Powder Coating Extruder Allows Remote Set-Up and Support

Source | Baker Perkins

A new powder coating extruder at a factory in India has been commissioned and started-up remotely by Baker Perkins (Peterborough, U.K.)

The solution is an extension of existing capabilities where, with the customer’s permission, Baker Perkins is able to log in to a machine regardless of location and, providing there is access to the internet, carry out fault-finding and software updates.

The feature has allowed Baker Perkins to modify equipment functionality, including the options to add upstream and downstream equipment to the existing extruder control. According to the company, these alterations can be made with minimal cost, as the engineer does not have to leave the office.

The MPX50 extruder in India is now in full production: a video link facilitated step-by-step guidance from Baker Perkins’ technician in the U.K. to the customer’s engineer on-site. Remote support was achieved using an Industrial Router mounted in the extruder control panel, which enabled remote PLC access via a Wi-Fi VPN connection.

This unit is setup to connect to a specific WiFi access point. This facility allows Baker Perkins technicians to remotely assist during commissioning / start-up, and then provide ongoing support when required, with the ability to evaluate and solve problems and improve performance throughout the machine’s life.  

Other additional benefits are that the system can gather and store up to 20 days’ worth of extruder process data. This can then be accessed remotely for analysis or extraction. Baker Perkins technicians can evaluate extruder process data and advise on improvements to overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), or identify causes to production issues.

According to Baker Perkins, the secure and certificated VPN connection does not have to be permanent and does not require interaction with customer IT systems. 

The MPX50 extruder was commissioned at the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, when international travel was severely restricted. Baker Perkins has now made this option available to customers throughout the world.