Your Drilling Nachines deserve a digital upgrade – without any new investment
Your drilling machines are running — but do you know how efficient they really are?
Whether from Union, TOS Varnsdorf, Giddings & Lewis, Scharmann, SCHARMANN ECOFORCE, Pama, JUARISTI, SORALUCE, FPT, Lazzati, Wotan, Dörries Scharmann, Skoda, Fermat or others — many manufacturing companies in Germany still use powerful but non-transparent CNC drilling machines from a wide range of manufacturers, machine ages, and automation levels.
The machines drill, mill, and machine precisely — but nobody truly knows where time is being lost, how productive they really are, or how much energy they consume during operation.
Especially with older horizontal boring mills, plate drilling machines, or gantry drilling systems, the data foundation required for informed decisions is often missing. Different control systems, machining cycles, or machine types make it appear almost impossible to capture all drilling machines within one central system – but this is exactly where Novo AI comes in.
With the AI sensor system and the WatchMen platform, we make your CNC drilling machines visible — in real time, across manufacturers, and without interfering with the machine control system.
Our solution captures directly at the machine: machine states, drilling and machining cycles, runtimes, downtime, cycle deviations, and energy consumption.
Whether it is a Union table drilling machine, a Scharmann horizontal boring mill, or a TOS Varnsdorf machine from the 1990s — even CNC drilling machines that are more than 30 years old can be digitally upgraded with Novo AI simply, quickly, and with immediate benefits — completely without interrupting production.
Your drilling machines do not need to be new — they simply need to become measurably better.
No matter the machine age, no matter the manufacturer — we retrofit your drilling machines
Do you use drilling machines from Union, TOS Varnsdorf, Scharmann, Dörries Scharmann, Wotan, Pama, JUARISTI, SORALUCE, FPT, Lazzati, Skoda, Ingersoll, Giddings & Lewis, Lucas, HBM Machines, Toshiba, Asquith, Berthiez, Lymco, You Ji, Kira, Nomura, Dainichi, Alesa Monti, Sacem, Sacem-Greda, FERMAT, Kuraki, Zayer, Huller Hille, SIP, Stanko, Binns & Berry, Devlieg, Kearns-Richards, Henri Line, Niles-Simmons, Colgar, Comev, Giana, Jobs, San Rocco, Heckert, Cincinnati Gilbert, Rambaudi, Csepel, Tos Hostivar, Mecof, Sachman, Hüller Hille, Mandelli, MTE — or even discontinued brands such as Boehringer, Rambaudi, Froriep, or Naxos Union?
Perhaps even a mixed environment with different machine ages, control types, or machine formats? No problem. With Novo AI, you can retrofit all these machines simply, safely, and quickly — without expensive rebuilds and without interfering with the machine control system.
Our AI sensors are mounted externally on the machine — independent of machine type, condition, or year of manufacture. They capture high-resolution vibrations, acoustic data, and energy consumption directly at the machine and transfer this data in real time to our central WatchMen platform — or, if desired, directly into your existing ERP system.
Whether it is horizontally controlled boring mills from TOS Varnsdorf, a massive plate drilling machine from Skoda, a modern JUARISTI CNC machining center, or a refurbished Union boring mill from the 1980s:
We make every drilling machine visible and comparable — across manufacturers, retroactively, and completely without requiring IT expertise on your side.
Your machine park becomes a digital manufacturing system — standardized, efficient, and future-proof.
Fast & simple retrofitting — even without an IT team
Many companies operating drilling machines face a familiar challenge:
“We do not have an IT team and our employees are not digitalization experts — how is this supposed to work?”
The answer: With Novo AI, that is not a problem.
Our AI sensor can be installed in under 15 minutes per drilling machine — without interfering with the machine control system, without specialized knowledge, and without risk. All you need:
- A power connection
- A Wi-Fi connection or LAN port
The sensor is simply mounted externally on the drilling machines — no opening of the machine, no connection to the control system, no risk to warranties.
Afterwards, the sensor handles everything automatically:
It transfers the captured machine data in real time to our central WatchMen platform. There, you can immediately see:
👉 What your drilling machine is currently doing — live.
Typical captured machine states:
- Productive (e.g. active drilling process)
- Tool change / setup process
- Idle running (machine waiting for operator input)
- Unplanned downtime (e.g. malfunction)
- Planned stop (break, shift change)
- Maintenance / servicing
- Run-down time / cooling phase
- Setup mode / test operation
- Standby / energy-saving mode
Whether you operate Alzmetall column drilling machines from 1998, a Fehlmann bench drilling machine from the current series, or a mobile REMS unit — the retrofit process always works just as simply.
And if you need support?
