Inquiries & Help
What is your position at ASCO Carbon Dioxide LTD and what are your responsibilities?
I work as Head of IIoT ("Industrial Internet of Things) Automation at ASCO Carbon Dioxide LTD. My daily tasks are the entire automation of the ASCO machines, i.e. everything that has to do with electronics, electricity, sensors, etc. A few examples would be the software creation for the PLC ("programmable logic controller") and HMI ("human-machine interface"), as well as the configuration of the gateways, the administration and development of the cloud infrastructure and I am also responsible for the web development of ASCO Carbon Dioxide LTD.
How did you get the idea of developing the ASCO Datacenter?
At IIoT Automation, we focused on expanding ASCO's digital products and chose a program that has added value for the customer and our customer service. With the help of ASCO Datacenter, the customer can view and utilise all the data from the ASCO machines on their own and every time.
What advantages do customers have thanks to the ASCO Datacenter?
The customer should be able to better manage their internal business processes through ASCO Datacenter. The status of the machine is always visible to the customer through the platform that can be accessed from anywhere. In addition, the monthly reports are enhanced because the data of the machines can be read directly at any time.
How does it help ASCO to provide better services to the customer?
With the know-how of our customer service, we can analyse the customer's apparent data and therefore better narrow down the possible errors or find them straight away.
Up to how many machines can be included in the program?
The goal is to include all ASCO i-Series machines in the program. Every machine that the customer has purchased from us can be displayed in the ASCO Datacenter.
Is ASCO Datacenter available for all ASCO machines or only for the i-Series range?
Primarily, ASCO Datacenter is only available for our P15i and P28i pelletizers, but we plan to include all ASCO machines into the program. ASCO Datacenter is only available for our i-Series machines, which form the majority of the product portfolio.
What data is available in the ASCO Datacenter?
First of all, we have to filter out the different stakeholders, because different groups have different interests. We do this to be able to provide the optimal service for the customer. Important data are, for example:
- the production output (quantity to be produced)
- Production history (pellet type, quantity, various machine pressures, warning messages, etc.)
- Machine status (is the machine switched on or offline)
- Current production status (how much of the total quantity has already been produced)
- Production mode (continuous production or fixed quantity)
- As well as general sensor values
How do you establish the connection from the machine to the program?
If the ASCO machine is connected to the internet, the gateway sends the data to our cloud and afterwards it gets stored in a database. The connection can be made via SIM card, WIFI or LAN cable.
Which new features do you want to include into ASCO Datacenter?
At the moment we have no new features planned, but ASCO Datacenter is a self-developed product of ASCO Carbon Dioxide LTD, so there are no limits to the expandability of the program.
When can we expect ASCO Datacenter?
Depending of no unexpected disruptions in production, we will launch the ASCO Datacenter pilot program with selected customers in 2023.
