Eschbach

[Image courtesy of Eschbach]

The software developer Eschbach has added AI-based search engine capabilities to its Shiftconnector digital manufacturing software for process manufacturing. 

The company specializes in serving the needs of the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. 

Eschbach introduced its Shiftconnector software almost two decades ago to facilitate handover, employee communication, production management and regulatory compliance.

The new Smart Search functionality in the Shiftconnector platform will enable workers to plant performance information based on documented data from plant operations teams. The information can help team members recover from plant disruptions by quickly identifying appropriate remedial steps. 

The software platform can also capture information to optimize plant operations‘ staffing while bolstering production efficiency and communication. 

Shiftconnector also includes features designed to instill a safe plant environment and minimize the risk of catastrophic events. 

“The addition of AI capabilities in the software platform provides a Smart Search with a new level of intelligence that can easily be adaptable depending on the specific needs of the organization,” said Andreas Eschbach, Eschbach founder and CEO, in a press release. 

Eschbach developed the Shiftconnector software to facilitate communication between quality assurance and laboratory works. The software also helps industrial companies keep track of production processes and anomalies potentially requiring corrective and preventive action. 

Shiftconnector interfaces with Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Process Control Systems (PCS) software. It also supports Process Information Management Systems (PIMS) from OSIsoft (San Leandro, California) and Aspentech (Bedford, Massachusetts). 

The company notes on its website that seven out of 10 of its customers report increased plant productivity. In addition, eight out of ten customers say that the Shiftonnector software helped them adapt operations during the pandemic. 

Eschbach introduced the software at the AVEVA World event in San Francisco and the SOCMA Annual Summit in New Orleans. Both events focus on process manufacturing. 

Eschbach’s U.S. operations are based in Boston. Its headquarters are located in Bad Säckingen, Germany.