Durst is embarking on an EU-funded project, Premise, with the Free University of Bozen (unibz) and industrial partner TechnoAlpin (which manufacturers snowmaking systems) to develop better preventative maintenance systems.
“The Premise project is a further component in our vision of a smart factory, where networked infrastructures, intelligent production systems and innovative software enable an automated business process,” said Michael Deflorian, business unit manager software and solutions, Durst Group.
“With the predictive maintenance developed in the project framework and the machine learning techniques used will in future trigger the maintenance of the printing systems independently in order to guarantee predictable and trouble-free operation. "
Christian Casazza, customer service director, Durst, added: “We sell our digital printing systems worldwide and for this reason we equip them with analytics software. The combination of intelligent sensors and software evaluation for component and machine data forms the basis for predictive maintenance - the detection of error states or the need for service or replacement of spare parts ‘in advance’ so that production can be adjusted accordingly. With the Premise project, we go one step further and use artificial intelligence methods to make these predictions and interventions before an emergency even more efficient and to be able to apply them even to complex, causal relationships. This is a decisive advantage, especially in times when international traffic is restricted."
Specific sensors are built into Durst printing machines that provide information on the functioning and condition of individual components and parts. To prevent machine downtime, there are specifications and cycles for maintenance, but every printer has different production-related factors and / or loads that affect productivity and operating times. For this reason, algorithms are required that make predictions when something will happen or maintenance in a sub-area outside the standard will be necessary. All of this serves to increase the machine availability, even in remote production locations, and to minimise or plan production downtimes.
The Premise project runs until July 2022 and will be extended until the end of 2022 depending on the status.