Our support team is there for you — remotely or on-site, quickly and without complications. You do not need any technical experience — our solution works even if you have previously managed production using paper and Excel.
✅ No programming
✅ No IT configuration
✅ No risk
Simply get started. Instantly see what your drilling machines are truly capable of.
Direct integration into your ERP system — for seamless workflows
Do you already use an ERP system such as SAP, proALPHA, ABAS, Microsoft Dynamics, PSIpenta, Infor, Oxaion, or an industry-specific manufacturing solution? Perfect — because that is exactly where your drilling machines data belongs.
With Novo AI, connecting your drilling machines to the ERP system is simple, secure, and efficient. Our WatchMen platform was designed from the ground up to be open and flexible:
✅ Integration via API or standardized ERP connectors
✅ Automatic transfer of machine states, cycle data, and energy data
✅ Compatible with your existing infrastructure — no complex adjustments required
✅ Optional: Collaboration with your IT service provider or ERP partner
As soon as our AI sensor is installed on your drilling machine, it captures and transfers all relevant data to WatchMen in real time — from the current machine state to cycle-accurate analysis. This data can be integrated seamlessly into your ERP system, for example for:
- Production feedback directly from the shopfloor
- Productivity analysis on component level
- Cost accounting and post-calculation
- Energy consumption and sustainability reports (CO₂)
- Live KPIs for your production management or planning
You decide which data is transferred where, at what level of detail, and how frequently.
We advise you individually and implement the ERP integration together with you or your external partner — tailored specifically to your existing IT environment.
Your drilling machines will finally deliver more than just spindle speeds — they will provide valuable insights for your entire business.
Building trust — drilling machines in focus, people at the center
Digital transparency is now the key to efficient production — but especially when dealing with sensitive data, many legitimate questions arise:
“What exactly is being captured? Who can see the data? And is this about control?”
At Novo AI, the focus is not surveillance, but the optimization of your drilling processes. Our AI sensor delivers objective information about machine runtimes, drilling cycles, energy consumption, cycle deviations, and more — without interfering with the control system or making changes inside the machine.
Many employees on the shopfloor work based on experience and intuition. That works — until a machine suddenly stops, cycle times break down, or defective parts are produced. In those moments, the one critical piece of information needed for a fast decision is often missing.
This is exactly where WatchMen comes in.
Our platform shows in real time what is happening on your drilling machine — transparent, understandable, and precise. This allows your employees to:
- identify problems faster
- understand why idle phases occur
- see how efficiently drilling operations are currently running
- proactively adapt their way of working
Managers, in turn, receive a tool that allows them to:
- analyze processes objectively
- make decisions based on facts
- support teams more effectively
- develop improvements together
👉 The data shows causes, not just symptoms
👉 It makes relationships visible that were previously hidden
👉 It helps find solutions, not people to blame
That creates trust.
Because when everyone understands how their work contributes to overall performance, a new sense of teamwork emerges — supported by facts instead of assumptions.
The WatchMen platform is not a control instrument — it is a tool for relief. It helps avoid downtime, increase productivity — and above all: make everyday work simpler, clearer, and fairer.
Start now — without risk and with clear cost control
Getting started with digital machine transparency does not need to become a large-scale project.
Quite the opposite: With Novo AI, you can start small — and immediately see results.
Completely without major investment pressure.
Our solution is scalable step by step.
That means:
You can start with just one CNC drilling machine — whether from TOS Varnsdorf, Union, JUARISTI, or Scharmann — and experience the effects live.
Even with a single AI sensor, you gain valuable insights into:
- Machining times
- Idle phases
- Spindle downtime
- Cycle deviations
- Energy consumption
Your advantages when getting started:
✅ Low entry costs through pilot projects
We offer starter packages specifically designed for testing individual machines — without long-term commitments and without risk.
✅ Funding programs and support available
Together, we evaluate whether you can benefit from regional or national digitalization funding programs.
We actively support you with the application process and project documentation.
✅ Grow at your own pace
As soon as you recognize the added value, you can expand the retrofit to additional machines at any time — with a clear cost structure and a coordinated rollout.
Many of our customers report concrete “aha moments” after just a few days:
Where energy is being lost, where machining processes are interrupted, or where simple adjustments create a major impact.
The fact that Novo AI has also been presented with exactly this approach at events such as the Produktionsleiter-Forum underlines the industry’s trust in our solution.
Getting started with data-driven manufacturing using CNC drilling machines has never been this simple — or this secure.
0 Hours
Productive Machine Time Gained
0 Hours
Machine Idle Time Eliminated
0 MWh
Less Energy Waste
Questions or interested in learning more? We’re happy to help.