Uncovering iDataOps: Machine Monitoring Platform with Expert Insights from our CTO, Khem Chand

So, Khem, what exactly is the iDataOps platform?

iDataOps platform is our Industrial Data Operations platform that can be used to monitor and manage the functioning of all the devices connected to the software in a fully automated fashion. We have built this on top of DataBlaze, our data management software. iDataOps “listens” to all the production equipment that has been onboarded, it monitors the behaviour of the equipment, understands the utilization of the equipment, evaluates the power consumption and fetches the data generated at an equipment level, for example production metrics like OEE, or predictive analytics like MTTF (Mean Time To Failure) and RUL (Remaining Useful Life) that are aligned specific to where the equipment and machinery are at in your operational processes.

That sounds really interesting! When you mention that it fetches the data generated, can we store it and use it for further processing?

Yes, using iDataOps we can directly connect to the equipment at the production level, fetch the data and perform data analysis to predict when this particular equipment need servicing or parts replacement. The monitoring process can be done with minimal human intervention.

Wow, that must be really useful for the production team!

It comes really handy in reducing production downtime. Whenever there is a maintenance or repair activity, the entire production process comes to a standstill. The ability to predict such activities beforehand can be helpful in maintaining a smooth production process. It also enables manufacturers to look into aspects such as spare parts inventory and maintenance staffing, ensuring that they always have the resources at hand to handle equipment issues. We have combined the best of traditional maintenance practices with technology to help maintain a smooth production process.

That’s great! So Khem, could you elaborate on the different aspects of the iDataOps platform?

Sure. iDataOps has the following workbenches:

• Organizational workbench: The first step is to load the organizational data onto the platform. The organization can be an OEM (original equipment manufacturing company) where production machinery and equipment are manufactured. For example, we have a client that manufactures conveyor belts, whose data we loaded onto our system.

• Customer workbench: This is where you can include information about who is buying these products. For instance, the organization included in the Organization Workbench is selling its conveyor belts to two companies, A and B. You will include A and B in the customer workbench.

• Machine onboarding workbench: Here you can see the production-level data. Let’s say the organisation has sold 10 conveyor belts to company A. Now we want to record if the 10 belts were all sold as standard pieces or if they were customized based on A’s requirements. All of that information will be visible in this section. We also call this the "assets onboarding process" since we onboard the asset details.

We also have a Configuration Section in our platform under which we maintain two catalogues.

• Product catalogue: This section has the details of all the products an organization is handling. For each item level in this, we have the bill of materials (BOM) of the products describing the different components. We also display some additional details about the product, like the warranty period and the specification of the components.

• Service management catalogue: This section contains information about past sales activities. We record all the services we have provided and all the activities we have undertaken at an organizational level.

So, Khem, can we provide any alerts or notifications about things like warranty expiration date, etc.?

Definitely, that is an essential component of the platform. Based on the asset utilization, the platform will provide necessary alerts and notifications to the users. Let me explain with an example. For the devices that are connected to the platform, we can determine how many hours the device has been running and how many hours it has left before it needs repair or replacement based on this estimate. We use this to provide prior alerts to the service providers in real-time.

But there’s more to iDataOps, right?

Yes. We still haven’t talked about the principal attraction of our platform. What makes iDataOps so special is the ability to provide real-time insights at the machine level of the production equipment.

Great! Can you explain more?

The production flow has to be operational all the time, and any faults can cause a production-level downtime. To prevent this, we “listen” to the equipment in real-time at an individual level and we have the company’s overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) which mentions the machinery’s availability, performance, and quality. You can select the time frame for your observations—daily, weekly, monthly, etc. And that’s not all. You can monitor each machine individually as well. If you select the device/devices of interest and monitor them, you will be able to see how they are performing. If you are involved in the production process, and you notice something faulty, you can raise a ticket right there and select the level of priority. Coupled with the service history, this can provide some really useful information for running diagnostics.

We also have our data processing side. We can fetch data from the connected devices directly and monitor the connectivity configuration. Our data mapper does the mapping of the entities, and we have our standard proprietary standard data models built and our own ML and predictive maintenance models which run on the data and provide real-time insights. This ensures the end-to-end operations at the machine level are covered.

Can you tell me what sort of technical expertise is needed to use this platform?

Anyone with an internet connection can onboard a device and start monitoring it! That’s the value we are providing to the operation people, making the entire process effortless and hassle-free.

At Rawcubes, we understand and value the importance of an efficient production process and believe in the power of data to transform it; make it better. With our iDataOps solution, you can manage and monitor all your machinery in a fully automated manner, ensuring maximum efficiency and productivity. To learn more about this solution and how we can help you integrate this into your processes, you can contact us here.