PVA Industrial Vacuum Systems GmbH, a subsidiary of PVA TePla AG, develops and manufactures high-vacuum and heat-treatment systems for joining, brazing, and sintering processes. The machines reach temperatures of up to 2,000 degrees Celsius at pressures of up to 200 bar. The systems are used in various industries, for example in medical technology and electrical engineering.
PVA operates more than 20 additional subsidiaries worldwide. Against this background, internal and external service communication was to be standardized. At the same time, a robust foundation was to be created to enable the standardized transfer of machine data to customer systems and internal systems. The technical implementation is carried out jointly with Kontron AIS, which provides both the IoT device management solution and the customer portal.
The challenge: Modernizing established service and IT structures – for greater transparency and alignment
Historically, many service units used different tools and established Excel-based structures. As a result, documentation and knowledge were distributed decentrally—a typical situation in globally grown mechanical engineering organizations. At the same time, customer demand—particularly in medical technology and electrical engineering—for digital insight into machine conditions, energy consumption, and maintenance intervals continued to increase. Against this backdrop, the need arose to harmonize processes more strongly and make machine data reliably available.
To achieve this, PVA required a scalable solution that securely and consistently transfers machine data to customers’ local IT systems while digitalizing internal maintenance and service processes. At the same time, compliance with the requirements of the new EU Machinery Regulation and the Data Act was essential, as were data sovereignty and cybersecurity.
Additional key challenges included change management and employee acceptance. There were also questions regarding customer data sharing and data protection, as process data remains with the customer. Furthermore, technical standardization had to be implemented across numerous subsidiaries.
The solution: A standardized IoT architecture with edge connectivity and a digital service portal
PVA and Kontron AIS developed a unified IoT architecture based on EquipmentCloud®. At its core is a standardized hardware platform, the Kontron KBox A-151-EKL. This industrial edge device captures data directly at the machine, securely connects OT and IT, and thus provides the technical foundation for all subsequent steps.
In parallel with the external IoT integration, PVA modernized its internal service processes. While the edge device and OPC UA for Machinery provide the data foundation for customers, an internal digital ticketing system ensures structured workflows and traceable communication. In this way, technology and organization grow together.
The overall solution comprises OPC UA for Machinery as a standardized machine interface as well as a central edge gateway for local data acquisition and secure transmission. This was implemented using the low-code integration software FabEagle® Connect. In addition, a Docker-based container architecture is used for flexible software deployment via IoT device management, along with EquipmentCloud® as a customer portal for documentation, maintenance schedules, and service communication, and an internal ticketing system for end-to-end tracking of all service activities.
The concept was initially piloted in selected units and has since been gradually rolled out across the entire group.
On this basis, a unified data interface is being established for all PVA subsidiaries. Machine parameters such as temperature, pressure, as well as gas and energy consumption are read locally, transferred via the edge device into the standardized OPC UA model, and made available through the customer’s own IT infrastructure. Data provisioning deliberately takes place on the customer side. Security and compliance with the requirements of the EU Machinery Regulation are central priorities.
To build trust, PVA initially adopts a passive data strategy. Customers gain access to documentation, maintenance plans, and operating manuals via the platform. Live data is integrated only in a subsequent step. This approach creates transparency without disclosing sensitive process data. The KBox A-151-EKL edge device was selected to cover all machine sizes. Thanks to Docker, the software can be scaled and maintained flexibly.
Kontron supports PVA both strategically and technically. This includes assessing regulatory requirements—such as those arising from the EU Data Act, the new Machinery Regulation, or AI-related regulations—and assisting with their implementation within the project.
The result: Standardized data flows and digitized service processes – a scalable foundation for further data-driven services
The implementation has resulted in a unified connectivity structure that is being gradually adopted by PVA’s subsidiaries. Machines and systems worldwide can now be connected according to the same principle. This simplifies integration and improves data exchange across locations.
Standardized data provisioning via OPC UA and the edge device ensures that machine data is available consistently, securely, and in a vendor-independent manner. Customers can integrate this data directly into their own IT and MES systems without the need for additional interfaces.
Service processes are now largely digitized and significantly more transparent. The integrated maintenance and ticketing system provides end-to-end documentation of activities and centrally supplies information on equipment, maintenance intervals, and service operations. Through the customer portal based on EquipmentCloud®, documentation, maintenance plans, and communication channels are bundled in one place. Customers and service teams interact directly there, accelerating collaboration.
Through training and a clear tool strategy, acceptance within the organization increased. Employees from service and engineering were actively involved in the digital transformation. The central data and service platform creates the foundation for data-driven services with tangible added value and supports closer, continuous collaboration with customers. With structured machine data, additional services and predictive maintenance models can be implemented in the future. Kontron AIS provides the technical foundation through the edge device and customer portal and supports the continued expansion of the solution.
Technologies used
- Kontron AIS EquipmentCloud® as a digital customer portal
- Kontron KBox A-151 EKL as the edge device
- OPC UA for Machinery as the standard protocol, implemented using the low-code integration software FabEagle® Connect from Kontron AIS
- Docker containers for software deployment via Kontron AIS IoT device management, KontronGrid
- Secure data architecture aligned with the requirements of the EU Data Act and the new Machinery Regulation
