Rhein-Nadel Automation GmbH (RNA) has acquired all assets of the former start-up Nexolink Solutions AG regarding the Sensor Connector, a device that gathers data and conditions of a machine with the help of sensors.

The deal includes all intellectual property rights for the devices and IoT Platform, laboratory equipment, stock, etc. All data is analyzed and visualized on an IoT Platform, which is also part of the deal. With the acquisition RNA obtains its own IoT Platform and secures know-how in data capturing technology.

RNA will market the IoT Platform and Sensor Connector under the name IoT ConnectBox in the future. With its new IoT ConnectBox, RNA is now able to offer an IoT Platform together with its feeding systems in order to analyze data such as frequency, temperature, output rate, and other values with the objective to also offer a predictive maintenance solution.

Furthermore, RNA offers the IoT ConnectBox also to all other customers, that want to use the device with their own machines. Each customer thus, has the possibility to gather all data from their existing machines and to manage the data on an own IoT Platform.

The IoT ConnectBox has 8 digital and 8 analog inputs. One big advantage of the IoT ConnectBox is that it does not need any internet connection as it operates via an integrated SIM card, which transfers all data via a GSM-Antenna. The IoT ConnectBox can be used with any machine, that can be equipped with or already has sensors.

“With the IoT ConnectBox we will be able to offer our customers their own device and IoT Platform, giving them the possibility to access data in real-time and to simply digitize their own machines or products – independent of the industry or business segment.” says Christopher Pavel, Managing Director of RNA.

“On the other hand, we will now be able to analyze all data in our feeding systems that can also be linked to alert messages, thus offering our customers a predictive maintenance tool. In addition, we can now exactly measure output rate and other important data that the customer wants to know, when performing the FAT of a feeding system.” With the takeover RNA further strengthens its know-how and broadens its product line in Industry 4.0 topics.