Case Study

DATAHONE Limited

DATAHONE are a service provider of fully integrated ‘Connected-Factory’, software and hardware solutions. These solutions deliver productivity, service and quality gains to UK manufacturers.

DATAHONE ‘Industry 4.0’ service offerings use industry standard components, services and frameworks integrated into ‘out-of the-box’ services ready to use as soon as they are installed and connected. Whilst every business is different, most manufacturing workflows are essential similar at their core. Our extensive experience within, and working with manufacturers, has allowed us to build these ‘out-of-the-box’ services without the need for the complexity and costs associated with bespoke builds. We manage the complexity so that you won’t have to. DATAHONE are very much client-led in terms of being able to offer Industry 4.0 solutions to meet customer requirements in terms of delivering productivity improvements and fast returns on investment.

Approaching LCR4 START
Following an introduction to the LCR4 START team at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) a consultative support process centring around a combination of digital diagnostics and readiness level assessment resulted in developing a digital strategy focussing on key IoT, Cloud, System Integration technologies to help improve the visibility and credibility of Datahone to the market place.

DATAHONE took advantage of the digital strategy support to help improve the market potential of their equipment using condition-based monitoring processes, to do this LJMU provided access to specialist knowledge and tools to set up a Supervised Manufacturing demonstrator on a CNC Lathe located in the Engineering Workshop to collect and analyse data from the machinery.

Solution
Through the installation of the ‘Supervised Manufacturing’ Demonstrator data could be collected, transferred through a 4G router and displayed on a user-friendly web-based dashboard which could be accessed via mobile smartphone, iPad or laptop. Key manufacturing operation performance metrics e.g. uptime and power consumption could then be inspected. The demonstrator has proven to be extremely useful in terms of awareness and understanding of the Industry 4.0 Pillar “Internet of Things” to visiting LCR 4 START future client base – many clients want to see the technology in operation before they commit to buying.

Future Vision
The support provided by the LCR4 START programme has helped with the awareness and understanding of the Industry 4.0 Pillar “Internet of Things” via application of DATAHONE’s ‘Supervised Manufacturing’ product. DATAHONE are now keen to develop a marketing strategy based around a supply chain cluster of companies located in the LCR region through the support of the LCR4 START programme to improve productivity, sales growth and creation of jobs.

This strategy has already started to deliver results by attracting local companies who are benefiting from improved operation and reliability of manufacturing systems.

Now more than ever, manufacturers need to be at the top of their game in terms of asset utilisation and product yields. LCR4 START has the know-how to assess what process improvements and digital technologies would have the greatest positive impact on business performance. Their demonstrators allow manufacturers to view these digital technologies before commitment.

– Cliff Brereton Director DATAHONE LIMITED