Digital maintenance made easy – how self-service works in the MyUNTHA portal

When an industrial shredder with a throughput of 40 tons per hour goes down, it gets expensive — fast. Whether it’s due to a minor issue or a critical component failure — do you know which of your machines are close to failure, and why?

That’s exactly what I’m talking about in this episode with Markus Eibl, Product Manager at UNTHA shredding technology. The company comes from the mechanical engineering industry and has developed its own customer portal designed to address a wide range of use cases.

We discuss why traditional maintenance cycles are often inefficient and what works better instead, how to reduce hundreds of machine data points to a simple traffic light logic, and how digital spare parts management works in practice for users.

At the end, we also talk about the idea of an app store for machine maintenance — and how this could change the market.

Tune in now — before your next unplanned downtime becomes costly.

As always, you’ll find all implementation details at www.iotusecase.com.

Enjoy!

Welcome, Markus. Great to have you here today, How are you doing, and where are you joining us from?

Markus

Hi Madeleine, thanks so much for having me. I’m joining from Kuchl, just south of Salzburg — about a 30-minute drive. That’s where UNTHA shredding technology is headquartered. I’m really looking forward to the episode.

Greetings to Austria! Where exactly is UNTHA located in Salzburg? Do you also have production facilities there? How should we picture your setup on-site?

Markus

Yes, that’s our headquarters, where we manufacture the majority of our machines. We have a high level of in-house production and additional locations across Austria, plus sales and service branches around the world.

I’m really glad to have you on today. We actually had your colleague on in episode 55, so I’m excited to hear your perspective now. Maybe you can also share some of your personal experiences later on. But first, tell us briefly about your role — you’re Product Manager at UNTHA and were previously at Liebherr. How long have you been with UNTHA?

Markus

I’ve been with UNTHA for over five years. I started out in development — actually working with Robert, who was also on your podcast. But it quickly became clear that there’s more to be done beyond the technical side. So I moved into Product Management, where I’m now responsible for our digital products and services. This includes the MyUNTHA customer portal, for which we recently implemented a comprehensive update. I am also working intensively on digital business models relating to the customer portal and the question of how we can best bring these products to the customer.

Interesting! I’d love to come back to that later — after all, five years in the digitalization space surely come with a lot of interesting experience. But maybe let’s start with a brief introduction to UNTHA. You’re a leading manufacturer of industrial shredding machines. So the question is: What does that have to do with digitalization? Maybe you can describe your core business, share a few key figures, and explain who your customers are?

Markus

Gladly. As the name suggests, we build shredders – shredding solutions that shred materials and recycle them for downstream processes. We supply our machines worldwide and employ around 500 people. Our product range is very broad: the smallest machines are the size of a table, while the largest weigh up to 40 tons and just barely fit on a truck. Our customers range from small carpenters who use shredders to process wood waste for heating, to large recycling companies that break down waste into individual components — and in doing so, generate substitute fuels as a secondary outcome.

Very interesting. Can you explain a bit how your customers actually operate? You mentioned examples like the paper industry, where paper waste is shredded. What happens to that waste afterward? How does the market work? Do you have any rough figures — like cost per ton or operating costs per ton of waste? Any insights?

Markus

That’s difficult to generalize, as it varies a lot. For a carpenter, the shredder is more of a necessary evil — it allows them to reuse their wood scraps. But for recycling and waste management companies, the shredder is a core part of the business model. They purchase material for price X, process it, and sell it for price Y — they earn from that margin.

For the carpenter, it’s more of a duty; for the recycling company, it’s a product.

Markus

Exactly, either as a secondary raw material or as a substitute fuel that is thermally recycled. Especially at large recycling companies, digitalization plays an important role. These systems process very high volumes — one of our larger machines handles 40 to 50 tons per hour and is integrated into a complete system with conveyors. These machines must run reliably and continuously. That’s where the potential for digitalization is greatest. So we’re starting with the larger customers — but we’re gradually expanding to support smaller machines and customers with our digital solutions as well.

[07:11] Challenges, potentials and status quo – This is what the use case looks like in practice

You’ve been active in the area of digitalization for quite a while now. What’s your vision for IoT and data — for you as a company, but also for your customers?

Markus

Our vision is summed up in the slogan of our customer portal: “Make your business easier.” We want to create a platform that makes our customers’ daily work easier — and also supports our sales and service partners. The portal should offer all the information and features needed to operate our machines while providing strong support for our subsidiaries. In essence: “Make our business easier” — so that both sides benefit.

When we talk about added value: Do you have examples of what your customers actually need? After all, investing in digitalization — like in MyUNTHA — is always a decision. Even if the return on investment isn’t immediately visible, there needs to be a clear benefit. What have you learned in recent years? Where have customers lost time or money because data wasn’t available or digital solutions were missing?

Markus

The requirements vary widely. For example, management or plant managers want to keep an eye on their processes — for that, we offer a reporting tool that shows at the end of the week whether the machine is performing or not. In maintenance, it’s more about documenting all service work, maintaining a clear overview, and ensuring the availability of spare parts. These are exactly the topics we’re addressing with the latest update of our customer portal. We can go into the specific apps we offer for this a bit later.

