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Advantech > Case Studies > Nippon RAD and Advantech Transform Japan’s Industry 4.0 Centric Solutions

Nippon RAD and Advantech Transform Japan’s Industry 4.0 Centric Solutions

Technology Category

Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Connectivity Platforms
Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Data Management Platforms

Applicable Industries

Automotive

Applicable Functions

Discrete Manufacturing
Maintenance

Use Cases

Predictive Maintenance
Manufacturing System Automation
Real-Time Location System (RTLS)

Services

System Integration
Software Design & Engineering Services

The Challenge

Nippon RAD, a long-established IT system integrator in Japan, identified a significant challenge in the country's automotive industry. Many auto component manufacturers were struggling to effectively collect and visualize machine data from production lines, especially from different machines, purchased from different suppliers, each with multiple protocols. With an expanding portfolio of multi-branded production machinery acquired over a prolonged period of time, manufacturers felt unable to properly meet the challenges of increased competition and change management. The lack of real-time connectivity between people, machines, and devices, as well as information and communication technologies for the dynamic management of the ever-increasing complexity of the business process, was a major issue.

About The Customer

Nippon RAD is a long-established IT system integrator in Japan with a pedigree in hardware and software integration and enterprise software development. Unlike many of its competitors, Nippon RAD is independent and has continued to position itself to meet the needs of customers through expert resource management and flexibility. With the benefit of foresight, Nippon RAD turned its attention to the development of IoT platforms for the smart manufacturing sector and in a significant move, joined forces with Advantech to strengthen its footprint in the Japanese Industrial IoT market.

The Solution

Nippon RAD quickly solved the data collection problem by using Advantech products and solutions. From Advantech’s Ethernet I/O module ADAM-6000 series with its Peer-to-Peer (P2P) and Graphic Condition Logic (GCL) technology used for remotely monitoring device status, to UNO-2484G edge platform that has pre-installed WebAccess/SCADA and WebAccess/CNC software used as a key to interlinking an end-to-end RAD-style IoT solution, a solution was needed where equipment performance, tools for rapid data collection, and visualization all come together. To further implement predictive maintenance, the MIC-1816 DAQ platform with WebAccess/MCM machine condition monitoring software was installed, providing easy sensor signal acquisition, signal analysis, data management, and warning alerts. This application used Advantech’s solutions and products to connect with Konekti™— Nippon RAD’s end-to-end IoT platform.

Operational Impact

The platform effectively processes and analyzes big data obtained from the plant, displays real-time information, and visualizes the results, as well as performing predictive maintenance and optimization.
This helped improve equipment uptime, performance, and safety, while greatly reducing maintenance costs.
The data-backed products and services revolutionizing Japan’s auto parts industry have given existing manufacturers the template to equip current production equipment for retrofitting.