Tronrud relies on innius to boost its service levels and competitive advantage

*An updated customer testimonial by Tronrud Engineering can be found here.

Norwegian project manufacturer Tronrud is furnishing all of its products with IoT connected sensors within the innius framework for managing industrial assets. Here is an early review of how innius benefits the company and its customers worldwide.

Forward-looking manufacturer advances Industry 4.0

At Tronrud Engineering AS, the entire manufacturing output consists of projects. Each project results in the design and making of industrial assets that have not existed before. Collaboration with clients around the globe is close and essential to ensure the best possible outcomes. Modern ERP is part of Tronrud’s overall approach to digitizing the business and using technology strategically.

It is just as natural for Tronrud to participate in Norway’s initiatives to foster Industry 4.0, also known as the fourth industrial revolution. Cyber-physical systems such as the IoT and the IIoT are key elements in making Industry 4.0 and business digital transformation practical and manageable. That meant innius was a great with for Tronrud’s strategy for its business and client relationships. “Our clients always want as much information about their equipment as we can provide,” says Erik Hjertaas, Head of Project Department at Tronrud. “When I heard about innius, I immediately saw its potential. It fits very well with our business strategy. Because of its scalability and flexibility, the cloud is a component of our technology strategy—another reason to explore what we could accomplish with innius.”

Putting the IoT to work to generate the best value of industrial assets

For Tronrud, innius makes a positive difference in several key business areas:

• It becomes possible to review, analyze, and respond to machine data and events in the moment. “Our clients want their machines to run at best possible uptimes,” explains Hjertaas. “Reviewing innius machine data, they learn what elements of their machines and which aspects of machine operators’ use of the equipment might be causing a machine to fail or run poorly. They can then take steps to eliminate the causes for potential problems and improve the uptime and productivity of their industrial assets.”
• Tronrud engineers and technicians also monitor the machine data coming through innius. Says Hjertaas, “When we see the trends and details that affect our products, we can be proactive. We discuss with customers how they can prevent certain problems and achieve better results from their industrial assets.”
• Access to real-time machine data will make it easier for Tronrud maintenance teams to serve customers well. Hjertaas comments, “Until now, we had to go onsite, inspect the machine, and then order the right parts and perform the repair work. With innius, we can be more professional and efficient than that. Based on our review of machine data, we can determine from offsite what is going on with a machine and what parts it requires.”
• Performance management is extremely important for Tronrud’s customers. innius supports several widely used KPIs out-of-the-box. “If one of our products falls short on an OEE target, we receive automatic notification from innius when that happens, or likely before it does,” says Hjertaas. “We can work with the customer to adjust the machine’s functioning.”
• innius paves the way for new and enhanced services as well as increased revenue. Hjertaas says, “I have no doubt that innius will help us realize our ambitious goals for high-quality services… I also expect that we will increase the revenue from sales of spare parts in the range of 30 to 50 percent, because we will understand much better what goes on with customers’ machines and can make more effective use of the time for which they pay us.”
• The flexibility and simplicity of innius enable Tronrud to support industrial assets outside of its own portfolio. Hjertaas notes, “Unlike our competitors, who typically connect and support only those industrial assets that they manufacture themselves, we do not suffer that limitation. Through innius, we plan to bring online and support industrial assets made by other companies as well as our own.”
• Tronrud’s growth trajectory will continue to rise with innius. Says Hjertaas, “We will deliver and deploy many more machines in the markets with room for growth, such as the United States.”

If you would like to explore innius more practically, have questions, or want to provide feedback, please contact us.