Flexibility and uptime matter in a profitable manufacturing operation. Success is in the details and few matter as much as the tightening process and the associated tool controller and its software. It takes time to set up or reboot a controller and during that time production is down. The solution is centralization and automation. Or as we call it, ToolsControl.
To optimize flexibility and uptime, it pays off to look at the repetitive operations where more efficient solutions and innovations quickly can make a big difference. Few operations match that criterion as well as the highly reoccurring task of tightening which plays a decisive role in most industrial manufacturing processes.
Every time a tightening tool or controller malfunctions, or a new tool needs to be added to the assembly line, the tightening tool controller needs to be configurated and set up. And in doing so, the production line comes to a halt. To optimize flexibility and uptime from the bottom up, tightening and the associated controllers and software for each tool is therefore a good place to start.
The controller challenges
Tightening tools come usually with either a physical controller or an integrated controller. But regardless of how the controller is linked to the tool, they represent an operational challenge that can cost time, money, and resources.
- When new controllers need to be installed, every individual controller needs to be installed and sometimes also mounted. With a production line with multiple controllers, this is a time-consuming process that needs to be repeated over and over again.
- When existing controllers freeze or stop working, tools connected to the faulty controllers will stop working leading to a production stop. The controller needs to be restored and then reconnected to the tools. A series of events that all take time to perform and during that process, production is down.
- Sustainability concerns. Every physical controller in a production line needs to be produced which consumes resources such as materials and energy. Physical controllers also take up valuable factory floor space that can be used for other operations or even downsizing factory area
Centralization and automation
The question is how to avoid controller operational bottlenecks in the production line that prevent flexibility but also cause costly downtime. An effective solution is to centralize and automate the management of the controller software.
ToolsControl by Atlas Copco enables a manufacturing production environment where the tightening tool controller software exists outside a dedicated hardware. A true evolution moving from the physical controller in a box or the integrated controller to the remote virtual controller.
ToolsControl is a centralized server-based controller portal solution deployed on three server units that assigns a tool to a virtual station. This is performed by means of using channels to establish connections between the tool and a controller. With features such as self-healing, failover, ToolSwap and SingleIP, it provides a single point of connection where controller software is run on a single computer or server platform.
By reducing the number of physical controllers in the line it not only saves floor space but also materials and resources used for manufacturing the physical controllers. And the centralized and automated administration of the controller software reduces the time to install tightening tool controllers from a matter of minutes to just seconds.
ToolsControl supports all newer and older Atlas Copco wireless tools. The result is a hardware controller free production line solution with all the benefits that offers, but on top of that also can be implemented utilizing existing tool investments.
Sounds interesting? Read more about the different features and sustainability advantages that ToolsControl offers or get in touch with us today!