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Case Study: Digitalize, monitor & track manual manufacturing processes

Case Study Details

Client: Leading Filling & Packing Materials Company​

Industry: Manufacturing

Location: Middle East

Services: Product Development, Data Platform, Data Analytics

Challenge

Phase 1:

Client is a leading provider of Filling & Packing Materials in Middle East, who wants to digitalize, monitor & track manual manufacturing processes to improve production capacity, reduce production costs and increase overall production visibility.

Phase 2:

 Additionally, the client wants to increase their automation processes by robots, smart manufacturing machines and modifying machines after lean manufacturing principles.

Production Machine Monitoring

The ability to measure each machines production time versus idle time is not given. Therefore it is difficult to estimate the production performance of produced goods per time precisely and there is no possibility to improve processes based on this missing knowledge. Failures or unwanted machine errors can not be identified in advance.

Worker Monitoring

Due to manual labor and processes done by hand the performance and exact productivity volume per worker goes unchecked. There is no possibility to track the check-in & check-out time of each worker on operation. Furthermore, productivity bottlenecks can not be identified or understood if it is arising from human or machine error. Missing is the ability to motivate workers performance by salary bonuses based on amount of produced goods.

Produced Goods Tracking

The goods can not be tracked & monitored in real-time by each section, production line or single machine. The flow of each good throughout its entire production process can not be followed for full transparency. 

Energy Management

In todays manufacturing industry the importance of real-time profit calculations versus energy costs is a very important factor of knowledge for each facility. There is no precise energy metering per machine given.

Solution

After acquiring all relevant requirements from the customer EPTecks development team has identified the following improvements, which can be achieved by EPTecks SmartKnit digital solution:

Production Machine Monitoring

EPTecks SmartKnit solution provides full insight of the machines production performance of produced goods per time. It displays idle time vs. production time of each machine to provide precise results on machine performance and adjustments needed. An advanced failure warning system predicts machine failure and identifies maintenance need before errors occur. This way downtimes are reduced and quality of production increases.

Worker Monitoring

By tracking the check-in & check-out times of workers on duty and counting the number of produced goods by each worker the exact production performance per worker can be estimated and monitored in real-time. It is much easier to understand reasons for low productivity and identify bottlenecks in production performance either based on worker or on machine. By incentivising bonuses on number of produced goods per worker a higher productivity could be achieved as well.​

Produced Goods Tracking

SmartKnits system will display number of produced goods in real-time and dedicated zones setup by clients needs and requirements showing the efficiency of buildings, departments, production lines and down to each single machine, which will help to improve the overall balance of each process.

Energy Management

With EPTecks smart energy metering of each production machine in direct relation to produced good, deep insights will be provided in real time for costs and profit per produced good.

Conclusion, Results & Customer Benefits

Phase 1:

The digitization of the clients manufacturing processes is the first step towards full automation as it provides the baseline understanding and necessary data. By monitoring and tracking machines and workers enough data will be captured to understand the bottlenecks within the manufacturing processes.

Based on this the following benefits can be achieved immediately:

  • real-time digital monitoring of produced goods volume, labor occupancy and energy expenditure
  • customized dashboards showing relevant metrics in each department & area
  • easy web-based management access
  • improves labor security
  • reduces cost of goods produced
  • improves machine protection
  • avoids downtimes
  • improves reaction time
  • improves worker motivation

Phase 2:

During the installation of Phase 1 within clients facilities EPTecks automation experts will asses the manufacturing setup and precisely study the data given through Phase 1 digitization. Based on these deep insights the installation of robots, smart manufacturing machines and modifying machines after lean manufacturing principles will be much more efficient and a higher return on investment is achievable.

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