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Entitled Neuron, the technology Reduces Maintenance Costs and Increases Asset Productivity.
The Neuron, an unprecedented technology (conceived by the Brazilian company Icro Group), is already in operation, bringing intelligence and autonomy to industrial machines, allowing such assets to make preventive decisions before failures occur, determining the best time for maintenance shutdowns, anticipating sudden breakdowns that greatly disrupt production processes across all industrial segments.
The Neuron enters the industrial market, aiming to meet the sector’s need for innovations that generate greater productivity and profitability in operations. Resulting from the combination of cutting-edge technologies, such as Blockchain, Industrial Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Augmented Reality, and Virtual Reality, the Neuron seeks to revolutionize the industrial market by reducing machine downtime for maintenance, spare parts inventories, and time and labor waste, increasing equipment lifespan, availability, and productivity.
According to the Director of Development, Strategy, and Innovation at Icro Group, Armando Marsarioli, the use of Blockchain combined with other smart technologies gives Neuron its greatest differentiator, connecting it to predictive and prognostic maintenance, production, and suppliers of parts and services, thereby reducing shutdown programming, execution of repairs, and returning equipment to the operational line.
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Fully aligned with the principles of Industry 4.0, Neuron brings intelligence and autonomy to industrial machines, capable of making and following their own decisions, such as, for example, the best time to conduct maintenance shutdowns, which parts will be replaced, and the technical and safety procedures appropriate for each intervention. All of this is done without human intervention.
Additionally, the asset itself chooses which professionals from the team are qualified for the procedures and autonomously requests the necessary parts from approved suppliers for the scheduled repair, as well as selecting outsourced service providers. At the end of the maintenance, Neuron evaluates the performance of all parties involved in the operation, checking the effectiveness of the action.
Functionality
The studies on Neuron began in 2016 as a result of research conducted by Marsarioli at CENPRO – Center for Research in Production Engineering at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), where he developed an interest in utilizing Blockchain alongside the concepts of Maintenance 4.0. “It is extremely gratifying to announce that the first version of Neuron is 100% developed and tested, and will certainly be a great ally for industries across all economic segments, both domestic and international,” explains the director.
About Icro Group
Founded in 1954, Icro Group is a Brazilian company focused on the development, advisory, and implementation of Integral Management of Industrial Assets, which allows, among other functions, the creation of a connection between machines and maintenance systems through intelligent devices and infrastructure, acting assertively in data collection, analysis, and prognostics, aiming at the protection, conservation, and productivity of assets throughout their lifecycle.
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