Smart Manufacturing: How ALPS Inspection Uses IoT for Leak Detection

Podcast episode summary

Digitalization in mechanical engineering is opening up new opportunities to increase efficiency and better meet customer needs. ALPS Inspection, a medium-sized company specializing in non-destructive leak testing of plastic containers, was looking for a modern solution to make machines more efficient, utilize data more effectively, and provide flexible remote support for customers. With the support of EXOR, a system was developed that combines hardware, software, and IoT integration. At the core of this solution are JSmart HMIs, which capture data directly at the machine, the versatile JMobile software for analysis and reporting, and the IoT platform CORVINA for remote access.

The implementation of this IoT solution has successfully enabled several key use cases:

Data-driven optimization of test processes: With new tools, customers receive a graphical representation of machine processes in real time, allowing them to optimize test and production settings precisely.

Generation of automated reports: Diagnostic data is compiled directly on the HMI into a 12-page PDF report, which can be sent via email or accessed remotely via CORVINA. 

Improved response times and service efficiency: Instead of waiting for an on-site service technician, maintenance personnel can now gain immediate remote access to machines via a hotspot. 

Integration of real-time data for predictive maintenance: A predictive maintenance model is currently in development to help customers identify and prevent potential issues early on.

Data analysis for efficiency improvement: ALPS now has the capability to store data directly on the HMI, visualize it graphically, and use it for improved troubleshooting.

The implementation has led to significant improvements: service costs have been greatly reduced through remote diagnostics, production processes run more efficiently, and customers benefit from real-time insights and automated reports. A key highlight is the close collaboration between ALPS and customers to tailor the system to their specific needs.

Looking ahead, both companies aim to leverage AI and machine learning based on IoT data to further optimize machines. EXOR is focusing on its “Micro Edge” solutions, which aim to bring data processing even closer to the machines. This project demonstrates the importance of a clear strategy, open platforms, and collaborative partnerships for the successful implementation of IoT projects.

Read the Success story

Podcast interview Transcription

Today, I’m talking to Ken Kamlowsky, General Manager of America branch, at our IoT partner EXOR, and their customer and partner, ALPS Inspection—a leader in non-destructive inspection systems. ALPS Inspection is a globally active company with thousands of machines installed at customer sites. Trusted across industries since 1974, they are represented today by Adam Thibert, Senior Controls Engineer.
Have you ever wondered how real-time IoT data can transform your industry and which use cases are most relevant? Today, we’re diving into ALPS’ use cases, their solutions, successes, and the challenges they face in such projects. As always, you can find all implementation-relevant information at iotusecase.com.
Now, let’s head to the podcast studio—let’s go!

Hi Ken and Adam, great to have you with us today. First off, how are you, Ken? And where are you at the moment?

Ken

Today, I’m at our US headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, looking out at about eight inches of snow. It’s quite a bit for Cincinnati, where heavy snowfall isn’t very common. Things are going great, and I’m excited for the new year. I’m really looking forward to 2025, which ties in perfectly with our topic today: IoT.

Nice to have you here! Adam mentioned this earlier during our technical pre-recording. But before we dive in, could you share a bit about yourself? You’re the General Manager at EXOR America. You started as an electrical engineer and specialized early on in touchscreens and HMI technology. You’re also quite active as a speaker, right?

Ken

Sure! As you mentioned, I started out as an electrical engineer working for a machine builder. Early on, I got into machine automation and fell in love with it. Over time, I transitioned to the sales side, working for a few different companies, mainly in industrial automation. I’ve now been with EXOR for 10 years. What drew me to EXOR was the company’s forward-thinking approach and its role as a technology leader. While we may not be the most well-known in the industry, companies like ALPS have discovered what EXOR can offer and have definitely taken advantage of it. I’m glad to be here—thank you for the invitation!

Thank you so much. It’s great to highlight your company and the use cases you’re working on with your customers. Now, over to you, Adam. You’re the Senior Controls Engineer, focusing on designing, developing, and maintaining control systems. Has that always been your passion, or what did you do before?

