Launched in 2015, MOM Packaging’s SmartConnect module connects dosing machines to the MyMOM platform. Eleven years on, it records up to 90 million data points per day and enables secure remote maintenance of equipment anywhere in the world.
In 2015, MOM Packaging launched its SmartConnect by MOM module. At the time, Industry 4.0 was still just a promise for many workshops. MOM chose to bet on the connected machine, in the service of performance and maintenance.
Eleven years on, SmartConnect equips dosing machines in more than 60 countries. It has become a central part of our service offering. A good moment to look back at what it concretely brings to our customers.
What is SmartConnect?
SmartConnect is an IoT and remote maintenance box developed by MOM. It connects machines to networks and to the MyMOM platform. Its role is twofold: collecting production data and enabling remote intervention on equipment.
Collecting and analysing production data
SmartConnect records and processes hundreds of data points per second. This represents up to 90 million data points per day on a single machine.
This data covers the entire operation of the equipment. Machine status, production times, the number of bottles or doses produced, jams, motor data, the detailed list of faults and their duration: everything is captured.
The customer views this information on the MyMOM platform. They have access to a 7-day summary or a detailed hour-by-hour report. This visibility changes the way a line is managed.
A concrete example. A recurring drop in throughput on the night shift becomes identifiable in a few clicks. The customer traces the cause, corrects it, and improves their industrial process. Data becomes a continuous improvement tool.
Intervening remotely through remote maintenance
SmartConnect allows MOM technicians and automation engineers to connect to the machine in real time. They access the screen and the program through a secure VPN channel.
The possible interventions are numerous. Program modification, troubleshooting, adding features, readjusting regulatory parameters.
The benefit is direct for the customer. In the vast majority of cases, the intervention takes place without sending a technician on site. Resolution times are reduced. So are costs.
An architecture designed for cybersecurity
Connecting a production machine to the Internet raises a legitimate question: that of security. SmartConnect was designed to address it from the outset.
An outbound connection only
The box accepts no direct inbound connection. It is the box itself that initiates the connection to MOM’s servers, via the Internet or via a 4G router. This logic makes it possible to cross customer firewalls without creating an exploitable entry point.
Adapting to the strictest requirements
For sensitive sectors such as pharmaceuticals or luxury goods, the customer’s firewall can be finely configured. SmartConnect then communicates only with the unique IP addresses of MOM’s servers, and nothing else.
Decoupled functions
Data collection and the VPN remote maintenance channel are entirely independent. If the data side undergoes an update or a malfunction, the remote maintenance link remains active. One never depends on the other.
It is precisely for these reasons that our customers’ first cybersecurity teams approved its installation in their production workshops as early as 2015.
A flexible, scalable module
SmartConnect adapts to the real needs of workshops.
- Simple reconfiguration: a box is reassigned to a new machine through a simple software change.
- Multiple supervision: a single box can supervise two communicating machines at once, for example a filler and a capper.
- Mobile troubleshooting: MOM can temporarily send a mobile box fitted with a 4G SIM card to troubleshoot a semi-automatic machine.
- Included, then by subscription: the module is included for the first year, during the machine’s warranty. After that, access to the service continues on a subscription basis.
Eleven years ahead, in the service of our customers
Launching a connected module in 2015 was a bet. Eleven years on, it is a standard part of our offering. SmartConnect illustrates how MOM Packaging approaches service: anticipating needs, mastering the technology, and staying close to the real constraints of production.
Since 1927, MOM has designed and manufactured its machines in France. SmartConnect extends this expertise into the field of connected service, for our customers in France and in more than 60 countries.