HOMAG has introduced a portfolio of management software applications and digital tools in Asia, designed to support and accelerate regional customers’ digitalisation and Industry 4.0 transformation efforts in the woodworking sector. With tapio serving as the digital backbone, the range of digital platforms and tools that have been made available across Asia helps support networked systems and production.
Globally, manufacturers have been looking for ways to leverage digital innovations to transform their businesses and workflow. These efforts, generally dubbed “Industry 4.0”, describe the journey on which industrial companies are embarking towards a complete value chain transformation.
The advent of cloud computing, data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has also fueled the advancement of Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) in recent years.
HOMAG is poised to help woodworking and manufacturing customers in Asia leverage the promise of digital transformation and Industry 4.0 by empowering them to automate and produce customised furniture on an industrial scale.
“The woodworking industry in Asia is facing unprecedented challenges as they cope with escalating business costs, fast-changing customer demands and competitive pressures stemming from digital transformation, due to the rise in digital ecosystems and increased connectivity across the region, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on supply chains,” said Wolfgang Neeser, managing director, HOMAG Asia. “HOMAG is committed to helping our customers in Asia innovate and seize growth opportunities in the digital world of woodworking by empowering them with the means to build and scale digital infrastructure and enablement in the long term.”
tapio: Open ecosystem of the woodworking industry and key to unlocking countless possibilities of the digital workshop
tapio offers the technological basis of digital applications for carpenters, furniture manufacturers, panel processors and others in the global woodworking industry.
As the de facto industry standard for digitalising woodworking, tapio powers the open wood industry ecosystem and is the operating system of choice for connecting machines and applications across different manufacturers and brands.
tapio serves as the digital backbone of all digital platforms and tools from HOMAG. The entrenched partnership between the two companies enables customers to take advantage of digital transformation and increase production efficiencies.
Working across the entire manufacturing chain, the tapio platform opens up the countless possibilities of networked production to workshops regardless of size, maximising transparency accessibility and optimally controlled production. Pooling knowledge of mechanical engineering, servicing, software, and machinery status, tapio provides customers with live updates of their complete manufacturing facility. Accessible through a mobile phone app, tablet or even a smartwatch, automatic alert notifications are sent highlighting where detailed attention is required.
ServiceBoard: The direct service contact application
The ServiceBoard application enables users to report and broadcast service incidents at the machine to the HOMAG Service Center in real-time using wireless video diagnostics, resulting in faster troubleshooting and issue resolution. The ServiceBoard app also allows direct access to the spare parts shop eParts, and direct placement of service inquiries for tracking. The ServiceBoard app is available for purchase from tapio.
ServiceBoard is part of the tapio ecosystem, which combines the know-how of mechanical engineering, service, software and consulting for companies of all sizes through an IoT platform.
With ServiceBoard, service cases for machines can be reduced to a minimum effort. The service monitoring provides a simple overview of all service cases, maintenance statuses and disruption times. The app can also be used to directly contact the right service partners, with that the video diagnosis and screen sharing functions can help to find occurring problems. With this app, production issues can be detected early and the risk of machine failure significantly reduced. Watch the ServiceBoard App video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOFCMiPQhlw.
HOMAG CUBE: Bringing digitalisation directly to the workshop
HOMAG CUBE is the intelligent box and central module that connects HOMAG digital assistants and tools with the shelves and label printers to ensure optimal communication and interaction between people, apps and other elements in the work environment. Through the HOMAG CUBE, the digital assistants and the product sets they support can be integrated into any existing work environment quickly and flexibly. Watch the HOMAG CUBE video here: https://www.homag.com/en/product-detail/homag-cube.
Introducing three digital assistants for the digital workshop
The following digital assistants are now available in Asia, ready to be installed and integrated with the HOMAG Cube to perform the functions and product sets they support:
- intelliDivide Cutting: This digital assistant is the optimisation software for cutting processes on saws. Production output can be customised accordingly to different requirements based on reducing waste or the shortest production time. As a software-as-a-service (SaaS), there is no need to invest in on-premise software, updates or computers, as it is directly connected to the tapio cloud and can be accessed with any mobile device or computer with Internet access. More information: https://www.homag.com/en/product-detail/optimization-software-intellidivide
- Edgeband Management Set: This digital assistant offers a complete overview of all information about the edge material and material stock. The printer can also be used to create labels for individual labelling of each edgeband coil. More information: https://www.homag.com/en/product-detail/edgeband-management-set
- Sorting Production Set: This digital assistant supports the sorting of components in the workshop and provides an overview of the furniture parts to be sorted for assembly, packaging or further processing. More information: https://www.homag.com/en/product-detail/sorting-production-set
As with all digital assistants and apps from HOMAG, customers and users can try out the digital assistants conveniently and without any upfront payment. Subscriptions are available on a monthly or annual basis. All digital solutions are modular and can be used directly on an Internet browser or as an app on laptops or tablets. There is no need for complex software installations, and all applications are automatically kept up to date.
“The HOMAG range of best-in-class digital applications and tools not only helps our regional customers optimise production processes for efficiency and security but also enables them to digitise workflow and transition their businesses easily into the digital world of woodworking,” said Simon Zeiher, area product manager, HOMAG Asia & Pacific. “With our industry-leading tiered and digitally supported production solutions, combined with our tapio-ready machines, customers can harness the power of data for competitive advantage at every stage of manufacturing, regardless of their size.”
