MG Bryan pilots cloud computing system to remotely manage equipment

With help from Rockwell Automation, heavy-equipment OEM MG Bryan Equipment is using cloud computing to remotely manage its high-tech fracturing equipment. The company’s new control and information system leverages Microsoft’s Windows Azure cloud computing platform to provide remote access to real-time information, automated maintenance alerts and service and parts delivery requests.

“In the oil and gas industry, production has to follow the resources and never takes a break,” said Matt Bryan, president of MG Bryan. “Fracturing vehicles operate in extreme, isolated environments. They typically require new oil filters every 200 hours and complete engine rebuilds after 4000 to 5000 hours of service. Leveraging the cloud, we can cost-effectively keep tabs on our equipment and help customers maximise asset uptime, dramatically improving their return on investment.”

Cloud computing offered MG Bryan a solution to building and managing its own data centres. Rockwell upgraded the company’s fracturing equipment with a system that brings together historical, relational and transactional data. Cloud computing gives MG Bryan access to a higher degree of connected intelligence, enabling new levels of customer service.

“Our alliance with Microsoft explores industrial uses for the cloud to open the door for our customers’ innovations,” said Sujeet Chand, Chief Technology Officer for Rockwell Australia.

“For MG Bryan, the cloud offers a highly scalable, cost-efficient method for storing and remotely accessing real-time information that will help extend equipment life cycles and optimise productivity. Focusing on building solutions that consider productivity, user-friendliness and connected intelligence in a scalable platform is how we leverage the pillars of Microsoft’s Discrete Industry Reference Architecture. We see this as an attractive solution for many other equipment builders and end users around the world.”

The new system enables MG Bryan to pull data from the cloud via mobile devices and web browsers to produce reports and dashboards on the condition of individual vehicles’ drivetrains and on hydraulic fracturing performance, as well as process performance and maintenance trends related to entire fleets.

“MG Bryan is differentiating itself itself in this market through transforming its business model using an innovative cloud approach that helps reduce project risk and cost of ownership while improving time-to-value,” said Caglayan Arkan, General Manager, Worldwide Manufacturing & Resources Sector, Microsoft.

“Microsoft provided a framework that helped Rockwell Automation take advantage of Windows Azure for high-efficiency operations management in remote production environments. This platform can improve business performance and dramatically reduce system cost and complexity for MG Bryan.”