Question 1

Do I need to physically connect to my PLC?

Accepted Answer

No. For security and simplicity, Machine Tracking does not connect to machines and devices that were never intended to be connected to the Internet. There is no remote access to the devices by our company nor anyone else. Our devices are not connected to your main network.

Question 2

Does it really work on any machine?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Machine Tracking works with any machine that has some form of an electrical component. We support any CNC and non-CNC machines including hydraulic pumps, vacuums, screw machines, saws, lasers, and more.

Question 3

What utilization improvement can I expect?

Accepted Answer

Most production facilities start out with about 50% utilization on most machines--or less.
 
When you track and share uptime utilization, teams quickly move up to 60% utilization.
 
When teams are motivated and downtime issues are fixed, some of our customers run machines at over 80% utilization without any automation.

Question 4

How does it know the difference between warm-up cycle and cutting?

Accepted Answer

Machine Tracking is smart enough to know when a machine is productive and it is “cutting air.”  We provide you with objective data so you’ll know the exact amount of production for any machine in your shop.

Question 5

What reports do I get?

Accepted Answer

The main dashboard is an easy chart showing utilization on all your machines. Green is good, red shows an uptime problem. Our customers share this data with their operators on the floor and can view real-time status on any computer or smartphone. 
Other reports: current capacity, capacity trends, uptime pace, and downtime tracking.

Question 6

Does the dashboard work on any computer or smartphone?

Accepted Answer

Our real-time dashboard works on any computer, laptop, or smartphone from anywhere at any time. Most of our customers use off-the-shelf tablets and smart TVs to display the
data on the shop floor.
 
Machine Tracking is a cloud-based solution that is web-centric, which means there are no apps or desktop software to install.

Question 7

Do I need to install any software?

Accepted Answer

Machine Tracking is a cloud-based solution that is web-centric, which means there are no apps or desktop software to install.

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