Artyom Sergeev, Business Unit Director of New Businesses at EKF, answers questions from the iXBT.pro analytical department
EKF is a well-known brand in the electrical engineering field. What trends prompted your company to create the EKF Connect Industry system?
It is no secret that the modern trend in the global industry is the development and implementation of the "Industry 4.0" concept. Several areas can be distinguished that make a significant contribution to improving production processes and the development of Industry 4.0: the use of the Internet of Things (IoT), working with Big Data, and the use of Digital Twins.
Seeing these trends in the industry, assessing the results of the application of the described concepts and their positive impact on the efficiency of production processes, we launched the development of our cloud analytical platform EKF Connect Industry. This is an IIoT platform that, together with EKF equipment, will allow companies to benefit from the use of modern technologies.
Please provide an example of the application of the described concepts used in your EKF Connect Industry system?
An example of application in enterprises is the control of technological processes and equipment in order to increase its efficiency and predict maintenance and repair. Sensors and controllers transmit data to the IIoT platform, which collects and stores this information. Then the system analyzes them, searches for dependencies between parameters, and identifies possible deviations and anomalies. By comparing the current data with the digital model ("as is" VS "as it should be"), it assesses the technical condition and provides recommendations for possible changes and technical work with production assets. The next step will be the development of predictive analytics based on the data obtained, which will allow predicting equipment failure and taking preventive measures. This will allow industrial enterprises to save huge amounts of money.
When did your developers start creating the EKF Connect Industry system?
We started developing the platform for industrial enterprises at the end of 2022 and called it EKF Connect Industry. It became an integral part of our EKF Connect digital ecosystem.
What will the use of EKF Connect Industry give to industrial enterprises?
The solution will increase the efficiency of the use of energy resources and technological equipment that ensure production processes at enterprises. The EKF platform is suitable for both small and large enterprises. The use of EKF Connect Industry allows you to analyze in detail the energy costs at facilities of any size, including geographically distributed ones. The system helps to eliminate sources of energy loss, manage maximum power and electricity quality through the use of additional energy-efficient solutions, including reactive power compensation devices or filters. In addition, with the help of the EKF IIoT platform, you can control the technological process and operating modes of production equipment.
Can you name the savings that can be achieved through the use of your products?
The implementation of the EKF Connect Industry system will help the enterprise reduce electricity costs by 10–15% in the first year, with a subsequent annual reduction of 3–5%. At the same time, the economic effect of increasing the reliability of technological equipment and increasing its availability factor can reach amounts significantly exceeding the benefits of reducing energy consumption.
Another example. In February 2024, our company "Electrosolutions" (EKF brand) launched the production of low-voltage electrical products in the Vladimir region. In particular, the EKF Connect Industry system was implemented at the enterprise. As a result, in six months of operation, we increased the equipment utilization rate by 7-8%. The total investment in modernization exceeded 288 million rubles. Of these, 144 million rubles were provided by the federal Industrial Development Fund in the form of a concessional loan. The company has created more than 120 jobs.
After reaching its design capacity, EKF will be able to produce up to 6.2 million sockets and switches, 4 million cable entries, 570 thousand distribution boards, 770 thousand rubber and 830 thousand power connectors annually at the production site in Stavrovo.
What are the advantages of your cloud platform?
To use the EKF Connect Industry cloud platform, the enterprise does not need to install its own servers, ensuring their information security and operating conditions, and maintain highly qualified specialists who will be engaged in server maintenance. To solve the problem facing the enterprise, a minimal tariff plan is usually sufficient. Moreover, if after some time there is a need to solve new problems, create a new report, increase server power, add new technological lines or new enterprises, then you will not have to rebuild anything. Issues are resolved by switching to an extended tariff offer.
The cloud platform is indispensable for enterprises with a branched structure or facilities in different parts of the country, between which there is not always prompt communication. The GSM network is almost everywhere: by connecting to the cloud service, you can exchange data over the Internet, combine it, and conduct analysis. You do not need to invest additional resources in employee business trips. You can track everything from anywhere in the world through a simple and convenient WEB interface.
The EKF Connect Industry platform focuses on the analysis of processes, the operational management of which is currently carried out directly at the level of controllers and operator panels. The system is resistant to loss of communication with the Internet: the necessary data will be collected in offline mode and sent to the cloud later, when communication is restored.
How is service support for EKF Connect Industry provided?
All enterprises that implement EKF Connect Industry receive online support. EKF specialists answer customer questions, provide consultations and training on the operation of the system for clients and partners.
EKF Connect Industry is currently in the pilot implementation stage. How many pilot projects is your company currently conducting?
More than 10 pilot operation projects of the platform have been launched. The system is being tested at partner enterprises and at EKF's own production facilities.
What do you want to focus on in the further development of EKF Connect Industry?
We have many requests for the functionality of production asset management, including planning and support for maintenance and repair processes (MRO). In addition, we are actively developing analytical tools for energy management and failure prediction based on digital twins.
Is it planned to integrate your system with systems such as SCADA, MES, ERP, BI, etc. in the future?
Absolutely. No serious solution for industrial enterprises can exist without integration with other information systems. For this, we are developing an API and constantly expanding the list of supported industrial protocols.
Now on home