Adam

It has been. I’ve been with ALPS for about five years now. Before that, I gained around 15 years of experience, mainly in water and wastewater treatment facilities, as well as the automotive industry.

So, a diverse background across industries! And how long have you known each other? Not just personally, but also in terms of the collaboration between the companies. The partnership has been going on for quite some time, hasn’t it?

Adam

I believe it started roughly when I joined ALPS, so about five years ago. Is that right, Ken?

Ken

Yes, that’s correct. It was right around the time Adam started at ALPS, and that’s when our discussions began.

That’s great! And how did the partnership between the companies come about?

Adam

When I joined ALPS, the company was transitioning away from older technology in its controls platform. My role, along with the other controls engineers, was to find a replacement for the HMI and modernize the system. One of our distributors introduced me to the EXOR product line. After reviewing its capabilities and tools, the partnership started.

That’s great! One of the game-changing tools in this partnership is JMobile, right? We’ll discuss it later, as it’s not just a software but a key enabler for the project. Before that, I’d love to hear more about ALPS Inspection. Could you briefly explain the industries you serve and the purpose of your products?

Adam

Of course! As mentioned earlier, ALPS is a medium-sized company and part of a larger group called TASI Test and Automation. What drew me to ALPS was its strong family atmosphere—everyone is truly passionate about their work. Essentially, we specialize in non-destructive leak testing of plastic containers. Our primary industries include household products, automotive, pharmaceuticals, and beverages.

Got it. So just to clarify, why is this leak testing process necessary? Is it mainly about ensuring packaging integrity? How does that look in practice?

Adam

Exactly, it’s all about package integrity and quality control. For instance, imagine one of our customers produces containers for laundry detergent, and some of those containers have holes. If they fill those defective containers with detergent, it could lead to a disaster. That’s where our technology comes in.

I see. And the products your customers produce could be things like yogurt pots, shampoo bottles, or similar items?

Adam

It ranges from large five-gallon water jugs to small Visine eye-dropper containers and everything in between. Like you mentioned, shampoo bottles, pharmaceutical containers, oil containers for automotive—there’s a wide variety.

Got it. So your machines help detect leaks in these containers, whether it’s bottles or something else. Is the goal to identify defects before they’re filled, or are there other stages where this is critical?

Adam

Correct. Yes, it could be positioned upstream before the containers are filled or before they are packaged to be sent to another customer. The leak detectors operate in-line, continuously monitoring for defects.

I see. There are a lot of your machines in operation, right? I read online that you have around 3,000 machines and test billions of containers annually. Is that accurate?

Adam

Yes, it’s something staggering like that—a lot indeed!

It must also be a challenge to collect all this data and extract value from it. That brings me to my next question: I’d love to hear about your vision for digitalization and how you plan to work more with IoT data. What’s your vision on this for you and your customers?

Adam

This is an evolving topic for us. We’re currently working on developing a model to better support our customers, focusing on areas like machine troubleshooting, predictive maintenance, and remote capabilities. It’s a work in progress and continues to evolve.

Are you seeing new expectations from your customers in this area?

Adam

Yes, exactly. We’re helping guide our customers to understand the value of it and working together to make the most of it.

So would you say you’re not just helping your customers collect data but also working with them to analyze it and create value? Is it more about developing use cases together?

Adam

That’s correct. For example, we’ve developed a diagnostic report generated directly on the HMI. It’s a 12-page PDF providing detailed insights into the machine’s state. We can email this report directly from the HMI or access it remotely through CORVINA Cloud. This capability has been a significant asset for us and our customers, and we can discuss CORVINA Cloud in more detail later.

Okay, one additional question before we get to the current project. Have you previously used more traditional methods based on data, maybe not as digitally integrated, or how did you handle things before moving into this digital space?

Adam

We didn’t have the tools to do that before. It was a very manual process, and we didn’t have access to the depth of data or information that we can now gather. This is entirely new for ALPS.

I see. So, for example, did you rely on visual inspections by employees on-site, or was it something like that?

Adam

That’s right. It was mostly visual inspections or over the phone – a more traditional approach.

