The Swedish company Crosser develops streaming analytics and integration software for edge, on-premise and cloud software. The Crosser platform enables real-time processing of streaming or batch data for IIoT, data transformation, analytics, automation and integration. The solution is designed to simplify the implementation of logic at the edge. Crosser Flow Studio, the visual design tool, enables processes to be implemented quickly and efficiently. The software is suitable for machine condition monitoring, predictive maintenance and next-generation hybrid integration.

As part of the digital transformation, a collaboration with Crosser was an obvious choice for Gebhardt. "We were looking for a strategic partner to implement innovations quickly and at the same time be able to respond flexibly to customer requests," says Karl Denz, CIO at Gebhardt. The starting point for the collaboration was the StoreBiter one-level shuttle from Gebhardt. Thanks to various load handling attachments, they are flexible in single or multi-deep storage. When a shuttle is in motion, vibrations can be caused by parts on the shuttle or on the high rack. These vibrations are recorded by sensors and correlated with the travel parameters coming from control units. The aim was to create a basis for calculating the condition of a shuttle by combining and analyzing the data. Anomalies were to be detected, a root cause analysis carried out and the problem rectified. Furthermore, the data was to serve as input for predictive maintenance models.

The idea was to process data directly at the edge and only transfer relevant data to the back office system or the cloud solution. The data is read and processed directly at the sensors. The automatic learning of the system takes place in a special step of the process chain. The Crosser Edge Node software enables real-time data communication from the shuttle for further processing. The communication protocols used include OPC-UA, Modbus and MQTT. The Crosser Cloud was used to configure the Crosser Edge Nodes. These components enable the rapid connection of a wide range of use cases and modules. Cloud administration allows customer installations to be monitored and expanded at the Edge. "In summary, we have a solution that delivers results quickly, includes node device management and also meets all requirements with a short training phase," says Denz. Predictive maintenance allows rigid maintenance intervals to be replaced by flexible maintenance schedules.