Manufacturing companies manage their production processes on a daily basis. However, keeping these processes (e.g. machine utilization) optimal is difficult when companies work with manual or protocol-based methods. This is because measurements are time-consuming and error-prone, or relevant data is simply not available. This challenge is exacerbated when a company operates multiple factories at different locations, resulting in a multitude of interrelated processes.
Production processes can be optimized by processing sensor and machine data. Machines networked via sensors collect data, the analysis and evaluation of which generates new benefits: the status and utilization of the machines can thus be viewed continuously and in real time. New components of industrial production can also be integrated quickly. Visualization and evaluation methods (e.g. statistics and artificial intelligence) help to improve capacity utilization and work cycles.
Precision equipment manufacturer Nordson Corporation uses a digitized planning board. On this, all machines are mapped centrally in the dashboard so that orders can be flexibly assigned and changed.
The IT company Dualis uses a software application to calculate complex manufacturing processes. For this purpose, the data from orders, the required resources, set-up times as well as delivery times are analyzed. In this way, the individual components in production can be better coordinated and networked. The software can be used both in workshop control and in mass production.
Schaeffler, a supplier to the automotive and mechanical engineering industries, uses the Schaeffler Spindle Sense monitoring system. The system continuously measures the values of the spindle machine. Spindle utilization can then be optimized on the basis of this data.
The consulting company for engineering services imk Automotive offers virtual production planning and process evaluation with its ema software solution. For this purpose, data from industrial customers is collected and used to model and optimize individual work steps in the production process.
Companies can ensure optimal utilization of their productive capital through data-based management of their production processes. This directly improves value creation activities and indirectly improves the cost structure as well as customer relations. Optimal operating times and quantities as well as maximum utilization efficiency can increase the number of orders processed as well as their reliability and quality.
Sources: IundS AG (2020), DUALIS GmbH IT Solutions (2020), Autinity Systems (2018), imk Automotive (2018), ASU (2019)
