Alex sat down with the three the wild. people responsible for bringing the simple edge device We’re actually in the process of using deployment project into being to what we’ve put together to deploy ask a few questions. So, read on sensors at one of the ATS offices! to find out more. That’s our current goal. Alex: Where did the idea behind this Dave: The reason we’re doing that come from originally? rather than rushing to get it into an innovation project is that they’re Mark: From experience with the often closed loop type deals. Once innovation projects really. The it’s wrapped up, they can be turned experience of deploying edge devices off and put on the shelf. So, there’s in the real world. It was recognised a great opportunity to learn and test that we needed a way of deploying out ideas, but once it’s turned off you edge devices that didn’t require can’t point to it and say ‘that’s what so much of the developers and the technology looks like’. engineers time. We wanted to create our own use Longer term, it’s a route Dave: Yes, the methods we had case outside of the project work. previously were just too complex and We wanted something that we have to OEE, being able to not foolproof. So it took too much ready and available for dissemination time and could still go wrong at the ourselves, as a sort of permanent understand how effective end of it! use case. our equipment is and Alex: The project has really been Alex: Beyond having that permanent identifying areas for building over the last twelve months, use case, what other benefits have in that time how and where has the you seen working on this project? improvement project progressed? Mark: Well, with the complexity of our Antonio: It’s really been in-house at previous process, we weren’t able to the moment. While we recognised deploy these devices at scale due to the need for a project like this in the the time involved. One of the key stats innovation work we’ve been doing, is that we’ve reduced the deployment this is early stages so we’re working of an edge device from about half a on it privately before we test it out in day, to about five minutes. ATLAS WORLD MAGAZINE AUTUMN, 2022