Patrick Britschgi, the Komax HMI operating software has been continuously improved and optimized since 2018. The latest highlight is the machine dashboard, which allows you to customize the popular user interface without any restrictions. Which customers in which standard areas of application of Komax machines can benefit from this tool?

Basically, all of our customers can benefit greatly from Komax HMI in some way. Depending on the specific requirements, some functions will benefit some customers more than others. Therefore, I'll examine the challenges of our individual customer groups separately and report on them in several articles.

Which of these groups would you like to start with?

For the beginning, let’s pick one that you might least expect. Let’s call it the “workshop”. As an example, we will take a local small company that specializes in manufacturing spare parts that are used in vehicle workshops to restore vintage cars or to equip special vehicles. It has a workforce consisting of just a few, but long-standing and experienced employees. They have 1 to 2 crimp-crimp machines available for wire processing – and perhaps a wire stripper, a cut and stripper and a crimper for special tasks. This means that the customer repeatedly produces smaller jobs comprising a few wire harnesses, which are often very different. Like all our customers, this company also has to carefully calculate its figures. The challenge for this company is that they have to retool their machines over and over again, even if they often only produce a few wire harnesses with one setting.

What about digitalization in this group?

In these types of businesses, a lot of work is still done by hand and on paper. Since the personnel are very familiar with the machines, the potential of digitalization is not always directly evident. However, there are amazing possibilities here, especially with crimp-crimp machines that are installed with the latest generation of Komax HMI.

Where do you see this potential?

Primarily in the time required to set up and convert the machine for the next production job, i.e. the time where both the machine and the operating personnel are occupied, but are not actually producing parts.

Can you give us specific examples of this?

Every job is different, but over time it happens that a previously manufactured item is produced again. With the previous TopWin software, there are two options: If the company keeps its database up-to-date, it can find the article in question in the list and reproduce it.

And if they have TopWin but no database?

Many smaller companies simply correct the currently displayed article to adapt it to the next job by adding or replacing the appropriate parts in TopWin. In this case, however, they have to ensure for each new job that the processing settings are correct and provide the required quality.

And how does Komax HMI work?

Quickly, easily and conveniently, especially if the customer has stored their parts and articles in the database. This is because Komax HMI also saves the process parameters and quality monitoring settings together with the article definition in the database. They can be re-accessed in no time and the machine already knows how this article needs to be processed. In the next software version, the saved articles can be structured even better and assigned more easily.

Can our “workshop” also benefit from the machine dashboard?

Yes, of course! There are even several options available which can also be combined. Let’s first take the display of input fields as an example. If the company works without a database and re-enters the production jobs separately for every new job, all the input fields required for job specification can be displayed on a single page in the machine dashboard. This means that the operator no longer has to follow the hierarchical logic to define the parts, the article and then the job.

If, on the other hand, the customer has already created a database with articles, the operator can select the desired article from the list and check the parameters in the machine dashboard. If necessary, the operator can also correct these before releasing the job for production at the push of a button. All of this is clearly arranged on one single page. According to measurements we have taken at our customers' facilities, we typically cut input times by half.

Is there a more elegant solution for articles that are produced over and over again?

Yes, there is such a solution. The customer can create a list of the most common articles not only in the database, but also directly in the machine dashboard in a permanent selection list. This allows the operator to select articles directly at the push of a button, make the necessary adjustments and add them to the list as a job. In this way, we can also help the customer with recurring articles to keep the changeover time as short as possible.

Can the operator also produce individual wires with the machine dashboard?

Yes, that’s a very convenient feature. This situation mainly occurs if a wire is damaged during a downstream work step or during handling and a replacement wire must be produced. Since the operator has already produced other articles in the meantime, they have to set up the machine again for just one single wire. This requires a new, time-consuming machine changeover and entails the risk that the settings are no longer exactly the same as in the previous job and that the quality ultimately differs.

With one machine dashboard function, the original job can be added to the list again as an new job with a single click so that the operator can reproduce the missing part within the shortest possible time. All the settings are identical and consistent with the original job. All the operator needs to do is load the material and follow the workflow using the green button.

How would you summarize the advantages of Komax HMI for such companies?

Komax HMI and the machine dashboard functions save an enormous amount of time without large investments in complex IT systems. Komax HMI supports the optimized production of small series with the possibility of adding functions and information individually according to customer requirements. A convincing benefit can often be achieved with astonishingly little effort.

Komax HMI also offers easy, intuitive operation and clearly structured workflows. Even if the customer and their workforce are more familiar with TopWin, they will quickly appreciate the advantages and applications of Komax HMI. It is important that they know their needs and their operations and discuss these with Komax, if possible before commissioning their first machine with Komax HMI.

How can customers upgrade their machines from the existing TopWin software to Komax HMI?

The best way to do this is to contact your Komax account manager or the appropriate representative. They will clarify if and how existing machines can be upgraded and which upgrades to Komax HMI are useful and helpful.

Komax HMI