In context
In late August 2024, the manufacturing automation industry was gearing up for IMTS 2024 in Chicago, a key event for showcasing advancements in robotics and industrial technology. Downtime remained a critical challenge for manufacturers, driving demand for more effective remote diagnostic tools that could reduce costly interruptions and support integrators in scaling their operations.
What was reported
Olis Robotics announced it would launch what it calls “the world’s most comprehensive remote diagnostics solution for industrial automation cells” at IMTS 2024, held September 9-14. The update adds powerful new PLC capabilities to its existing video and telemetry-based diagnostics platform, extending monitoring from the PLC to the robotic gripper, including conveyors and other hardware.
With the new software, users can monitor and set alerts for predefined runtime parameters through the PLC, such as I/Os, registers, and custom tags. Common uses include measuring Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), monitoring cycle times, and fault detection. The PLC features are initially specific to Rockwell Automation’s Allen Bradley PLCs, while compatible robotic arms include Universal Robots, Kawasaki, and FANUC, with more brands planned.
At IMTS, attendees could remotely access a machine tending cell in Seattle via a tablet PC running the Olis application at Universal Robots’ booth. Early testers, including integrators, reported feeling “greatly empowered” by the addition, citing radically reduced downtime and broader control over remote monitoring and diagnostics.
“It’s not just the radically reduced downtime that they appreciate, but the extra breadth and control PLC access brings to remote monitoring and diagnostics.”
Why it mattered
This development marked a shift toward more holistic remote diagnostics in industrial automation, addressing the notoriously difficult problem of diagnosing failures across complex cells. By providing real-time access to PLC data, Olis aimed to reduce downtime costs for end users and enhance integrators’ ability to debug systems before shipping and monitor them post-deployment, supporting scalability and efficiency in manufacturing automation.
Source: Robotics & Automation News (roboticsandautomationnews.com) · Published 2024-08-27 · “Olis Robotics to launch new PLC capabilities at IMTS”