Arburg GmbH + Co KG, Lossburg, Germany, a manufacturer of high-end injection moulding machines, has announced that injection molders can now manage all their Arburg molding machines and many of their day-to-day interactions with the machinery manufacturer using a new digital service called “arburgXworld.” This customer portal even allows users to order spare parts, and schedule and manage technical service, and access other features that address a wide range of plant operations and tasks.
The basic arburgXworld portal is available to all owners of Arburg machines and includes these free-of-charge apps:
- Machine Center… provides machine specific data for a molder’s entire fleet of Arburg machines. Users have easy, centralized access to production-relevant information and also documentation for machines built since 2017.
- Service Center… makes communicating with Arburg quicker and easier when support or service is needed. Customers can open a service ticket, submit supporting information and photos, see ticket status and access documented service history. A calendar makes it easy to manage scheduled service and download appointments into the user’s personal calendar.
- Shop… gives molders access to spare parts catalogs, including exploded-view and 3D drawings, review pricing and availability, and allows molders to instantly place orders 24/7.
- Self Service… this tool allows users to analyze machine errors themselves simply by entering a problem description or error code. Arburg expert guidance, which leads the user through a problem solving process and links to machine manuals, is available for an additional fee.
A US molder involved in beta testing the new portal reports that he especially appreciates the online parts ordering function in the Shop app. “What used to require some research and a phone call or two can now be completed in about five minutes. We used to have to call or email to get availability and pricing, then get a quote and cut a purchase order, but now it just takes a few mouse clicks to order parts.”
Additional fee-based apps are also available which provide access to calculation tools and knowledge databases based on Arburg’s experience. These features save time for production planning, work preparation and quality assurance, but also for product development and sales.
One such app is “virtual control” which simulates the control system of Arburg machines so that users can create set-up programs and optimize processes without taking a machine out of service. It also facilitates offline training of employees. ‘Machine Finder’ is a configuration app that assists molders in determining the ideal machine size and features information about the product, anticipated process conditions and materials. A ‘Machine Dashboard’ displays key performance indicators (KPIs) for connected molding machines.
As of K 2019, the “arburgXworld” customer portal will be available internationally in 18 languages and will feature new apps and functions.
For more information, visit www.arburg.com.
