MDT receives research funding for an ambitious digitalization project

Modern Drive Technology GmbH (MDT), a part of the Wiedemann Group, has received funding from the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs for an ambitious research project on manufacturer independent remote diagnostics for mixed machine fleets. 

The Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy has awarded Modern Drive Technology GmbH, based in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, a research grant of over €120,000. The Bavarian Minister of Economic Affairs, Hubert Aiwanger, presented the grant to Managing Director Johannes Stephan. The aim of the project is to develop remote diagnostic solutions that can be used across a fleet of machines from different manufacturers. 

MDT assists companies with the digitalization and networking of their machinery and vehicle fleets. In particular, companies from the construction industry benefit from retrofitted fleet systems, which are installed in vehicles, machines and other equipment. These manufacturer-independent systems network the fleet through MDT's positioning and tracking platform and thus form the "digital key" to the machines. 

The Wiedemann Group, which also includes the automation and digitization specialist STW from Kaufbeuren, has acquired a strategic stake in MDT. STW has handed over the maintenance and further development of its cloud services to MDT. Steffen Dieterle, CEO at STW, explains the move: "With MDT, full-service experts can concentrate on the cloud solutions, looking at people, technology and engineering with a holistic approach. STW can concentrate on the automation and digitization of mobile machines, with MDT at our side as a specialist partner when a project requires it."  

MDT's specialists currently support 35 industrial companies from all around the world. From Canada to Australia, these companies use the MACHINES.CLOUD platform. This is an open and highly scalable IoT platform, where manufacturers integrate their machines, vehicles and plants, ex works. 

An unresolved issue in many industries is manufacturer-independent remote diagnostics for mixed fleets. Johannes Stephan, Managing Director of MDT, explains: "As a rule, the machine fleets of construction companies, for example, are rather heterogeneous, i.e. there are many different models from various manufacturers. Here, what’s missing is a universal solution for remote diagnostics and maintenance." 

The research project will intensively test the possibilities for carrying out manufacturer-independent diagnostics remotely, and for preventing damage and failures on site through predictive maintenance. The first prototype systems will be tested in the field by the end of the year.