Got it. Now, coming to the current project, could you tell us more about it? What is the project with EXOR about, and what was the problem you needed to solve together?

Adam

As I mentioned earlier, ALPS was seeking a more modern solution. Working with EXOR allowed us to log data directly on the HMI and use it to generate graphical displays or PDF reports. These tools help us troubleshoot machines and assist our customers in setting them up more efficiently. Additionally, the remote capabilities through CORVINA Cloud enable us to view HMI screens in real time with our customers, helping them troubleshoot issues. This also allows our engineering team to support the service team in real-time.

Cool, that’s great. Ken, do you have any additional thoughts on this project? From what I understand, it’s focused on digital services, better data insights, and troubleshooting use cases. Is there anything you’d like to add?

Ken

Sure! One unique aspect that brought us together was the hardware piece, even before diving into digitalization. This uniquely allowed ALPS to mount their HMI directly on a machine without an enclosure. That then led to the software—JMobile, which, as you mentioned, we’ll discuss later—that enabled them to implement all the features Adam talked about.
When you combine that with our IoT platform, CORVINA, it not only provides remote visualization but also the ability to extract and store data, which ties into the future developments Adam referred to. Those three elements really came together nicely when the project started. I think Adam would agree that it worked out well. ALPS is one of the customers that has truly taken full advantage of all our technology, and Adam has done a fantastic job with it.

It sounds like a fantastic project with many facets. Before we dive into JMobile and your platform CORVINA, I’d like to focus on the business case. Could you delve into that a bit?

Adam

Sure. As I mentioned earlier, having a remote view of what’s happening in the machine has been incredibly valuable. While I can’t quantify the exact savings, we’ve definitely reduced costs significantly by avoiding unnecessary service trips. Additionally, Ken highlighted the design of the JSmart model, which has a tablet-like look and feel. From a marketing perspective, this design has been a real asset—it’s unique, stands out, and we’ve received a lot of compliments and positive feedback about it. Beyond that, the service side and our customers benefit greatly from the ability to provide remote support and generate reports. For example, we’ve created shift reports that automatically generate PDFs with production data and email them directly to customers.

When working with this data, are you also able to improve your testing procedures or even conduct maintenance? Or is it more focused on identifying issues, as you mentioned?

Adam

All of the above. We’ve developed some excellent tools to provide a graphical representation of the machine’s real-time operations, allowing us to fine-tune test and production settings. It’s been extremely valuable in that regard.

Would you say that IoT data and remote access have become crucial competitive advantages in your industry?

Adam

Absolutely. It’s already bringing significant value to our customers and will continue to do so in the future.

Okay, very nice. I was wondering, since you mentioned maintenance earlier—where people have to travel to the machines, spend significant time working on them, and how you’ve reduced this effort—what were the main challenges for your customers and internally?

Adam

Sure, I can give you an example. Imagine a customer needing our service technician to get on a plane, with all the associated travel time. The customer would be stuck waiting for us to arrive. That’s how it traditionally worked—not just in this industry but in others I’ve been involved with. Now, however, a maintenance technician can connect the HMI to their cell phone hotspot, giving us instant remote access. We can pull reports remotely, get online with the PLC, and even access other devices on the machine’s network. This has happened more than a few times.

That’s amazing! Moving on to the technical session and challenges: did you already have access to the data you needed, or was this project focused on obtaining that data?

Adam

Sure. It was definitely a project to gain access to the data. Our customers are looking for data, but I feel like this whole area is still in a transition phase. Customers want data because they hear buzzwords like Industry 4.0 and IoT, but they’re often unsure how to derive value from it or how to use it to stand out. We’re now working with our customers to create a roadmap for that.

Ken

To Adam’s point, it has become the responsibility of the machine builder to educate the end users of their machines about the value of the data and what it can bring. This has been an ongoing challenge—helping people understand how to use the data and what it can do for them in the future. Over time, this responsibility has shifted more toward machine builders, who now need to guide and show end users the value of this data.

Exactly – acting more like a consultant or partner to collaborate with customers based on the data.