When it comes to data — do you have a real example from a customer?

Markus

Our large machines record up to 100 data points. The challenge is to process all of this in a way that gives the customer a simple indicator — ideally, a traffic light system showing: everything’s fine, action is required, or the machine is in a critical state. There isn’t a single data point that defines machine health — instead, there are many components within the shredder that need monitoring. One of our biggest learnings over the past few years: We’ve been providing tons of data, but customers often don’t know what to do with it. That’s why we’re now investing heavily in reducing this complexity and giving customers simple tools to quickly assess their machine’s condition.

I’m no shredder expert — can you explain what components are inside? What happens before and after the shredder, and what goes on inside it? How does a complete plant like that actually work?

Markus

Our shredder is usually part of a complete plant. Upstream and downstream of the shredder, there are conveyor belts, screening units, and other equipment. The shredder itself also contains integrated conveyors and various components, such as cooling systems to regulate the drive train and hydraulic systems to operate individual axes. Naturally, this also brings a certain amount of potential failure points that need to be taken into account.

Earlier you mentioned spare parts. Are we talking about parts from conveyor belts, cooling systems, or similar components? How does that usually work?

Markus

Yes, exactly. With our new spare parts catalog in the customer portal, we offer customers the ability to identify the required components using a 3D model and order them directly. In addition to spare parts, there are also many wear parts that need to be replaced regularly — especially around the cutting system. Inside the shredder, there is one or more cutting units that are heavily stressed by the material and therefore need to be continuously maintained and renewed.

Your machines have been running for years at the highest quality and with as few interruptions as possible. But wear parts are obviously an issue, and there are upstream and downstream processes that you can’t always control. Is the goal to collect data to predict when something will fail — or when to intervene proactively to avoid downtime?

Markus

Exactly, that’s what we’re working on. For individual components, we’re already running a beta version that aims to predict exactly that — not just based on operating hours, but on the actual condition of the component.

Before we dive into the solution: You’ve been active in this area for several years. Do your customers already have access to this data? How does that actually work? Are the data collected directly at the machine?

Markus

Yes, we’ve had access to the machine’s data points for years. UNTHA has invested heavily in digitalization. In our large machines, this is already standard. Robert already shared some technical details in the last podcast: We have a dedicated modem and an edge device that pre-processes the data before sending it to the cloud. There, they’re stored for a defined period and made available to the customer.

You just mentioned your investments. You also use portals or software solutions from partners. Who do you work with, and what was especially important for you and your customers when it comes to technical requirements? What exactly did you invest in?

Markus

Our key requirements for the customer portal were, first of all, adaptability — meaning the ability to integrate new features like the spare parts catalog seamlessly, without the customer noticing anything. Also, it was important for us to retain the rights to the platform — that is, access to the source code — so we can work independently and be well positioned for the future.

So by rights, you mean the rights granted to you by your software-as-a-service provider? As far as I know, you work together with elunic, right? So the idea is that you retain ownership of the platform, even for parts you’ve purchased?

Markus

Exactly, we wanted to retain full rights to the entire portal. We have found a competent partner for this in elunic. We particularly like the fact that elunic is constantly developing new solutions and offering features out of the box. One example is the Maintenance Manager, which we’ve taken from their toolbox and tailored to fit UNTHA’s needs. They’re also currently investing heavily in AI bots, and we hope to integrate those functionalities into our portal in the future as well.

Best regards to elunic, if you are listening! Make sure to subscribe to the podcast — there’s a dedicated episode on this topic coming soon. It’s truly a great partnership.

[16:49] Solutions, offerings and services – A look at the technologies used

Let’s dive into your solution. You have already mentioned GENIUS and the UNTHA portal. Could you summarize the name of your portal, what the solution actually is, and which modules it includes?

Markus

Gladly. Our customer portal consists of three main components: GENIUS, the maintenance manager and the spare parts catalog. The portal has been on the market for about four years. The main component to date has been GENIUS – the machine monitoring, reporting functions and a module to support our support team in evaluating measured values.
The new additions are the Maintenance Manager, which gives customers an overview of all maintenance activities and clearly explains how they should be carried out. This also addresses the skilled labor shortage by providing step-by-step instructions, so even untrained personnel can perform maintenance tasks. Users are also notified by SMS or email when maintenance is due.

Our biggest release is the Spare Parts Catalog with a 3D model. What’s great is that the value extends beyond our customers — it’s also a major benefit for our international sales offices, who don’t always have access to internal systems. With this tool, everyone speaks the same language — using the same part numbers and having access to information that wasn’t available before.

To summarize: GENIUS is available as a condition monitoring and reporting module that I can use to call up digital reports and carry out initial evaluations. Then there’s the maintenance management module, where I can plan and manage maintenance tasks. And the third is your new spare parts management module with the 3D model, where parts can be identified and reordered. Those are the three main areas, right?

Markus

Exactly. Our plan for the future is to further connect these three areas. For example, GENIUS will in future indicate when maintenance is required based on the condition of the components. In the next step, the spare parts catalog could directly suggest and provide the required wear parts or operating materials for ordering.

