Dr. Nagel, Pepperl+Fuchs founded the company Neoception at the beginning of 2017. With what intention?

Dr Nagel: Industry 4.0 describes the networking of all components, from individual sensors to complete systems, in order to tap into previously untapped optimization potential through the use of data. This means that companies must apply new technologies to their markets and make their products ready for the realization of new business models. This is exactly where we come in: Depending on requirements, we provide advice, help with implementation and lift existing systems into the networked production world.

Simple and secure access to product information in the field is an absolute must. Field devices already provide a wealth of information today. However, due to a lack of communication channels, this information is usually not used; plant operators often lack the know-how and simply the time to deal with the complexity of the field device description. Neoception aims to reduce the complexity for customers. By providing data that is suitable for everyday use, our customers and their customers - the system operators - ultimately only need to be able to operate the browser. Thanks to our strong customer focus, the services we develop remain flexible and can be expanded at any time - even after the projects have been completed.

Which target group are you addressing?

Dr. Nagel: On the one hand, we address companies that only have limited resources and capacity to deal with the complexity of Industry 4.0 solutions - in other words, predominantly small and medium-sized enterprises.
On the other hand, we develop horizontal solutions for larger companies in order to integrate plant data into the existing SAP system. Thanks to Pepperl+Fuchs, we have extensive expertise in the infrastructure of potentially explosive systems and industrial sensor technology.

How do you approach projects?

Dr. Nagel: Depending on how far companies have already come with the development of their visions, we start with an initial analysis phase together. We create the future overall concept, highlight the added value that lies dormant in the system and identify all the processes required for the solution to be developed. We then determine the technologies that meet the requirements. The next step is implementation. We always start with a small solution and gradually expand it. It is important to achieve results quickly - because a large scope entails a large requirement and functional specification and slows down development. Once the first benefit has been realized and is online with the customer, we open up new possibilities and expand the application as required.

Are there any example projects?

Dr. Nagel: A very illustrative project is the recording of fill levels of waste disposal containers in an entire city using Pepperl+Fuchs technology. The fill levels of the bins are reported automatically and software then determines the need for emptying, optimizes the collection and the associated route of the trucks. We make the collected fill level data available to the customer, including visualization in the control room. A follow-up step could be the display on mobile devices, which suggests a current route to the driver every minute, including traffic information.

What does your roadmap also look like with regard to Industry 4.0?

Dr. Nagel: The goal for the next two years is to establish ourselves as a solution provider on the market. At the moment, we are focusing on customer-specific projects that will enable us to get to know the market and our customers' requirements. Over time, we want to address frequently occurring customer needs so that we can offer a broad basic portfolio of services and process customer projects even faster.

With regard to Industry 4.0, we will increasingly develop in the direction of semantic data models. At the moment, the meaning of data is only known within an application; comprehensive semantics are still in their infancy. However, it is urgently needed in order to be able to process the data in a meaningful and, above all, automated way in the future after the first phase, in which every system is equipped with connectivity.