Always connected with rConnect

"Precision as a principle" is the slogan of the Wehrle Group, which consists of the parent company Wehrle and its three subsidiaries. Three machines from GF Machining Solutions help to ensure the high level of precision in the work performed at Wehrle. rConnect has also been in use for a few years now to provide support for in-house toolmaking.

The Wehrle Group is a global specialist in forward-looking, high-tech products and system solutions for the water meter market and in the manufacturing of technical, precision-made plastic components. The Group has an annual production volume of 150 million precision parts, manufactured by a total of 75 injection molding machines. The company's end customers can be found, in particular, in the automotive industry and in the production of household appliances and electronic devices. They aim to offer their customers the best possible quality, while striving to meet their delivery deadlines. The technologies employed by GF Machining Solutions play an important role in this.

Two EDM machines and one milling machine supplied by GF Machining Solutions help Wehrle to achieve their goals. Their first acquisition was a die-sinking EDM machine FORM 300; after this, they purchased a robot (WorkPartner), then a five-axis milling machine, and finally the wire-cutting EDM machine AgieCharmilles CUT P 550. With the delivery of the milling machine in 2018, Wehrle started using rConnect Live Remote Assistance (LRA), later supported by the rConnect Messenger app. Wehrle uses the rConnect platform for all three machines from GF Machining Solutions.

The GF Machining Solutions rConnect platform consists of three digital services that make use of connectivity: rConnect Customer Cockpit, rConnect Live Remote Assistance and rConnect Messenger. Thanks to the Customer Cockpit, customers are able to visualize their machine park and interact with it; they can access the machine controls from the office or from home (via VPN) and can send files from their computer to the machine. With the ultra-secure, stateof- the-art hotline rConnect Live Remote Assistance, customers benefit from the personal support of GF's highly qualified experts. The ability to gain remote access to the machine's controls and change settings, combined with the use of modern communication tools such as chat, whiteboard and webcam, enables the experts to quickly identify and solve problems. Aurélia Morillère, Head of Business Development for the Customer Service Business Unit, says, "Thanks to the improvement in diagnostics, customers can increase machine availability by one to two days, enabling them to meet their delivery dates even in the event of unforeseen downtime". The rConnect Messenger app allows customers to gain remote access to their machines and receive status updates regarding the machines on their mobile devices, meaning that there is no need to be on site. Service requests can also be sent from a mobile device.

Wehrle considers rConnect to be the easiest way to rectify malfunctions. "When we issue a service request, we get an answer within a very short time," says Daniel Scozzari, a qualified toolmaker who has been with the company since 2010. "Every user who works with the machine has their own login details. This means that anyone can log in, outline a problem and upload pictures." This has definite advantages when compared to working with other machines. For machines that are not equipped with this kind of technology, a technician has to come and the costs are then calculated accordingly. Using rConnect, Wehrle has already been able to save on these servicing costs on multiple occasions. As well as the financial savings, a further advantage, according to Scozzari, is the time saved. "I make a service request via rConnect in the morning, the technician logs in, calls us and things move forward. In addition to this, you always have the right contact person on the phone straight away – someone who is familiar with the machine in question."

The Messenger app also brings the company an additional benefit. "It's really great," Scozzari says, "that you can see the status of the machine even when you are on the move. When you are at home and you know you have important jobs to deal with, you can take a quick look at your cell phone and see that everything is okay – or if not, you get a message." When Scozzari started working on the milling machine in 2010, he still drove by the company on Friday evening or Saturday morning to make sure the machine was still running. These visits are now a thing of the past; a glance at his cell phone is enough to see whether everything is as it should be. This is more important than ever nowadays, as there is such pressure to meet deadlines: "The order arrives and it should have been ready yesterday." Aurélia Morillère sums up the advantages for customers: "Not only can our customers monitor the progress of their orders from their smartphones, they also save a lot of time by being able to contact Support at any time and from any location. This represents a big leap forward in terms of their ability to react ".

GF Machining Solutions develops digital services to help their customers overcome the challenges they are facing in the best possible way. The company recently developed Seamless Support, a new module in Live Remote Assistance. With Seamless Support, customers will be able to generate their service requests or their questions about applications directly from their control system. With the new Conference Center app, they will be able to communicate directly with the experts at GF Machining Solutions, using their smartphones to share photos and start video conferences. Overall, this app will help them to save precious time.