Kunde: REFCO Manufacturing Ltd.
Technologie: REACT Native, DJANGO Framework with Python, Microsoft AZURE, Bluetooth Low Energy
Founded in 1972, the Swiss company REFCO is a world-renowned supplier in the HVAC/R (refrigeration and air conditioning) market for tools and components.
The product range includes various products to support technicians in their daily work. The latest product generation dares to take the step into a digital future: the tools can be connected to each other via BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and the measured data can be transmitted in this way.
To support the technician as much as possible, REFCO Manufacturing Ltd. has commissioned soXes GmbH to develop the APP "REFMESH" for iOS and Android systems. This allows the technician to connect to the REFCO devices on site and read the measured data in real time, execute customer reports or transfer and display measurements logged over a longer period of time.
REFMESH is designed as the central tool for the refrigeration engineer's work with REFCO equipment. The free APP is available in the respective APP stores. Users create an account and will be automatically logged in in the future if desired. REFMESH offers the technician a wide range of possibilities and tools for carrying out his work. When the APP is started up, the connection to an available REFCO device is automatically established.
Since different metric systems are used depending on the country, the user can choose the units he uses himself. Values transferred from REFCO devices are automatically converted where necessary.
In addition to viewing the currently measured data in real time, the technician can also temporarily store the measured values for reporting and easily create screenshots of the displayed data. The measured data (pressure, temperature, vacuum) can also be recorded at different intervals over a longer period of time and displayed graphically in a time line in REFMESH.
Since the REFCO devices themselves can also log data over several days - without connection to an APP - the technician has the possibility of file transfer via the BLE-PLC interface. Of course, these data can also be displayed graphically in the APP.
Once the technician has successfully maintained and adjusted the refrigeration system, the measured data can be automatically inserted into a customer report. This report can easily be provided with the logo of the technician's company. The created reports are stored in the APP and can be sent as PDF files.
In addition to reading out the measured data, the APP also provides the technician with information on new firmware or coolant lists. These can be sent with a few clicks so that they can be installed on the respective devices.
An additional incentive to use the APP is the possibility of registering the REFCO devices used and thus benefit from an extended warranty. The registration process is triggered by scanning an individual QR code on the REFCO device.
The administration of users, device registrations or firmware/refrigerant updates is ensured by an admin tool to which only REFCO employees have access.
The introduction of the BLE-based REFCO devices and with it the REFMESH APP offers added value for technicians and their customers, especially in the area of reporting. Measured values no longer have to be transferred manually into forms, photos of the installation and plant can be taken directly with the mobile device and attached to reports.
But there are also new possibilities for REFCO. While REFMESH connects to the available devices at start-up, news, marketing measures or trade fairs can be displayed on the splash screen. The announcement of new products or updates is also conceivable.
The announced warranty extension should encourage technicians to register their devices. This data, as well as the number of registered users, is important information for the manufacturer in order to develop products and measures that are even closer to the customer.
REFMESH has also been designed to support other REFCO equipment. The introduction of further languages - including Asian and Arabic - is also already planned. The administration of the texts can also be carried out by the customer via the admin tool.
