A paper-to-Excel process fully eliminated
Full data collection and traceability provided
Business intelligence view on data collected
Adient is a global leader in automotive seating, supporting all major automakers in differentiating their vehicles. A seat made by Adient is a part of every third car in the world. One of the company’s newest plants - Adient Innotec Metal Technologies (AIMT) is a small but essential part of a major leader in the automotive industry, operating in Lučenec. The manufacturer of metal components for headrests was established in 2012 and employs up to 100 workers. The plant uses patented technologies, especially developed to produce a specific part of the final product. AIMT was lacking a full-featured data-collection system from the production lines. In the beginning, we were asked to create a complex, but an easy-to-use tool, able to:
- Monitor and track the production
- Detect defective pieces accurately
- Record and evaluate the downtime
All resulting in increasing machine utilization, production quality, and optimizing production processes. Simply said, the slow mechanism of collecting data manually by workers and technicians at the end of every shift, would be eliminated or fully replaced by a solution that can point out the room for improvement.
But that has shown to be just a beginning.
After successful deployment and running the basic functionality, we embarked on a massive expansion of the system. This has resulted in:
- automated downtime evaluation
- active communication with PLC
- machines operator authorization
- material traceability
- connection with logistics-warehouse management
- deployment of quality control
- ODS manuals digitization
First steps and results
We analyzed the current state of data-collecting and data-processing. We came up with a primary solution for the most important aspects of the manufacturing process. With the following research and development, we have created and applied the TARTAN system, that has enabled AIMT to:
Start collecting and clearly manage production data from PLC lines
- Optimize and enhance basic processes by allowing to make corrections
- Improve traceability management using production schemes
- Run a complete logging of processes and non-standard behavior
- Manage production planning, repairs, and maintenance
- Provide Machine maintenance management and Quality audits
- Monitor machine status in the real-time
Better, easier and safer work
To monitor the movement between lines, we deployed chip cards for every operator. Using both chip card authorization for operators and logging to a machine has immediately lead to increasing the discipline of production. Plus, with an improved blocking of the lines during non-standard situations, we have significantly eliminated unjustified downtime and risk of injury and increased the protection against unauthorized use.
Clear overview | Less documentation | Simple transfer
Even a C-level manager from the other side of the world can now immediately see the real-time state of all assembly lines and compare the state of production within two years. Moreover, the CV of each final product is forever stored in the TARTAN's knowledge base, thanks to 100% traceability: from the initial processing of raw material, through processing and random quality control to boxing in the warehouse. TARTAN is directly connected to the AIMT's logistics and warehousing. This has repeatedly minimized the complexity of data transfer between production environments.
Better decision-making
By applying our business intelligence, AIMT has now several views and comprehensive reports using Microsoft Analysis Services and PowerBI technology. In a second they can now see production from different angles that would not otherwise be defined. One of the valuable benefits has thus become the detection of hidden deficiencies in production processes from the point of view of big data.
