Erzinger gets quick ROI on remote access with 60% decrease in maintenance travel

With 44 years in the market, Erzinger is the largest Brazilian manufacturer of equipment for surface pre-treatment systems, painting and drying of liquid, electrostatic powder and KTL paints. The implementation of IXON Cloud for remote access reduced their need to travel with about 60%. Resulting in a quick ROI, major cost savings, and better-served customers.

Challenge

In times where connectivity is expected in all spheres, having a machine that has this feature was a must for Erzinger. It brings the agility that people and companies expect. In a country like Brazil, with continental dimensions, it’s particularly desirable to limit and avoid travel.  

'Before using IXON Cloud, we travelled to install machines and support our customers, avoiding problems with the machine,' says Cielito Hitel, Automation Engineer at Erzinger. 'However, it’s our goal to serve our customers as quickly and safely as possible. We are in an environment of quick access and we need to be immersed in the highest standards in the field of access security, in the context of both the machine and people.' 

Erzinger undoubtedly needed the ability to support their technicians and customers as quickly as possible. That’s why they entered into cooperation with IXON Cloud for remote access. 

Solution

Erzinger now easily connects to their machines to support their customers remotely. 'The IXON Cloud platform is excellent for remote access. You just have to set up the VPN connection. The other features are all in the web environment. We’re able to work in a very intuitive way. All information is always well arranged and there are plenty of options for customisation,' says Cielito. 

It’s easy to learn, accessible and dynamic. There is no need for specific training for new users.

Cielito Hitel – Automation Engineer at Erzinger

Erzinger deals with different kinds of users, such as their engineering department, technical assistance, external assembly and temporary external users. That makes IXON’s user management system a crucial part of their solution. 'We can separate all users into groups. They can access the equipment, but all with specific access levels and rights for each situation. All this can be verified in the audit trail, which increases trust and practicality for the platform operators,' says Cielito.

Frequently, more than one user needs to look into the same situation at the same time in case of an issue. The possibility of multiple simultaneous connections was thus very interesting for Erzinger. This has helped them understand the situation faster, so they can take action more quickly.

Result

For Erzinger, five of the main positive outcomes of remote access with IXON Cloud are:

• Better-served customers
  Customers get faster support. Service speed only depends on the availability of the specialist, and no longer on the duration of service trips.
  
  
• Cost reduction
  Lower costs for everyone in the supply chain. There’s a decrease in service, maintenance and commissioning costs, since less travelling is needed.

• Quick ROI
  The necessity of implementing an IXrouter is already justified after the first maintenance problem that arises. The investment is immediately recovered.
  
  
• Less worries about security 
  Improved communication with the end customer about security which makes them more confident about connecting their machines to the internet.
  
  
• Toolkit extension
  The toolkit of Erzinger’s technicians now includes the IXrouter so they can more easily repair a machine that isn’t equipped with an IXrouter. They install it into the machine only to solve the problem, so the PLC programmer that’s not on-site can have a look at the problem remotely. 

Conclusion

Cielito states: 'With IXON Cloud, we have a system that met a need, added technological value, and allows us to serve our customers with greater agility. We also have an added value in our operation, as we started to demonstrate how we can serve our potential and current customers safely and quickly. Moreover, everything is well organised in terms of security.'

We have security certificates that we can present to our customers, demonstrating a great concern for security and also bringing transparency to the company concerned.

Cielito Hitel – Automation Engineer at Erzinger

Initially the IXrouters were acquired to be inserted into Erzinger’s large machines and installations with a higher added value. But, with all the facilities that this tool provided in the service, Erzinger today extended the use to medium and small machines as well. They now integrate the IXrouter in about 75% of their machines. 

Want to know more about remote access with IXON Cloud? Learn more.

Would you like to save or share this case study? Download the PDF version here.