Collaborative mobile maintenance to accelerate on-site error detection

Technological innovations as described in result #1 and result #2 provide new approaches for simplified remote access and data harmonization among distributed resources which allows new ways to deal with corrective maintenance. The ComVantage approach reduces costs of corrective maintenance by enabling detailed remote analysis (e.g. access to machine status and sensor values) and diagnosis of defects via mobile devices (access to self-diagnosis capabilities deployed as maintenance tests on the machine). Live information and structured test results are associated with relevant enterprise data via Linked Data for achieving more precise identification and analysis of the machine status and the possible cause of defects (e.g. comparing the machine live data and latest test results with technical specifications and thresholds from enterprise system). The maintenance test cases can be derived from predefined tests created by the model based HIL-testing tool CETES++ (www.cetes.eu). It allows the definition of testing models using UML state diagrams supports the provisioning of test cases in any formal testing language. Leveraging those diagnostic channels, preparation of onsite repair activities can be done remotely benefiting from a more precise selection of spare parts and avoiding additional travel to the factory. Additionally, lower skilled on-site service personnel can be supported and instructed by remote experts everywhere and anytime. According to our business simulations, expensive experts benefit from an increased (remote) availability, reduced need of travel (reduced average monthly travel distance) and will be able to support significantly more maintenance operations at the same time. In this way, the maintenance costs and related resource utilization (e.g. experts, technicians and spare parts) can be reduced significantly while sustainability of operations increases.