Use Cases

Real-world deployments with FK

See exactly how FK plugs into your existing setup and what production data you get — no PLC changes, no new wiring.

Use Case #1 Production Counting

Count Any Product in Real Time

If you already have a sensor that detects your product — a photoelectric eye, inductive proximity or capacitive sensor — you can add an FK-1 inline in 5 minutes. No PLC changes, no new wiring, no IT involvement. The FK-1 reads every pulse and streams live production data to the cloud.

What you need

1

Your existing M12 sensor

Any photoelectric, inductive or capacitive sensor already on the line. No changes needed — FK clips inline.

2

FK-1 device

Plugs in series on the M12 cable between your sensor and the machine. Powered by the cable itself — no external supply.

3

WiFi or cellular coverage

FK-1 WiFi connects to your plant network. FK-1 Cellular works anywhere with LTE — no IT access required.

How it connects

Existing Sensor
M12 · already wired
M12 cable
FK-1 device
Plugs inline · reads every pulse
M12 cable
Machine / PLC
Unchanged — sees sensor as before
WiFi / LTE
Cloud Portal
Live data · trends · alerts

The FK-1 is fully transparent to the machine — it reads the sensor signal without interrupting it. Your PLC sees the sensor exactly as before.

What you see in the portal

Live count
12,847
units this shift
Running total, reset per shift or per day
PPM
18.3
parts / minute
Parts per minute, calculated in real time
Hourly rate
1,098
units / hour
Units produced per hour, updated every minute
Daily total
87,240
units today
Cumulative count since shift start or midnight
Trend & history
30 days
of stored data
Production trend over days, weeks, months — all stored in the cloud
Threshold alerts
Email alerts
configurable target
Email alert if production rate drops below your target

Works for any product

Bottles Cans Cases & cartons Pallets Parts Bags Boxes Trays Bins Any unit your sensor sees
Use Case #2 Downtime & Performance

Automatic Downtime Detection & MTBF

By monitoring the interval between pulses, FK-1 automatically detects when an asset stops and restarts — no PLC change, no rewiring. Add an optional reject sensor on Input #2 and you have a complete view of asset health: availability, MTBF, MTTR, reject rate and average speed — all in real time.

What you need

1

Main Pulse Sensor

Detects good parts. If no pulses are seen for a set time (e.g. 60s), the machine is declared DOWN.

2

Optional Reject Sensor

Connect to the 2nd FK-1 input to count scrapped parts and calculate yield/quality in real time.

3

FK-1 device

Processes the timing logic locally. Only transmits state changes to save data — works on WiFi or LTE.

How it connects

Input #1: Good Parts
Pulse = Production
FK-1 device
Logic: Pulse watchdog
Input #2: Rejects
Pulse = Scrapped

No pulses on Input #1 for > timeout = DOWN. Pulse on Input #2 = Quality Loss. Uptime, MTTR, and Yield are calculated automatically.

Performance & Health Dashboard

Uptime %
94.2%
Availability
Actual runtime vs scheduled shift time
MTBF
4.8h
Mean Time Between Failure
Average time the machine runs without stopping
MTTR
12m
Mean Time To Repair
Average duration of downtime events
Reject Rate
1.2%
Quality yield
Percentage of scrapped parts monitored on Input #2
Speed (Avg)
142
units / min
Average production speed while machine is UP
Stop Count
4
events today
Number of downtime events recorded in the current shift or day

Works for any machine

Packaging machines Labelers Fillers Blow molders Cartoners Conveyors Assembly cells
Coming next

More use cases in progress

Each guide shows the exact sensor wiring, what FK model to use, and what data you get in the portal.

Coming soon

Machine Runtime & OEE

Connect to a machine-running signal and get uptime, downtime, and OEE automatically.

Coming soon

Vibration & Predictive Maintenance

Use the FK-2's built-in IMU to catch early signs of bearing wear before failure.

Coming soon

Injection Mold Cycle Tracking

Count shots, track cycle time drift, and monitor mold temperature via analog input.

Ready to see your assets live?