Ken

Exactly.

That’s a great point. I’m curious about the types of data you’re using. In a moment, I’d like to discuss the technical details of the project and the products behind it, but first, could you tell us more about the data types? Is it mostly real-time data, or does it include customer data as well? What kind of data are we talking about here?

Adam

It’s real-time data. From the customer’s perspective, we’re looking at production metrics like container counts—containers per minute or per hour—and the flow of material through the machine. Most of it is digital. Externally, we focus more on analog data, such as the actual test data.

Right. And as we discussed earlier, the customer benefits greatly from this data. Defects can be detected immediately, or even prevented, and inspected packages are documented as PDF reports—something that may have been done manually before. This provides an excellent opportunity for customers to leverage this data. Before we dive into the solution, why was it crucial for you to work with EXOR? What requirements were most important to you?

Adam

EXOR’s US sales and support team is fantastic—they’ve been great to work with. EXOR is also a very forward-thinking company, and I’m excited about continuing this partnership. They have some exciting developments coming soon, like AI and other innovative tools. These advancements will allow us to grow our partnership further and offer something new and valuable to our customers.

Great! From EXOR’s perspective, could you explain why you decided to partner with this company, particularly in the leak-testing machinery segment?

Ken

Sure. When it comes to partners, we don’t limit ourselves to specific industries like leak testing. We provide the technology, and our role is to educate machine builders on its potential. Ultimately, it’s up to them to decide how to use it and leverage their expertise to make the most of it. That’s something I really credit ALPS for—enabling Adam and his team to identify a great solution that truly supports their goals and helps them achieve what they set out to accomplish.
Often, people see an HMI as just a touch screen replacing the push buttons and pilot lights of the past. However, it’s much more—it’s a device right at the edge of the machine that can communicate with nearly anything, gathering all the data needed for viewing or action. Essentially, it evolves from being just an HMI to acting as a gateway that supports future needs, as Adam mentioned.

Exactly – to solve customer use cases, reduce downtime from days to minutes, and tackle various challenges using data. So, moving on to the solution, what exactly is ALPS using? We’ve heard about CORVINA Cloud, JMobile, and the JSmart model. Could you explain what the complete solution package looks like?

Ken

Sure. Everything you mentioned is part of what we call our X Platform. It starts with the hardware, the JSmart, which ALPS uses on their machines. The JSmart is essentially an industrial tablet with Wi-Fi capabilities, designed to be mounted without an enclosure.
The software piece, as I mentioned earlier, is called JMobile, and ALPS has fully utilized all the features it offers. JMobile communicates with all devices and includes functionalities like emailing, reporting, trending, and many others we’ve come to rely on. Coupled with our IoT platform, CORVINA, it forms an all-in-one solution.
With CORVINA, ALPS has taken advantage of remote access capabilities. Looking ahead, when their customers are ready to dive deeper into the benefits of data, ALPS won’t need to make any additional upgrades or modifications—they’ll already be set up to use the IoT platform seamlessly for the future.

Great, okay. So, if I understand correctly, data acquisition takes place via your hardware, the JSmart model, which captures live data for various use cases. How is the data transmitted?

Adam

There are multiple ways to handle data transmission, and that’s another area where EXOR and JMobile have really excelled. For instance, we can collect data directly on the HMI and export it as a CSV file via a USB drive. Additionally, they also support database connections, so customers with an SQL database can log data directly. It also supports OPC UA, which is a widely used standard for connectivity. On top of that, the IoT capabilities of CORVINA enable data to be accessed remotely. That is just another great feature of it.

Cool! And when it comes to data visualization or processing and analysis, is that happening in CORVINA Cloud with specific applications? Or do you use different software for various use cases?

Adam

Yeah, we depend on the use case. For example, we have a customer that uses OPC UA to collect data and send it to another system for visualization. Other customers connect directly to an SQL database and handle the data however they want. In our case, we can export leak test data directly to a CSV file and use that to display graphs and perform analytics on a PC. So there are multiple options available.

