Konecranes explores digital automation cloud

KONECRANES IS exploring advanced networks and global digital automation cloud to be able to utilise future network technology and develop 5G capabilities available today. Konecranes has been one of the first companies to employ technology giant Nokia’s Digital Automation Cloud.

Konecranes Executive Vice President, Technologies, Juha Pankakoski, believes that this advanced technology has potential to enhance Konecranes’ current offering by increasing network capacity and reducing latency.

Pankakoski first discussed the customer benefits of utilising cloud technologies at a Nokia studio broadcast at the end of April, where he was joined by experts from Nokia and Business Finland.

Konecranes digital solutions are already implemented in global scale, with over 570,000 digitised service assets in 55,000 locations, including more than 1,500 in Australasia. More connections are being added every day.

Real-time equipment monitoring technologies, such as Konecranes’ Truconnect can be employed on any of Konecranes’ broad range of overhead cranes, jib cranes, gantry cranes, and lif ting devices, that can typically lif t anywhere between 500kgs and more than 2,000 tonnes.

Konecranes and Nokia share the similar objective of navigating the digitalisation and automation of industry in such a way that brings tangible benefits to companies across the globe.

Pankakoski said that factories of the future will have fully autonomous devices, capable of collaborating with humans and each other to manufacture and deliver products. But well before that happens, machines will become intelligent enough to guide humans to do their work better – thus making working places safer and the operations more predictable.

“The advanced network, combined with Nokia’s Digital Automation Cloud, has the potential to bring machine-to-machine communications, IoT security and machine learning to the next level, which would particularly benefit our customers at ports and large manufacturing operations,” he said.