WAVE Partners with Interkey: AI-Native Machine Control for Freeze Dryers
From batch numbers to notifications when the product is dry: what the AI-native control system Interkey Brain delivers on WAVE machines in customer production — with a look at the system in action.
Vienna, 22 July 2026 — WAVE Trockensysteme and Interkey are announcing a technology partnership: WAVE is deploying Interkey Brain, an AI-native industrial control system that replaces the traditional PLC/SCADA/HMI stack with a single cabinet.
Why we did this
Every custom freeze dryer needs custom control: PLC code, operator screens, alarm tables, wiring diagrams, recipe logic. Done the traditional way, that means several vendor tools, weeks of engineering — and a PLC specialist for every change. With Brain, the control logic is generated from the requirements; operator screens and alarm tables take days instead of weeks.
But more important than the engineering time is what the control system does for the customer in daily operation — that is where a machine earns its keep.
What Brain actually delivers in production
Production integration — all the way to the invoice
Brain observes the drying process, automatically assigns batch numbers and documents the process history per batch. The operator’s customer receives the batch information right along with the invoice — full traceability without paperwork.
Notifications to people and machines
When the product is dry, the machine says so — to the operator, or directly to the next machine in the line. If there is a problem (vacuum, temperature, pressure), Brain immediately alerts the right people, around the clock.
Multiple chambers, one Brain
A single Brain controls several drying chambers in parallel — with separate recipes, separate logging and one shared overview. That saves hardware and makes scaling production straightforward.
Access control and audit logging
Who changed which recipe when, who started which batch, who acknowledged which alarm? Brain manages per-user access and logs every intervention — the foundation for audits and quality-critical production.
Finer process control
Nitrogen flooding integrated into the process, precise pressure control across the individual drying phases, different temperatures on different shelves, additional safety layers — functions that would classically require costly custom programming are configurable in Brain.
What Interkey Brain replaces
| Before (traditional stack) | With Interkey Brain |
|---|---|
| PLC + engineering suite | AI generates the control code from requirements |
| Separate SCADA software | Built into one cabinet |
| HMI panel from a third vendor | Operator screens created in days |
| Hand-drawn wiring diagrams | Auto-generated |
| Manual alarm configuration | Alarm tables created by the AI agent |
| External recipe scripts | Native recipe engine |
AI that stays in the building
A detail that matters to our pharma and food customers: the AI runs on a local LLM. No process data, no recipes, no batch information leaves the machine. The system is aligned with the EU AI Act.
And the proven technology?
Our current production machines, including the IC570MAX, run on the established Siemens/ABB industrial stack — that does not change. Brain is being introduced machine by machine, wherever customers need the new capabilities.
“Brain is changing our complete approach to machine programming. We have less cost and so much more to offer to the customer.” — WAVE Trockensysteme
Learn more about Interkey Brain at interkey.com →
Questions about our machines?
Whether standard control or AI-native — we build the freeze dryer to fit your product and process. Talk to us about your requirements.
Contact us