Machine Breakdown Maintenance Call using the AWS IoT Button

Nov 15, 2017 | General, Manufacturing, OT & IoT

Urgent breakdown maintenance calls are a common scenario on a shop floor, e.g. in manufacturing or logistics. Response is a critical matter as equipment breakdowns bring your operations to a grinding halt. When a machine breaks down or malfunctions, a maintenance engineer on duty or on call needs to be notified, usually through the machine showing blinking red light or manually by a person using a landline phone that is located somewhere on the shop floor. With more digitized manufacturing, a SCADA system might recognize the break down and display an indicator on computer screen.

Go digital, go mobile

This sample shows how to combine SIGNL4 and the AWS IoT Button to allow for a digital machine maintenance call through a simple push of button. The Amazon IoT button could be attached to the machine, and digitally linked to it. A simple button-click would notify the maintenance or engineering team on duty. Acknowledgement and confirmation of the service call is tracked digitally. Ownership of the respective maintenance alert is visible throughout the maintenance team in real-time on the SIGNL4 mobile app.

AWS IoT Button and AWS IoT

The AWS IoT Button is the ‘unlinked’ version of the Amazon Dash Button invented to let you order stuff from Amazon with a single touch of a button (e.g. diapers or food). It comes with WLAN connectivity and an serial number which is used to identify it once it is pressed. It connects to AWS IoT and calls a Lambda function which then can execute code. In our case we linked to the web hook of SIGNL. Read more on the AWS IoT Button here.

SIGNL4 mobile alert notifications for staff on duty

The SIGNL4 notification service provides for reliable and persistent mobile notifications, e.g. your maintenance and engineering teams on the shop floor. When coming on shift, engineers can simply check in from the mobile app to receive alert notifications. These alerts need to be confirmed and this ownership serves as task and assignment tracking, too. The app is very lightweight and easy to use.

To get started, download the mobile app and your ready to go for free for 30 days.

SIGNL4 on Google Play SIGNL4 on Apple iTunes