A manufacturing automation case study: Bridging incompatible machinery with single port KVM-over-IP switches

Highlights

A South Korean industrial automation provider faced a critical challenge: two incompatible manufacturing machines required constant technician oversight to coordinate operations. By partnering with Legrand Data Center Solutions and deploying customized Raritan Dominion KX IV-101 KVM-over-IP switches, the team developed a bespoke integration that:

• Reduced labor costs by 50% through full automation
• Eliminated manual intervention between incompatible systems
• Created a scalable model now deployed across 500+ units
• Delivered rapid ROI through streamlined operations

The client, a technology company based in South Korea, specializes in industrial automation, delivering technology solutions that drive efficiency across semiconductor and display manufacturing.

The Challenge: Incompatible Machinery Demanding Constant Manual Oversight

Many manufacturers face challenges integrating legacy machinery, enabling machine-to-machine communication, and reducing reliance on manual intervention.

Like its contemporaries, the client’s end user encountered this issue at their facilities. Two critical production machines needed to communicate and coordinate actions, yet their systems were inherently incompatible.

The result? A technician was required on-site daily to manually manage the workflow between these machines. This approach was:

• Labor-intensive – Skilled technicians tied to repetitive oversight tasks
• Inefficient – Human availability dictated production flow
• Unsustainable – South Korea's talent shortage made every technician hour precious
• Error-prone – Manual coordination introduced latency and potential mistakes

The client needed a solution that could bridge this compatibility gap without replacing expensive, functional machinery. They turned to Legrand Data Center Solutions (LDCS) for technical expertise and collaborative problem-solving.

The Solution: Custom KVM Integration Through Collaborative Engineering

Phase 1: Understanding the Workflow

From the outset, LDCS approached the project as an engineering partnership. Rather than proposing an off-the-shelf product, the team invested time in understanding:

• The technical requirements of both machines
• The end user's broader manufacturing workflow
• How automation could replicate technician decision-making

Phase 2: Selecting and Customizing the Hardware

The LDCS team identified the Raritan Dominion KX IV-101 (DKX4-101) KVM-over-IP switch as the ideal foundation as it could provide BIOS-level remote access to servers and serial devices, Java-free, anytime/anywhere access via HTML5 interface, and virtual media transfers three times faster than previous generations of devices, among other features.

However, the standard product included accessories and packaging that added cost without value for this project. Working with the Taiwan-based team, LDCS created a streamlined variant: the DKX4-101GS. This customized version stripped away non-essential components, delivering precisely the functionality required at a cost aligned with project objectives.

Phase 3: Technical Integration and SDK/API Development

The integration demanded deep software-level work. The client's lead engineer, drawing on extensive experience in production equipment automation, needed to connect the DKX4-101 switches with the end user's existing OCR (optical character recognition) solution.

The architecture worked as follows:

• One DKX4-101 connected to each target machine
• OCR solution captured real-time production line data
• Data fed into an embedded industrial PC
• This PC communicated with both DKX4-101 units
• Switches exchanged data and issued coordinated commands automatically

This required sophisticated SDK/API development. Throughout the process, LDCS provided:

• Ongoing access to product expertise
• Detailed guidance on SDK functionality and API behavior
• Technical documentation on the DKX4-101's underlying architecture
• Support for understanding remote access capabilities and serial device management

Phase 4: Testing, Iteration, and Deployment

The proposed configuration—using KVM switches to bridge incompatible machinery—was unconventional. Rather than retreating to standard solutions, the LDCS team embraced the uncertainty and committed to rigorous testing.

Multiple validation cycles followed, with LDCS engineers working alongside the client and end user teams to:

• Verify communication protocols between all components
• Test edge cases and failure scenarios
• Refine the integration based on production data
• Optimize response times for coordinated machine commands

To support the client's installation schedule, LDCS also provided forecasting assistance and expedited delivery timelines, ensuring a reliable supply of DKX4-101GS units throughout the rollout.

The Results: 50% Labor Cost Savings and Scalable Automation

The impact was immediate and measurable across three key dimensions:

1.       Labor Cost Reduction: 50% Savings

Technicians previously required for daily machine oversight were redeployed to higher-value tasks. In South Korea's competitive talent market, this efficiency gain translated directly to bottom-line improvement.

2.       Factory Efficiency Gains

Automated, uninterrupted workflows replaced human-dependent coordination. Production no longer paused for shift changes, breaks, or technician availability. Machines communicated and coordinated continuously.

3.       Scalable Integration Model

The pilot project proved the concept. The client now has a proven methodology for bridging incompatible machinery that can be rolled out across the facility—and potentially to other manufacturing clients facing similar challenges.

To date, over 500 units of the streamlined DKX4-101GS variant have been shipped, and the project remains ongoing as the client expands the integration into additional equipment.

Why This Project Succeeded: The Power of Partnership

For the client, this project reinforced a fundamental truth: the right technology matters, but the right partnership matters more.

It is this combination of engineering competence and collaborative flexibility, rooted in decades of industrial experience, that defines the future of automation integration. When standard solutions fall short, true partners build something better together.

About the Dominion KX IV-101 KVM-over-IP Switch

The Raritan Dominion KX IV-101 is a single-port KVM-over-IP switch engineered for high-performance remote management. Key specifications include:

• Ultra HD 4K video resolution for crystal-clear remote visualization
• All-digital architecture delivering superior video quality
• HTML5 web-based UI accessible from PC, laptop, or smartphone
• BIOS-level access to servers and up to eight serial devices
• Java-free operation for security and compatibility
• Virtual media transfers up to 3x faster than previous generation

Read more about the product here.