Start your Industry 4.0 journey affordably with MOVUS

Brisbane-based start-up MOVUS is providing 50 Australian manufacturing SMEs the opportunity to kick-start their digital transformation, with a 50% discount on the MOVUS FitMachine Starter Kit subscription for 12 months.

Using FitMachine, old and new industrial equipment can be quickly and easily retrofitted with sensor intelligence that provides 24/7 continuous condition monitoring (rather than run-to-fail or routine-based monitoring). This allows for smarter maintenance and is an affordable introduction to Industry 4.0—both of which are critical in ensuring that manufacturers of all sizes remain competitive now and into the future.

This partnership offers Australian manufacturers a real opportunity to experience what it means to embark upon digitalisation and start their Industry 4.0 journey through a very low investment.

According to David Barzilay (Marketing Manager, MOVUS), “At a cost of just $5,000, we can monitor manufacturers’ top 10 pieces of equipment for an entire year and alert them of potential failures; compare this to the costs of lost products, production time, and idle staff. Return on investment is usually realised within the first 4 to 6 months, so it becomes quite easy to justify the investment.”

“The MOVUS FitMachine is definitely not just for big players. It is designed to deliver value for manufacturers of all sizes. It can be used on equipment old and new. We’ve got the sensors installed on equipment that is 30 or 40 years old. It really doesn’t matter how big or small your company is, how old your equipment is, or where you are on your Industry 4.0 process—the MOVUS FitMachine Starter Kit can help you realise business benefits from day one,” said Barzilay.

Delivering real-World business benefits

The MOVUS FitMachine delivers four real-world business benefits: equipment utilisation and capacity; equipment trust and predictability; maintenance transparency; and site and worker safety.

Equipment Utilisation and Capacity

According to David Barzilay, “The first major benefit is that manufacturers gain a better understanding of machine utilisation and capacity. For Australian SMEs, more and more competition is coming from overseas. So, business owners need to be implementing initiatives that increase their competitiveness within the global market.”

“The best way to improve manufacturing processes is to start collecting data—you simply cannot improve what you don’t know. Understanding what is happening on the factory floor—what is happening with your equipment—is essential. You might be able to increase your production and throughput, without having to buy more machines and increase capital expenses. Having this visibility around utilisation is a major business benefit offered by the FitMachine Starter Kit.”

Equipment Trust and Predictability

With the FitMachine system installed and monitoring the health of equipment, there are opportunities for manufacturers to increase production levels, enabling expansion into different markets or increasing their competitiveness—all without increasing capital expenditure.

“The FitMachine system gives manufacturers an understanding of how hard they can push their existing equipment. You might have 30% machine utilisation, but you could push this through to 45% or 50% utilisation, without buying new machinery. By following the trends and conditions associated with the health of your equipment, you get an understanding of what the impacts are if you make it work harder,” said Barzilay.

Maintenance Transparency

The FitMachine system provides manufacturers with a greater understanding of the impact of maintenance work, with views into equipment health before and after intervention.

“When you receive an alert from the FitMachine, there are three options: continue monitoring the equipment if the issue is not major; stop the equipment immediately for repair; or undertake the repair during the next planned downtime. The system provides more predictability, trust and transparency around maintenance and its impact on production.”

“The system provides historical data before, during and after maintenance is carried out, delivering transparency in maintenance plans. Many manufacturers have contractors completing their maintenance work. With the FitMachine installed, manufacturers can check whether the maintenance work was the best course of action, or whether equipment health has worsened, which does happen,” said Barzilay.

Site and Worker Safety

“The fourth benefit is site and worker safety. Some machines operate at extremely high temperatures and some in potentially explosive environments. So, by receiving an alert from the FitMachine system, a manufacturer has the ability to avoid staff getting injured on the factory floor. Having the knowledge of machine health trends and condition helps keep workers and machines out of harm’s way,” said Barzilay.

Further Information

The FitMachine Starter Kit includes a one-year subscription to 10 FitMachine sensors from MOVUS, a 4G/WiFi industrial gateway, installation support and access to the FitMachine mobile App, and access to MOVUS’s MachineCloud Dashboard. Each SME will contribute $5,000 (half the cost of the annual subscription), with the AMGC providing the remainder of the co-funding.

This co-funded offer is only available to the first 40 Australian SMEs. So, if you are interested in kick-starting your digitalisation journey, submit your application now.

For further information, or to apply for your 50% discount on the FitMachine Starter Kit, visit: https://www.movus.com.au/amgc/