Strategic software alliance for a new information era

With its “Heidelberg goes digital” strategy, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) is on the journey toward becoming a digital, agile company while also supporting its customers’ transition into the digital age through innovative software solutions and business models. Together with its subsidiary DOCUFY, Heidelberg is pursuing the further development of the COSIMA Component Content Management System and the TopicPilot mobile content delivery platform for the smart creation, classification, and mobile use of company-wide content throughout the product life cycle, from development to service. An interface to the Heidelberg’s intuitive View2Connect collaboration and communication platform increases the value of the engineering bill of materials within a company and ideally links CAD/PLM, ERP, and technical content management. Additional integrated tools from Heidelberg, such as the content publisher for ERP, PLM, and CMS sources, round out the practical applications of the solutions provided.

Since the acquisition of DOCUFY in May 2017, Heidelberg has been using the COSIMA Component Content Delivery System to create its own technical documentation and make it available through the TopicPilot mobile publication platform. COSIMA and TopicPilot have developed into key pillars of Heidelberg’s portfolio for supporting customers as they transform into digital companies.

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hermann, Chief Digital Officer Lifecycle Solutions at Heidelberg, says:
“COSIMA is a fully developed, ready-to-use Component Content Management System for the documentation process that can be adapted to meet specific customer needs and can be used in mechanical or plant engineering, measurement or control technology, and software. Information should be stored and intelligently managed throughout the entire product life cycle, from development to service, and can be accessed from mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers by using the TopicPilot publication platform. This allows us to provide ourselves and our customers with consistent digital and mobile information management.” By developing COSIMA and TopicPilot, Hermann plans to expand the Heidelberg Platforms division’s portfolio to include additional innovative applications that are easy to implement.

Maintenance 4.0 with View2Connect, COSIMA, TopicPilot, and REFLEKT ONE in planning
Hartmut Ball, Head of Heidelberg Platforms and Vice President Heidelberg PLM, adds: “We immediately recognized the potential of the DOCUFY software for the implementation of Heidelberg Maintenance 4.0. COSIMA can be used to track the maintenance steps for various machines and link them to descriptions of the way that maintenance is carried out. In turn, the mobile publication platform TopicPilot transmits all of this information to the service technician’s smartphone or tablet. What is special about this is that specific maintenance lists can be displayed there for each machine and maintenance interval. The integrated log function allows the user to check off maintenance steps that have already been carried out, to add images and comments to them, and to save them centrally in the system. View2Connect then even presents maintenance tasks in the form of 3D instructions. TopicPilot and its link to the AR platform REFLEKT ONE can provide technicians with updated AR content.”

3D spare parts documentation for Wallbox Home Eco thanks to COSIMA and View2Connect
Wallbox Home Eco impressively demonstrates the potential that can be unleashed by combining COSIMA and View2Connect. For this high-performance charging device for electric cars, Heidelberg has introduced a new combination of descriptive documentation and 3D spare parts documentation from a single source.

Using augmented reality applications in industry with kothes
The ability to link 3D data with information also simplifies the use of AR applications, thereby promoting their industrial use. Linking the REFLEKT ONE AR platform to View2Connect, COSIMA, and TopicPilot allows companies to enhance existing manuals and instructions through augmented reality and provide extensive AR-based instructions. The documentation specialists from kothes are happy to assist DOCUFY customers by offering their practical experience so as to ensure the introduction, operation and integration.

Leveraging software symbiosis with strategic partners
Prof. Dr. Hermann sums it up: “For Heidelberg, the software integration of COSIMA, TopicPilot, View2Connect, and REFLEKT ONE is an ideal opportunity to digitally map a machine’s product life cycle, from development to service, and to enable the intelligent and mobile use of said information. We therefore plan to invest intensive efforts in the further development of COSIMA, TopicPilot, and View2Connect while also reinforcing our partnerships with RE’FLEKT and kothes with the aim of jointly ensuring an established place for future-proof solutions for Industry 4.0 and for the industrial application of augmented reality.”

View2Connect at tekom at DOCUFY’s booth
From November 13 to 15, 2018, Heidelberg showcased synergies and potential for value creation through the real-life use of View2Connect at DOCUFY’s booth at the tekom Annual Conference in Stuttgart, the largest international industry event for technical communication.

Software integration from Heidelberg, DOCUFY, and RE’FLEKT enables the intelligent, mobile, and AR use of content.