A new procedure for the Herma 500 uses a QR code to facilitate fast remote fault diagnosis and clearance without requiring direct access to the applicator.
With this industry-wide unique solution, the encrypted secure transfer of around 300 applicator parameters takes place automatically without any human intervention, and is now a standard feature of the Herma 500. It can also be used to log the device’s current settings.
Developed by Herma, whose local agent is Result Group, the new time-saving method for remote analysis of label applicators allows fault finders to press a button to generate a QR code which appears on the label applicator’s touchscreen. The encoded information comprises around 300 current parameters of the applicator. The user then scans the code with a smartphone or tablet, which then opens a webpage of the Herma Service Portal, with the encoded parameter data being automatically sent to the Herma system.
Herma service technicians can then examine and interpret the parameters on their screens practically in real-time. Undesired settings, possibly selected by mistake, are generally identified immediately, and the reason for a malfunction can quickly be pinpointed.
According to Tobias Erhardt, head of Herma Labelling Machines’ service department, the local user is then given specific instructions by phone, and in most cases, the problem is resolved with just three of four clicks.
Erhardt said that when compared to fault clearance by phone only, current findings have revealed that an average time of around 20 minutes was saved for malfunctions relating to certain settings. The new procedure is useful for other types of faults as well, as it allows incorrect settings to be ruled out quickly.
According to Erhardt, “Transmitting all the parameters and settings of a Herma 500 without establishing a data connection is now a cinch for customers.”
Another user benefit of the QR code is its ability to log and store in the Herma Service Portal all of an applicator’s current parameters and settings.
In the unlikely event of a system crash, the data can be used to recover the device’s customer-specific settings very quickly.
“We see the Herma Service Portal as an all-embracing customer platform that gives access, in one place, to all the data that a user could possibly need. In this context, QR code technology serves as a logical, secure and hugely efficient roadmap,” Erhardt concluded.
