No travel costs
Since experts can analyze and solve problems remotely, there are no additional costs for travel. In addition, this approach represents an important time advantage.
What is remote maintenance of machines?
Remote maintenance is the usual maintenance or repair work that a specialist carries out. However, unlike the traditional on-site visit, the work takes place from any location.
This means that it is possible to monitor, configure or control the required computers, server systems or even machines. Which connection technologies are used depends on the respective conditions on site. Basically, different technologies are available, all of which offer a high degree of convenience.
The Internet of Things (IoT) and augmented reality are also used for remote access. Both contribute to even more effective management of industrial solutions. At the same time, this approach results in many new services that are of interest to companies in their day-to-day business.
Remote maintenance of machines: These systems can be maintained remotely
For remote maintenance of machines and systems to be successful, certain requirements must be met. Because although in principle every IT system can be maintained remotely: Remote access is usually a little different in practice.
The most important prerequisite is that all components have an interface via which communication can take place. This can be a communication network or a communication line, for example. In most cases, however, these are network components that allow remote access. Such as access points, switches and routers.
In this context, remote access can also serve user support or enable remote maintenance for a heating system. This makes this approach an important tool for administrators in their everyday work. Because through access, all relevant system states can be brought to light.
Good to know: Remote maintenance of machines is particularly appealing for industrial solutions or international locations. In combination with augmented reality, this results in entirely new use cases. For example, with modules such as xInspect, experts can acquire the necessary expertise to carry out repair or maintenance work.
These are the types of remote monitoring of machines
This approach has been particularly popular since the IoT. The increased bandwidth thanks to modern transmission technologies also makes this method interesting. The most important advantage here is that no cable-based network connection is required. Instead, administrators only need to set up cellular access, which is much less complicated.
The analog or digital dial-up line is connected to the telephone network and the individual components in the company. For remote maintenance of many machines at the same time, this is usually the alternative to remote access via the Internet.
The reason is that the connections are cheap. They also offer a high transmission rate and a consistently high bandwidth. Another important factor is the ability to provide increased security within the company. This can be achieved with the help of VPN access, for example.
Remote maintenance of machines has these advantages
In contrast to classic maintenance, remote maintenance of machines and systems offers many attractive benefits in the company.
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Accessibility
Even hard-to-reach and remote locations can benefit from immediate support by expert personnel.
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Speed
Remote maintenance enables fast access that is available throughout. In this way, problems can be solved in a reasonable amount of time, regardless of the day of the week or time zone.
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Safety
Factories and plants can be dangerous for service employees. Especially if they have to work manually on machines. However, many things can be fixed without direct access. This makes the work itself much safer.
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Expertise
Thanks to remote maintenance, companies have the opportunity to draw on the knowledge of different experts. These specialists do not have to be on site; they can be called in at any time via digital channels
Here’s what happens to the security of remote machine maintenance
Remote access requires a secure connection so that all components involved are protected against unauthorized access. This includes organizational regulations as well as technical parameters. The basis for this security is always the relationship of trust between the sender and the receiver. For this reason, the following security precautions must be implemented:
- The connection should be established only after manual approval
- Data must always be transmitted in encrypted form
- Administrators must authenticate themselves for each session
- Network ports should only be enabled for certain times
- It is also ideal to record the remote maintenance itself
How to implement remote maintenance
For the successful implementation of remote maintenance of machines and systems, it is necessary to determine which components are to be monitored. Then it is necessary to record a suitable level of remote management. Is remote maintenance to be used exclusively for troubleshooting? Or should it proactively serve the production area?
The answer to this will determine the scope of the measures to be implemented. Cross-platform remote access is also recommended. For this, the use of open standards is an important factor. And this is so that different devices and machines can be maintained remotely without any problems.
One-click secure access to industrial zone client assets
With TeamViewer IoT, operators or OEMs can access edge device network ports over secure connections. This provides full visibility of device performance, settings, user interfaces, and status.
- Access embedded devices from anywhere
- Troubleshoot and fix issues in real time
- Order any necessary parts before travelling to the unit
- Reduce costs for maintenance and site visits
- Access local webpages or web interfaces
- Easily configure multiple port forwarding