Digitalisation, at the push of a button

What makes the situation particularly intriguing is that the manufacturers’ struggle to develop the most efficient and optimally functioning technology is taking place on the desks of software developers and not in the factories themselves. Those who can develop well-functioning industrial applications more rapidly can surpass their competitors. That’s where BlackBelt steps in.

We recognised in time that the rate of software development is becoming an increasingly important factor. Since its launch, BlackBelt has accumulated a great deal of experience in applying so-called low-code platforms. Thanks to these technologies, developers are not forced to write all lines of code themselves. Instead, this is done by the framework system, which can “generate” practically the entire software based on the visual model created by development engineers. The low-code or rapid development method renews the production process, not to mention the significant competitive advantages it offers those employing it. Although there are some similar framework systems, Mendix – a subsidiary of Siemens – has a commanding lead in this field. At the same time, we at BlackBelt are the top partners of the service provider in the region.

Boosting the tempo of factories with rapid development

So what exactly does this technology have to offer? Let’s look at a practical example! At BlackBelt, we are continuously researching areas in which the activities of our clients – mainly industrial manufacturing companies – can be improved and modernised. One of our projects was created to support the work of factory production line maintenance engineers. Thanks to the project, equipment operation can be made more efficient and cheaper by order of magnitude. The “soul” of the project is a target application that can monitor the lifecycles of thousands of parts installed in the production line, providing detailed maintenance information. Thanks to the technology, costs can be optimally planned to avoid the premature replacement of parts while minimising the risk of an entire production line shutting down due to a malfunction. Yet most importantly, the Vitality application's complete development took only six weeks.

This surprisingly rapid achievement was not the result of a host of developers writing code 24/7. Quite to the contrary: the project was overseen by a single engineer – however, he was supported by Mendix. Amongst other things, this meant that the platform automatically generated the database required by the application and the user interface based on a visual model built by our engineer while also creating the business logic behind the software. Thanks to such accelerated development, there is no need to worry about the specification of requirements anymore as functional prototypes can be produced quickly and efficiently to specify requirements with much greater ease. Going live with the end result is similarly simple: the new application can be practically created with a push of a button and instantly put to use once it rolls off the production line.

Customised digitalisation

In the case of Vitality, the development took place in week-long sprints, during which the developer demoed the operation of the prototype at the end of every week. Based on the presented draft version, modifications or new functions could be easily requested from the client-side, which could be tested on the occasion of next week’s demo. Just as in the case of the trial versions, the deployment of the completed software produced at the end of the process – which satisfies all demands – and its integration into the client’s environment took place with a few simple clicks; also, when necessary, it is just as easy to further develop or modify the application in the future.

The example of Vitality is already impressive – but that’s not all! Vitality makes the maintenance of production lines more economical and predictable, yet industrial companies have many additional developmental options. At BlackBelt, we have made the harnessing of these opportunities more accessible with our IoT system known as DataMagnet. The process consists of rapidly employing the so-called LoRaWAN private mobile network – which requires no authorisation in Hungary – followed by the installation of wireless sensors. Based on this system, DataMagnet allows the company to introduce its own customised IoT applications and harness the advantages of rapid deployment. For factories, every single digital development is crucial and a quantum leap towards Industry 4.0.