Web-Based Diagnostics of Production Facilities, FHNW School of Computer Science

Industrie 4.0, Java, Spring, AngularJS, Webservices / REST, LabView

Development of an easy-to-understand diagnostic tool for production systems.

LCA Automation AG builds production systems for the automotive industry. Smooth operation is crucial — any downtime is costly for the company’s customers in Küssnacht. To prevent this, regular diagnostics of the systems are standard practice.

The problem: any disruptions can only be analyzed retrospectively, when it is already too late. In addition, the weekly diagnostic reports are usually too complex to be adequately interpreted by the responsible specialists.

Together with the specialists at LCA, researchers from the FHNW School of Engineering developed a new diagnostic tool. At its core are numerous sensors, webcams, as well as vibration, temperature, and power meters. The measurement data are continuously analyzed and transmitted at regular intervals in preprocessed form to a central data storage system. An intelligent software system interprets the data and automatically issues warnings when unusual values are detected.

The diagnostic tool can also process video data: for example, a simple webcam records a conveyor belt. If signs of wear appear on its surface, the software detects them and triggers an early alert. The monitoring tool is web-based, allowing responsible engineers or managers to monitor the condition of the systems at any time. If a problem occurs, they can immediately view the situation with a single click. Based on customer feedback, LCA Automation can continuously optimize its production systems.