Rapid assistance is the be-all and end-all when problems occur in a system. However, remote maintenance also plays an important role outside of crisis situations, for example when it comes to regular maintenance or services.

The Swiss SFS Group, a company for mechanical fastening systems and precision molded parts, also relies on remote maintenance of its production facilities and uses Endian Connect for this purpose. This Industry 4.0 management solution offers all relevant functions via a central platform: distribution of granular access rights, standard VPN protection for remote communication and protection of the systems through industrial firewalls. It was also important for the company to have a precise separation between office and plant networks for greater security and clarity. Another advantage for SFS was that Endian Connect reduced the response time in support. "We can deploy our service personnel efficiently," explains Franziska Bucher, Project Manager Control Technology STE. "We also reduce maintenance times and thus offer our customers a high level of delivery reliability."

Multi-client capability for individual access rights

SFS uses various processes and machines for cold forming, deep drawing, plastic injection molding and precision machining to produce its fastening systems and precision molded parts. The SFS Group supplies industries in which time-critical projects are realized, for example in industry or construction. For example, 40,000 threaded rods developed by SFS Group specifically for this project were used to fix the entire catenary system in the Gotthard Base Tunnel over a distance of 107 km. Faultless production and precise adherence to delivery deadlines are therefore essential for SFS.

This is another reason why SFS opted for remote maintenance of its production systems via the Internet early on, as this minimizes downtimes and maintenance times in production. Previously, SFS used an ISDN connection with corresponding modems for remote maintenance. The switch from ISDN connections to digital IP connections was the reason for using Industry 4.0 technology from security manufacturer Endian.

At SFS, technical personnel from the system manufacturers and internal service technicians have access to the production systems. A solution was therefore required for remote maintenance that would allow different users or user groups to be granted appropriate access rights. The Endian Connect platform meets these requirements. Thanks to the multi-client capability, users only have access to the functions that are relevant to them and for which they have previously received access authorization.

If different technicians - internal and external - access the systems, it is important to log the access history. Endian Connect saves the historical log files and thus offers complete control of all accesses.

IT security as a central aspect

Ensuring IT security efficiently is a key aspect of remote maintenance. As soon as any device, machine or production plant is connected to the internet, a potential gateway for malware or other attacks from the internet is created via the interface. Only recently, the attacks by the encryption Trojans Petya and WannaCry demonstrated the extent to which industrial companies have become the focus of cyber criminals. The Endian Connect platform is secured via UTM (Unified Threat Management). At the same time, industry-standard encryption technology protects the data during transmission so that third parties cannot copy or manipulate it.