That’s great. Since this is a new technology and solution, even for your customers, how have they reacted to it? Were there immediately measurable improvements, or is this project still ongoing? How has the feedback been?

Adam

We’ve received nothing but positive feedback. It’s been a great tool, and we’ve had a couple of customers collaborate with us by sharing great ideas. I really value getting direct input from the people using the technology—it helps us make meaningful improvements. In that sense, it’s been wonderful. We’ve even developed small partnerships with some customers to steer the development in a positive direction.

That’s great to hear, especially the emphasis on partnership. It’s inspiring to see how you’ve moved to a new level of collaboration with your customers. It seems like this is a project that evolves with use, and partnering on data adds a lot of value. From EXOR’s side, I’m also impressed with how open the platform is. You’re integrating various technologies, allowing customers not only to adopt open-source standards like OPC UA but also to work with protocols like MQTT and other options for collecting and integrating data. That’s something I really appreciate about this product.

Ken

That’s a great observation, Madeleine. Openness is something we take pride in. For example, with our IoT platform, there are many out there that are tied to specific hardware. In contrast, ours doesn’t require EXOR hardware—it works as long as the system supports Linux Docker or Windows. You can install a small agent, the CORVINA agent, locally, and it connects seamlessly to our IoT platform.
The same applies to our JMobile software. It can run on EXOR hardware, but it also works on Windows or Linux platforms. We leave it up to the customer to decide what’s best for them.

You also have many years of hardware development experience, which is impressive. I think it’s great how this background allows you to scale not just the data acquisition but also integrate the software components, transforming you into a complete solution provider and a trusted partner for your customers.

Ken

Definitely.

One last question for today, because it’s something I get asked all the time: Were there any unexpected results or benefits from this project? Many companies are setting up similar solutions now, and users are curious to learn about best practices or even potential pitfalls. Adam, could you share some insights or unexpected results from this project?

Adam

In terms of unexpected results, I’d say we were surprised by how viewing the data differently helped us identify areas for improvement in our leak detection processes and overall machine performance. It highlighted some holes we hadn’t noticed before—no pun intended! So, yes, it’s been surprising and has brought a lot of value to us.

That’s great! Do you have any advice for other companies considering similar projects? Any key learnings you could share?

Adam

Sure! I’d recommend starting with a clear roadmap of where you want to go. It’s crucial to map things out thoroughly before beginning the project.

Ken

That’s great advice.

Yeah, great advice! And just one last question—since you mentioned the roadmap, I was curious about what’s next. Are there any upcoming steps or future developments you’re working on, either from EXOR’s side or at ALPS?

Adam

We definitely have a few tricks up our sleeves this year, including adding more features to the HMI. Looking further ahead, we’re very excited about the potential of AI and machine learning. EXOR is already focusing on those areas, and I think Ken can elaborate more on that.

Ken

Absolutely. Our roadmap is heavily focused on what we call “micro edge” solutions. Everything now revolves around the edge for us. As I mentioned earlier, our HMIs are already at the edge, but we’re expanding this concept. Whether you call it a gateway or an HMI, we’re enhancing edge performance to support AI and machine learning. Traditional HMIs don’t have the processing power to handle these demands, so we’re adding significant computational capabilities at the edge. This allows not only visualization but also the advanced processing that machine builders will need in the future.

Especially when dealing with real-time data, where preprocessing is so critical. It’s great to see you advancing with these micro edge solutions. I have so many more questions, but for now, I want to thank you both. For anyone listening to this podcast, I’ll include all the product details and your contact information—Adam and Ken—in the show notes.
From my side, thank you so much! I’ve learned a lot about the use cases, how this project was structured, and the key takeaways. It was incredibly insightful. Thank you for your time and for being here. I’ll leave the last word to you.

Ken

Thank you, Madeleine, and IoT Use Case for bringing us together. It’s been great to talk about this and share more about EXOR and ALPS with your listeners. Thank you.

Adam

Yes, thank you for having us. We really appreciate it.

Thank you so much! Have a great rest of the week. Bye-bye!

Ken

You too, everyone. Bye!

Adam

You too. Bye-bye!