"It's got to work in the shop"

Mr. Voit, what role does StateMonitor play in a digital production department?

Everyone is talking about Industry 4.0. With StateMonitor it is now possible to visualize actual production data. Since we can do this so easily, the topic of acquiring machine data has become much more dynamic.

How much potential can StateMonitor uncover?

Experience has shown that a 10 % increase in productivity happens almost automatically. However, nontransparent processes often harbor much greater potentials.

What do you personally like about the software?

Our approach from the very beginning was to offer a plug-and-play product. Once the machine is connected to the network and HEIDENHAIN DNC is enabled, StateMonitor is up and running within just three minutes.

What was the impetus for this project?

In combination with Industry 4.0 we wondered how we could provide a system for monitoring the machines with the control at the center of it all. As a machine builder and tinkerer, I place great importance on a pragmatic product—one that is absolutely practical.

What kind of feedback do you get from the users?

The best feedback for us is when somebody calls as soon as the software isn't available 24/7. Naturally we hoped that StateMonitor, with its intuitive user interface and visualization of data that was previously not accessible, would be welcomed. But we never expected that it would turn into a fundamental part of the IT landscape, perhaps even becoming indispensable. That really motivates us to develop it further.

What specific plans do you have?

In version 1.2 we added a job terminal to StateMonitor. In the next step we're working on maintenance solutions. Our basic principle is simple: we develop what the customer actually needs.