Overview

It is a modular hardware and software solution that digitally links machines, users and processes and makes them remotely trackable. Each device with a power cable - from the laser cutter to the coffee machine - can be connected to your 2log instance with the 2log Switch within a few minutes.

Your benefits:

• Protect the machines from unauthorized use thanks to individual usage authorizations.
• Bill machine run time either as a flat rate or by the second based on time of use.
• Transfer your existing machinery to 2log. No changes to the machines are necessary - the manufacturer‘s warranty for the equipment is retained.
• Reduce your power consumption. Unused machines switch off automatically.
• Receive statistics on the use of your machines. With 2log you can monitor the load in real time. You can see at any time who has been working on which machine when and where.
• Use the 2log admin app or the web platform to always have a full overview of the processes in your workshop.
• Integrate 2log into your existing systems (e.g. CoBot).
• Bill products like coffee or snacks with a self service terminal.
• Easy authentication via RFID cards or with with the 2log App by scanning QR Codes.

How it works

In order to integrate a machine into 2log, no structural changes need to be made. The 2log switch is simply plugged between the power plug of the machine and the socket. The setup process is so simple that you can easily do it yourself in minutes.

Features

User Management

• Create and manage users directly in the web frontend or import them in bulk via CSV.
• Group permissions, optionally with an expiry date:
  • Groups are freely definable: a group contains any number of machines, and a user can belong to several groups.
  • This works well in combination with courses - a user is added to the “3D printing” group after completing the 3D printer introduction.
  • When a new printer arrives, you simply add it to the group and every member of that group gets access to it. No need to touch each user individually.
• Individual permissions, optionally with an expiry date. They can override group permissions.
• Card management: a user can have several cards, and every card can be deactivated or deleted separately.
• Once a user has been created, they can request a one-time password to the email address stored in their account to activate it on first use of the app.
• Automatic email notification after every completed payment.
• Prepaid or postpaid mode: accounts can be topped up in advance, or - if you prefer - be allowed to go into the negative.
• Administrator accounts are kept separate from regular user accounts.
• Any Dot can be configured as an “Admin Dot”, so new cards can be read in directly from the web app while creating a user.

Machine Control

• Generic connection via Shelly plugs
  • Machines are released via the Shelly relay - no login, no power.
  • Run time is detected from the actual power consumption. The threshold is set with a slider directly in the consumption graph in the UI, including a time reference.
  • No firmware modification required - Shelly devices are supported directly through their API.
• Custom connection via Qt plugins
  • Power switching can still be handled by a Shelly plug.
  • Run time detection through third-party APIs, for example PrusaLink. Support for BambuLab printers is coming next.
• Flexible pricing models
  • By usage time (actual productive time)
  • By session duration (the time a user is logged in)
  • Flat rate per login
  • Flat rate per job
  • Freely definable interval (X € every Y seconds)
• Machine run time counter that can be reset, for example after maintenance.
• Login at the machine
  • Via NFC card using the 2log Dot card reader: ESP32 based, built from through-hole components available in any maker shop and easy to solder. Firmware flashing and provisioning now run straight from your web browser.
  • Via QR code and the 2log App, available in the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. QR codes can be static or generated dynamically, changing every few seconds - for this you need a display that shows the current code.
• Maintenance mode: a machine can be temporarily disabled. The Dot turns red and no login is possible.
• Secondary devices, primarily intended for dust extraction
  • Secondary devices are assigned to machines.
  • The secondary device switches on automatically as soon as the primary device is activated.
  • Optionally with a hard dependency: the primary device (a laser cutter, for example) can only be activated if the extraction is actually running.
  • One secondary device can be assigned to several primary devices - two saws can share one extraction unit.
• Minimum balance: If the user does not have enough money in their account, the machine will not be authorised.

Learn more in the Machine Control section.

Statistics Dashboard

• Run time distribution across all machines
• Revenue distribution across all machines
• Active users within a given period
• Revenue within a given period
• Average activity per user
• Daily revenue within a given period
• Tracking of product sales

Activity Tracking

• User detail page: which machines a user has used, and when (filterable by period).
• Machine detail page: which users worked on the machine and when (filterable by period).
• Total operating hours counter, plus a second counter with a reset function - for example to track the hours since the last maintenance.

Virtual Tally Sheet

• Sell drinks, snacks, materials or anything else through the members’ 2log accounts.
• Product page with a price list that can be maintained directly from the login page, with live price updates.
• Sales via the Android app on a tablet, either in self-service or in cashier mode.
• Payment directly at the 2log Dot with the member card. See the Selling Products section for details.

REST API

Almost everything in 2log can be connected and controlled through REST APIs - see the REST API documentation.

Frontend

• The frontend is connected via WebSocket, so machine and user states are updated instantly.
• Live dashboard: the Docker Compose file ships with a web server that hosts the frontend.

Where should I go next?

• Showcases: Take a look at the showcases. Real workshops where 2log is in use day in, day out!