IMA Schelling Group
aimi
IMA Schelling Group
aimi
Together with IMA Schelling Group, UXMA develops the group-wide software aimi. Software solutions for the control as well as for the digital communication of the machines gain enormously in importance for the market leader in the field of machines and production lines for the wood, metal and plastics industry and become increasingly complex. The desire for a uniform operating philosophy across all machines grew. UXMA took up the challenge in accordance with our motto "Making complexity controllable".
The first step of the interdisciplinary IMA Schelling/UXMA team was to obtain an overview of the company-wide software landscape and, based on this, to make infrastructural and architectural decisions for a uniform solution. The focus was on developing a common code base so that each individual machine structure could be identified, mapped correctly and controlled. In addition, we created a completely new UI concept for the machines: An overarching symbol and design language was established verified in UX tests and adapted to the different machine and system types.
UXMA Services:
- Methodical workshops including review
- Vision of the system architecture
- Structuring and unification of the software landscape across all areas
- Consulting and support for backend development
- Development of scalable software components with structured interfaces
- Development of a comprehensive symbol and design language for the IMA Schelling Group
- Software of individual machine control coupled with uniform user interface
- Design and implementation of digital and analog control elements (e.g. operator terminal)
- Development of a rendering workflow for real-time machine views
- UX test planning, implementation and evaluation
- Development of the machine vision
Overarching Software Landscape
The new software landscape is divided into three areas – aimi- THINK.DO.TALK.
The production planning, optimization and data processing of all production-relevant information is hidden behind aimi.THINK. UXMA has thought through the planning for the complete production control system, developed a uniform design language and implemented it as a back-office and desktop solution.
The generation of machine and workpiece views makes up an important part of the project. The UXMA team worked out a unified design language from preparation to production and merged the software components with the design language so that each:r customer:in can see and understand the individual machine. We also implemented status coloring on the actual part and live part tracking, which can be used to precisely locate and correct errors on the complex machines.
aimi.TALK is responsible for communication between the software components and to the customer. The machines can be integrated into a customer-specific production environment and error messages are evaluated. Here, UXMA supports the customer in an advisory capacity.
New Operator Terminal
The UXMA team designed a new human-machine touchpoint with a focus on user-friendliness:
- High ease of use with a large-area touch screen, physical four-way pushbuttons, and rounded housing edges for support
- High operating precision with the aid of a rotary control for precise value adjustments
- All-round visibility of relevant system and operating states thanks to large LED areas on the side of the housing
Making Complexity Manageable
The greatest challenge in the joint project was the complexity of the IMA Schelling Group's software landscape. Together with our customer, we managed to link the historically grown multitude of software components into an intelligent network that enables uniform navigation and visualization across all machines. In addition, the maintenance of the complex machines is raised to a completely new level with the help of visual troubleshooting.
