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- Machine control audit
Overview: Mobile machine control architecture audit
Receiving an independent review of your mobile machine control architecture can be helpful. When you request a mobile machine control architecture audit, an ifm Solutions Architect will thoroughly review how the machine is set up and wired to perform all of the functionality onboard.
As a part of ifm’s commitment to the mobile machine industry, any machine builder can request a free machine control architecture audit. ifm Solutions Architects are technical engineers with years of machine programming experience. At the end of an audit, the Solutions Architects provide their recommendations to improve the control architecture of a machine. Many companies find it beneficial to have a third-party evaluation of their current system setup from an outside technical perspective. Typically, an audit involves a few key steps outlined below.
Step 1: Fully understand how the machine operates.
Step 2: Understand the business goals and relevant information for each major stakeholder.
Step 3: Develop recommendations and deliver a custom proposal.
Step 4 (Optional): Develop a custom project plan.
To better understand the machine, the solutions architect seeks to gather as much information as possible about its operation. This might start with a virtual assessment, where they will consider the size of the machine, its current uses, and how it performs those functions.
Next, the Solutions Architects will try to understand any short-term and long-term business goals and document the needs of all major stakeholders. To get started, they will evaluate and document what is important to the machine operator, the machine owner, and the machine builder. This ensures the final proposal meets the needs of each party.
After a Solutions Architect has gathered all of the relevant information about the machine, the needs of each stakeholder, and future business goals, they will build recommendations. All proposed recommendations aim to identify efficiency gains that wouldbenefit you and your customers. If multiple options exist to achieve the outlined goals, the proposal will include different control architecture options with advantages and disadvantages for you to review. This is to help you assess the optimal path forward for your intended business outcomes.
Sometimes, the ifm product portfolio will not support all recommendations. If ifm can provide a portion of the proposed system changes, the proposal will be transparent about which components come from ifm and which you would need to source from other vendors. If the audit concludes that there are no identified efficiencies to gain, you will receive the final assessment at no additional cost.
If you decide to proceed with any ifm recommendations, the team will work with you to develop a custom project plan to ensure a successful implementation. The goal is to ensure you have the tools and training to support the proposed machine control architecture. The project timeline will reflect the complexity of the implementation.
ifm mobile control products use CODESYS software and programming. While there are options to contract ifm programmers to develop the code for your control systems, you also have the option for team members to complete CODESYS training if your team doesn't currently have that experience. This option helps the project succeed and ensures you can support and maintain the code long-term.
Interested in receiving a free machine control audit?
Fill out the form below, and a Solutions Architect will contact you to begin the process. This free consultation is available to any mobile machine company that wants to review its current systems and identify areas for optimization.