A heterogeneous machine pool, manual reports and untapped potential: Sennheiser electronic SE & Co. KG achieves a significant boost to Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) by implementing an innovative digitalization strategy. All made possible by the modular software platform from Bitmotec GmbH and the high-performance interface solutions from Softing Industrial Automation GmbH. A partnership that ensures production data transparency, process efficiency and real-world innovation.

Leaving no potential untapped – with structured data and seamless connectivity

Combined solution of Bitmotec IIoT platform and Softing-edgeConnector for end-to-end OEE data collection. Source: Softing Industrial

For decades, the Sennheiser name has stood for best-in-class quality in the design and manufacture of premium audio products. In its own electronics production facilities, the company also rigorously pursues the goal of identifying and realizing new approaches to improving efficiency, even in already highly optimized processes. One key objective was to optimize Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) through end-to-end automated collection and analysis of production-relevant data.

The key challenge was the centralized acquisition of performance data from a heterogeneous machine pool with multi-vendor, multi-generation controls. Until then, data had largely been logged manually per job – a cumbersome process that limited transparency and slowed optimization.

Project plan: pooling digitalization expertise for maximum impact

The project was implemented at Sennheiser with a joint team from Bitmotec and Softing Industrial. In the process, each partner contributed their specific expertise, from conceptual design to integration and production applications.

Bitmotec: project leadership, software integration, and process knowledge

Project management was handled by Bitmotec, who assisted Sennheiser from the initial analysis to the finished solution. After completing a comprehensive survey of the machine pool and hosting a joint requirements workshop, Bitmotec devised a made-to-measure digitalization strategy that accounted for the technical features of the machine controls as well as the client’s organizational process flows.

Work packages completed by Bitmotec:

• Analysis and evaluation of existing control systems
• Development of incremental implementation plan
• Consultation with machine manufacturers on potential interfaces
• Full integration of the software into Sennheiser’s IT systems, including VPN access, virtualization environment, and database and visualization configuration
• Incorporation of all systems into the modular BITMOTECOsystem OEE platform

Softing Industrial: standardized and scalable machine connectivity

As an industrial data communications specialist, Softing Industrial provided the interface technology needed to ensure the reliable integration of machines using a variety of Siemens controller types into the data infrastructure.

This involved deploying Softing’s edgeConnector 840D, which is compatible with machines equipped with the 840D SL or 840D PL controller, with further integration facilitated by the NETLink S7-Compact. The container-based edgeConnector solution enables a virtualized connection via OPC UA and MQTT without any changes being required on the controller itself. A web interface is provided to ensure easy configuration and straightforward integration into existing network setups.

The connectors from Softing provided a stable and manufacturer-neutral foundation for end-to-end data collection in Sennheiser’s heterogeneous machine pool.

Results and outlook: from efficiency to innovation

By combining Bitmotec’s modular IIoT software platform with the high-performance, standardized connectors from Softing Industrial, Sennheiser was able to achieve its next important transition: from a semi-manual data collection process to a centralized and automated OEE reporting system compatible with any machine manufacturer and control type.

The production team now has access to a comprehensive, live data-driven machine pool overview, which provides real-time insights into the current operational status. Job-specific performance analyses for individual machines are also available, which can be used to obtain targeted efficiency assessments. In the event of unexpected downtime, root cause analyses are available to accelerate troubleshooting. The system is supplemented by automated notifications via Microsoft Teams that provide shopfloor staff with real-time updates on relevant events. The scope has been further extended by including a comprehensive asset management system that logs and manages all tools and equipment used.

Thanks to the open architecture and user-friendly visualization, Sennheiser is free to create new dashboards and extend the solution as needed. For example, to integrate the company’s internal ERP system.

Various optimizations for maintenance and servicing processes are already at the planning stage. These include tool wear and life monitoring as well as threshold monitoring that is intended to facilitate a predictive maintenance strategy. Automated maintenance data analysis is another aspect being considered, with the aim of optimizing individual maintenance intervals. Plans also include maintenance log digitalization to simplify record-keeping and improve transparency by providing user-friendly dashboards to enter the necessary data.

A robust strategy that empowers the client

The Sennheiser project highlights the benefits that digitalization can bring to manufacturing by combining the practical, modular design of the Bitmotec platform with Softing Industrial’s expertise in integration and connectivity technology. Together, these partners help companies like Sennheiser to boost their production efficiency while also establishing a more independent and future-proof system – with real-world results every step of the way.

Softing Industrial