Remote Access for Maintenance of Industrial Compressors

Background

A global manufacturer of industrial air compressors, with installations across Europe and North America, required a better way to monitor and maintain machines deployed at customer sites. The traditional model — dispatching service technicians on-site for diagnostics and updates — proved inefficient, costly, and slow, especially for geographically distributed fleets.

To stay competitive, the company needed a secure and scalable remote access solution that would allow engineers to remotely diagnose faults, collect performance data, and implement predictive maintenance — even across machines installed behind firewalls or in isolated industrial networks.

System Requirements

The project was driven by the need to:

• Enable secure remote service access to compressors at customer sites.
• Support predictive maintenance via real-time data collection and analysis.
• Ensure easy deployment without extensive on-site configuration.
• Work across global cellular networks (Europe and USA).
• Manage all connected sites through a single centralized platform.
• Provide encrypted communication and detailed user access control.

Critically, the solution had to avoid exposing devices to the public Internet, while remaining simple to scale and maintain.

System Description

To achieve these goals, the customer implemented Advantech's ICR-4271 industrial LTE router — a globally certified device with support for both European and North American mobile networks. Each compressor site was equipped with a preconfigured ICR-4271, which connects securely to Advantech’s centralized management platform: WebAccess/DMP.

WebAccess/DMP acts as the single control center for all devices and provides:

• Encrypted remote access to field devices through a secure tunnel.
• Centralized management of VPN topology, access rights, and network configuration.
• Zero Touch Deployment, enabling plug-and-play setup.
• Remote diagnostics, logging, and device health monitoring.
• Integration of user-based access control for service teams.

Thanks to the RS232 support on ICR routers, the solution could also communicate with older compressors using legacy protocols, routing that data securely over IP.

Project Implementation

The rollout was executed with a fully automated provisioning process. Routers were preloaded with all necessary configurations, including security credentials and site-specific settings, and sent directly to customer locations. Upon installation and power-up, each device autonomously connected to the LTE network and established a secure connection with WebAccess/DMP.

Service engineers can now:

• Remotely log in to compressor control units.
• Access live performance metrics and error logs.
• Run firmware upgrades and configuration changes.
• Proactively identify faults before failure occurs.

WebAccess/DMP provides a complete overview of the fleet, with map-based device tracking, remote software updates, and automated alerts for diagnostic events.

The solution was deployed across multiple countries, with local mobile operators providing connectivity, but all devices centrally managed and monitored.

System Diagram

Conclusion

By adopting a modern, globally compatible remote access solution built on WebAccess/DMP and ICR-4271 routers, the compressor manufacturer has significantly enhanced its service operations.

The company now benefits from:

• Faster response times, reduced site visits.
• Lower maintenance costs through predictive analytics.
• A unified, secure, and scalable architecture ready for global expansion.
• Seamless support for both modern and legacy equipment.

This transformation not only reduced operational friction but also enabled a shift to a smarter, more sustainable service model — a clear competitive advantage in a demanding industrial environment.