So practically speaking: Let’s say you detect abnormal readings on a machine — maybe on a conveyor belt or a cooling system — your service team could proactively step in and say, “We recommend replacing this part.” Is that the kind of scenario you’re aiming for?

Markus

Exactly. The idea is to combine digital services with real-world services — creating a sort of all-in-one solution so that customers no longer have to manage these tasks themselves.

I’d also like to highlight: This is probably about corrective maintenance. A lot of people talk about predictive maintenance — it’s a major buzzword. But making that a reality is a real challenge. The foundation is corrective maintenance based on available data — before launching a full-scale service operation. It’s a process, right? Talking about predictive maintenance means learning and evolving together with the customer.

Markus

Absolutely. A traffic light system sounds simple in theory, but behind it are lots of data points. The system also has to prove itself in real-world conditions. We’re currently testing such approaches using anomaly detection, but ultimately we have to demonstrate to the customer that it works reliably in practice.

Do you perform the anomaly detection with elunic components or do you develop it yourself?

Markus

We’re developing it in-house. The system runs directly on the edge device within the machine — to stay as close as possible to the system and avoid reliance on the cloud.

That makes sense. Are you also thinking in terms of an app store? Could it eventually be the case that you provide tools for customers or that customers can make their own developments available to others?

Markus

Yes, that’s actually something we’re working on. In recent years, we have realized that it is often difficult to reach the end customer directly due to multi-level sales. So we want to establish an app store within the customer portal to provide low-barrier access. Customers can activate apps with just a few clicks and use them directly in the portal. The advantage: Our machines are already digitalized and transmitting data. As a result, we can provide these solutions as turnkey offers. Customers can test them for two to three months and then decide for themselves whether they want to continue using and paying for them.

Very exciting! Many of our listeners come from manufacturing environments. If you’re interested in what you’ve heard, feel free to reach out to Markus — if that’s okay with you, I’ll include your LinkedIn profile in the show notes. I imagine there are some interesting applications in development, and it could be valuable to exchange ideas. One more question: Is all of this strictly for your own machines, or could you also integrate other types of shredders?

Markus

Right now, it’s primarily designed for UNTHA shredders. But when it comes to the spare parts catalog, there’s nothing stopping us from expanding it. We’ve already integrated components from our suppliers — for example, conveyor belts that we purchase — and they’re fully shown in the system, so customers can find and order those parts as well.

That’s great — especially when you think about the app store concept. It could be very interesting if, in the future, your distribution partners contribute their expertise to multiple digital solutions.

[24:43] Transferability, scaling and next steps – Here’s how you can use this use case

Do you have any personal experiences from the past five years you’d like to share? Are there things people should particularly watch out for — or common pitfalls that can be avoided?

Markus

Yes, definitely. One major point is complexity. Our customers are very diverse — some have a high level of digital maturity, others are just getting started. One key learning from the past few years is that you spend a lot of time thinking about digital business models and pricing structures — whether it’s by report, by login, or something else. But in the end, we always come back to “keep it simple”: make it as easy as possible to use and to bill, to ensure transparency and keep internal complexity low.

Another important point is monitoring, which we neglected for a long time. With the recent update, we implemented a strong backend tool to track traffic in the portal — partly to report to our management, but also to understand what our customers are really interested in and where we can further develop the portal. That creates much more transparency.

So you’re analyzing usage data in the portal to draw conclusions for product development — to optimize features and identify topics that matter most to your customers?

Markus

Exactly.

Very exciting! You also mentioned AI earlier — there’s clearly a lot happening on your end. What can we look forward to in the near future? What are you currently working on?

Markus

Right now, we’re focusing heavily on making our apps and features more interconnected — to deliver maximum value to our customers. A major step we’re planning is expanding our service desk. Customers will be able to open tickets and access a knowledge base — ideally supported by AI, so they can get answers quickly and easily. At the same time, we want to streamline internal processes, so both sides — customers and internal teams — benefit.

So your internal teams will also be able to access and use the data collaboratively?

Markus

Exactly. That’s especially important internationally. We have service locations around the world, and our service structure is complex. With the service desk, we want to create transparency — so we can, for example, understand how customers in Australia are being supported and improve global service overall.

Wonderful. If you’re interested, feel free to reach out directly to Markus. I’ll include the links to your portal in the show notes. Maybe there’s even a chance to schedule a demo and see how it works live. I’ve seen it myself — it’s impressive what’s already possible. Many thanks from my side for all the insights today! I found it particularly exciting that we talked about the plants themselves, the available data and the business case for your customers as well as the specific use cases that you solve with your modules – from condition monitoring with GENIUS to reporting, maintenance management and the new spare parts management. Thanks again for sharing your best practices and your perspective. Great to have you with us today! I’ll give you the final word.

Markus

Thank you, Madeleine, again for the invitation. This was definitely a great experience. I wish all the listeners a wonderful day.

Thanks so much, and have a great rest of the week! Take care. Bye.

Markus

Thank you, Madeleine. Bye!