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Initial Situation and Challenges
In the production environment of the RONAL GROUP, numerous industrial-grade terminals were in operation, which primarily required just a single application: IBM i emulation or an internal web application.
Despite the limited scope of functionality, each terminal had a full Windows operating system installed (XP through 10). This resulted in:
️ Implementation with openthinclient
In the first step, various thin client concepts and vendors were evaluated. The choice fell on openthinclient, as this solution met several key requirements:
• PXE boot, automatic application starts, quick replacement (< 5 min)
• central management in kiosk mode
• continued use of robust Hematec terminals (–20 °C to +60 °C)
Technical Requirements
All technical requirements placed on an industrial IT system were successfully implemented.
• Fast deployment: network boot via PXE, centralized configuration management
• High security: locked USB interfaces, read-only OS
• Minimal maintenance: no local updates required, replacement within minutes
• Scalability: DE, MX, CZ, PL, additional plants possible
Conclusion and Feedback
The deployment has proven so convincing that openthinclient has now been defined as a group-wide standard for production environments.
• Production availability increases significantly; downtime and outage costs are reduced.
• Administrative effort is reduced to a minimum: centralized console instead of manual client maintenance.
• IT security is improved: no unnecessary programs, no data extraction via USB.
• Employees can focus on core tasks — no more “time-wasting” at the terminal.
• The solution has proven itself and has been established company-wide as a group standard.
“Let’s assume a terminal on the production floor breaks down today. Then I go to the warehouse, get a new one … create an IP reservation in DHCP and add it in the openthinclient Manager. All of this, including booting and walking time, takes about 5 minutes, and then the colleague can continue working. With our previous Windows solution, installing the image alone already took around four hours.”
Fabian Burkhart – Administrator
RONAL GROUP
The RONAL GROUP, headquartered in Härkingen, Switzerland, employs around 7,000 people worldwide across two different business divisions. The company was founded in Germany in 1969. Production facilities for both divisions are located in twelve countries worldwide.
The RONAL Wheels division is one of the leading manufacturers of light alloy wheels for passenger cars and commercial vehicles. RONAL Bathrooms produces high-quality products for the bathroom and wellness sector.