July/August 2020

| 26 | July/August 2020 www.smartmachinesandfactories.com | APPLICATIONS | T he project - Hosokawa Gen4 - introduced Siemens’ MindSphere IoT operating system to HML’s manufacturing facility in Runcorn, Cheshire. Using the digital technology platform HML, a global leader in powder processing equipment, was able to integrate assets across the factory to remotely monitor the performance of equipment and plan. This included real time values and trending for key measurements, diagnostic alerts and warnings of problems detected in machinery. The deployment resulted in HML’s customers reporting around a 15 per cent improvement in uptime, capacity gains of between 10 to 12 per cent, and reductions of energy of more than 10 per cent. Iain Crosley, Managing Director at Hosokawa Micron Ltd, said: “Since the start of our journey of advanced digitalisation in our factory in the last three to four years, we have grown our own output significantly year-on-year. “Not only have we digitalised our own production factory but the machines we deliver to our customers are of higher digital value, primed for better productivity.” It is the latest success in a long- standing working relationship between Siemens and HML going back over 20 years. Ian Elsby, Head of Chemicals UK & Ireland, Siemens Digital Industries, said: “Our partnership with Hosokawa has always produced tremendous results and this is purely because we share best practice and learn from A collaborative digital technology project helps connect entire digital factory A collaborative digital technology project between Siemens and Hosokawa Micron Limited (HML) has helped its customers improve productivity by 15% and reduce energy costs by 10%. Smart Machines & Factories reports.