CONNECTED ENTERPRISE FOR THE METAL STAMPING INDUSTRY / I-PRESS MECHANICAL

represents a paradigm shift in manufacturing that is equal to the
shifts that occurred with the adoption of the computer, and the
development of the internet. It could be said that Connected Enterprise
represents the natural evolution of both of these massive developments.
The adoption of computers leads to networked computers. The adoption of
networked computers leads to putting tiny networked computers in as many
places as possible. This is the essence of Connected Enterprise, which
embodies the commercial and industrial benefits of the “Internet of
Things”, and it will change industrial manufacturing forever. 

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I-PRESS MECHANICAL now includes the ability via "I-PRESS CONNECTED ENTERPRISE"
for users to log in via PC's or any remote devices as shown (above).
The I-PAD above (left) is logged in real time to to the I-PRESS MECHANICAL
(right).

CLICK HERE FOR 16 MIN TUTORIAL

This is a revolution for the metal stamping industry, some key take away's include: Download new jobs from engineering, monitor press line
productivity, trouble shooting from remote locations, supervisor can
log in and tweak all functions for optimum production results and reduce
operator error, just to name a few.

Not only can every single sensor and controller on every single
machine start talking to headquarters in real-time, they can all start
talking to each other. Although the immediate benefits to productivity
and efficiency are numerous, Connected Enterprise represents an entirely
new frontier of information. It will reveal problems you never knew
were there. It will reveal opportunities you had never conceived of.
This is the power of networked data.

What does this mean for metal forming? It means understanding that
each individual piece of machinery on your factory floor is a locked
silo full of valuable information. A press may be logging its strokes
and jobs and faults, but if that data remains inside the press
controller, it becomes a long, manual process to collect that data for
any kind of valuable insights. However, if that press has an advanced
controller with an ethernet port, valuable insights can be generated and
distributed automatically every day. If every press, feeder, conveyor,
and robot on your factory floor gets the same integration, your entire
production line becomes more valuable than the sum of its parts, and the
wealth of information grows exponentially.

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Sutherland contracted teams of electrical engineers and former Rockwell
employees, with a vast knowledge of control system development to
provide turn-key automation solutions. Connected Enterprise is the
keystone of any strategy to improve efficiencies: “When you connect a
press to the network, the software gathers data from the press, and that
data goes ‘from the shop floor to the top floor’. The executive office
can access all the information that press is providing. If there’s
unplanned downtime, they know right away when the machine was down, for
how long, and they can make the decisions needed to reduce unplanned
downtime in the future.”

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Connected Enterprise represents the union of Information Technology and
Operational Technology. When IT and OT are merged, both are transformed.
A new level of overall equipment effectiveness can be achieved, along
with optimizing asset up-time, streamlining the production process, and
increasing energy efficiency. These advances complement design and
customer service, allowing for better designed products, improved
project delivery time, and overall more sustainable production methods.
All of this comes from the simple principle of giving machines the power
to communicate the information they’re collecting.

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Whether you’re running a small shop with a handful of presses, or you’re
in the planning stages for one of your new factories, the principles of
Connected Enterprise are going to be essential to your progress toward
Smart Manufacturing, and all the benefits it can provide. There are many
new press control systems on the market that are carrying the ball
forward when it comes to connectivity and data. The industries new model
of choice when integrating automation is Sutherland Presses’ innovative

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features an impressive suite of press control and monitoring options
packaged in a user-friendly touchscreen, the fact that it comes standard
with an ethernet port represents a turning point for Sutherland, and
for the metalforming industry as a whole. Network connectivity has
graduated from being a “nice-to-have” option into earning its status as a
fully integrated base feature. Much like the moment it was no longer
assumed your computer would need a floppy disk drive, Sutherland no
longer sees any reason for a press to remain disconnected from its
owner’s network.

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The advantages of Connected Enterprise aren’t limited to the downstream
flow of operational data. A networked machine can receive firmware
updates and programming via its networked controller, eliminating the
need for costly and time-consuming manual upgrades. Unlike other press
control systems, the

ships with all available feature sets pre-programmed. This means that
although the press will arrive with the control features that were
originally specified, if requirements change in the future, additional
feature sets can simply be “unlocked” using a pass code.

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The future of metal forming is bright with the dawn of Connected
Enterprise. Sutherland Presses remains committed to delivering solutions
that take advantage of leading-edge innovations to provide the next
generation of shops and factories with the efficiency, connectivity, and
ease-of-use that ushers the trade into a new era. The Internet of
Things is more than a lofty buzzword, it’s the future of manufacturing,
and the dawn of a truly Networked Society.

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