The “smart factory” is becoming a reality for manufacturers globally, as more solution providers are developing more advanced Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platforms.
Walter and their partner company, Comara, are working together closer than ever to try to get ahead of the Industry 4.0 pack, creating a jointly owned company. Their first order of business will be to optimize tools and equipment, using real-time data.
Comara brings software and smart system integration expertise to the table, as Walter continues its endeavor to expand its product portfolio beyond tool manufacturing. The upcoming Walter-Comara company will work to interlink and connect all production-related tools and machinery.
In pairing Walter’s existing Tool·ID system with Comara’s software and abilities, operators will be able to transmit tool presetting device data to machine tools, for analysis of the machine’s internal parameters – creating “Smart Tools.”
Comara’s appCom platform will continue to allow manufacturers to compile and analyze in one place, providing apps for reports, monitoring, live data analysis, metrics reporting, visualizations, messaging, data mining and more.
Comara has been working together with Walter since 2012 on connectivity and Smart Manufacturing issues, providing data collection and analysis solutions. The two companies have also worked together on connectivity solutions to connect machines and tools to logistics and databases. Working with Walter, Comara hopes to develop further solutions for machine and device manufacturers and end users.
Walter, a majority-owner of Comara, will hold the majority stake in the new jointly owned company.
What are your thoughts on the Walter-Comara venture? Let us know in the comments below!
For more information, check out the Walter website.