Machine control system maker Eurotherm, Ashburn, Va., introduced its MACO Customer First Program at the 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers' annual Blow Molding Conference in October.
The company now offers its customers the ability to have remote access to monitor and troubleshoot processing machinery from a distant location via an eWon industrial remote access router. That means a virtual service technician from Eurotherm can remotely troubleshoot any issues and even train employees in the processing plant.
The service is made possible through a MACO Compact control system that has a firewall-protected industrial remote access router, which is installed on a machine.
All MACO Compact systems include hardware, wiring and the program changes required. Processors that already have MACO control systems in use can have those systems retrofitted.
One official at the Eurotherm booth put it this way: "A typical two-day service call would be $3,500 to $5,000." Comparatively, the 12-month subscription for the Customer First Program runs $2,500 to $5,000.
