded without a technician having to do so on-site. Technicians can remotely monitor the ‘health’ of the systems from their office, set thresholds and configure appropriate alerts. In this way, early warning signs and signs of wear can be detected and rectified before they become serious problems. Thanks to predictive maintenance, the overall costs of a system can thus be significantly reduced.

An easy introduction to Industrial IoT

“It’s a streamlined, commercially viable solution that’s very easy to integrate and scale,” says Nadine Mensdorf. “This also gives our customers an easy introduction to the world of Industrial IoT. Instead of having to launch a large and expensive IoT initiative straight away, they can take a gradual approach to the topic with our solution. We support them along the way and assist with implementation and scaling.” It is also helpful, she adds, that TeamViewer is well-known in Germany and enjoys a very good reputation and a high level of trust. “This makes it easy to convince our customers of the benefits of this solution.” TeamViewer IoT is integrated as standard into the sysWORXX CTR-700 edge controller and is being used in various integration projects at customer sites.

At the same time, the company is exploring the additional possibilities this solution opens up. This involves questions such as: What new metrics can we capture for monitoring so that the customer receives even better insights? What additional access options to sensors and actuators in the machines can be utilised for predictive maintenance scenarios?

Integrating TeamViewer IoT with other device management tools

With every new project, SYS TEC electronic gains new insights into the application-specific use of the solution, enabling it to further develop the technology. The company is currently working on integrating data from structural noise and vibration analysis of motors within the machine for predictive maintenance. SYS TEC electronic’s aim is to use the experience gained from its integration business to establish the whole system as a standard solution with application-specific modules. Plans are also in place to integrate TeamViewer IoT with other device management tools from SYS TEC electronic. In short: SYS TEC electronic and TeamViewer are currently enabling many medium-sized mechanical engineering firms to make the transition to the connected factory and to IoT-driven predictive maintenance. Simply, quickly and cost-effectively. This is how Industry 4.0 is taking shape in the SME sector.

You can download the full case study here. Do you have any questions for us about this solution or the sysWORXX CTR-700?

Just get in touch – we look forward to hearing from you!

Or read our success story about our partnership with TeamViewer!