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Pressed for Time
Sarah Santoriello
June 01, 2004
With important clients monitoring shipment arrivals
with a stopwatch, this manufacturer populated its plant floor with
powerful real-time computing power.
Producing precision metal components for some of the
world's top automotive companies requires a clock-like operation.
In the case of S&Z Tool & Die Co. Inc., finding a plant-floor
computer system that could keep up with the daily demands posed
a critical challenge.
Headquartered in Cleveland, the 60-year-old metal stamping company
maintains two plants in that city as well as another facility in
Mexico. The automotive industry, including the Big Three, accounts
for the bulk of their annual sales, and the firm also manufactures
a wide range of products for various other industries.
"If the presses don't run, it affects our bottom line,"
said Mike Brueggeman, S&Z's director of information systems.
"We face severe consequences if deadlines aren't met, including
heavy fines for each minute that passes after a shipment is due."
S&Z was losing profits by relying on outdated data-management
techniques for inventory and production lines. With the previous
system, inventory could take up to 12 hours to be input and updated.
Worse, production on the presses often came to a halt as materials
were located and changed. For a company whose livelihood is based
on how often the presses are running—last year's output was
approximately 90 million pounds—it was therefore imperative
to find a solution that would automate and streamline the plant's
operation.
FORK LIFT-MOUNTED PC’s help keep operators moving efficiently
throughout S&Z’s facility. Large touchscreen provides easy-to-read,
two-way communication, via wireless systems, while long-range handheld
scanners from Symbol allow operators to read bar codes without dismounting
their forklifts.
In September 2001 Mr. Brueggeman and his team decided
to update the existing process, one of the major improvements being
the addition of mobile and remote computers for data collection.
However, in an environment that includes metal filings being spewed
out, grease coating most equipment, and fluctuating temperatures,
S&Z needed to find a computer that could perform at maximum
capacity under harsh conditions. They began researching and comparing
rugged computer systems to network the entire company, including
the shipping docks and production floor.
"Not only did we need a computer system that could perform
in harsh environments, we also wanted a computer that could work
just as well mounted on a fork lift as sitting on a desk,"
said Mr. Brueggeman. "In addition, we knew we needed a PC that
would be compatible with our existing office software. We evaluated
several vendors, and selected Glacier Computer, based in Amherst,
NH, a leading manufacturer of rugged computer systems for harsh
environments. We chose its 'M-Station' vehicle-mounted computers
and 'I-Station' fixed-mount units because of their speed, efficiency,
and large display screens."
S&Z purchased 23 units of the Glacier I-Station
and 14 units of the M-Station. The latter are located on nine forklifts
and at five shop-floor work stations (for monitoring time-and-attendance
and labor-tracking). I-Stations are installed on 20 presses and
at three kiosks to monitor time-and-attendance and track sales orders.
A kiosk typically includes, in addition to the I-Station, a Datamax
4208 label printer for generating bar code labels.
WORKSTATIONS at S&Z are anchored by ruggedized
computers from Glacier and often include an interfaced printer for
generating bar code labels.
The computers are connected via a wireless network
built around hardware and technology from Cisco Systems. Radio frequency
(RF) access points, mounted at strategic points throughout the plant,
provide two-way connectivity between the computers and the S&Z's
network of servers, which takes care of the company's IT needs.
Glacier's M-Station and I-Station are full PCs, capable
of running DOS, Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Embedded XP operating
systems. This fact allowed S&Z to readily interface with their
current network and write their own programming, based on input
from press operators, forklift drivers, and supervisors.
The firm's four-person IT staff writes nearly all of the application
programming, using Magic, an application development program based
on C++ programming language. In the case of the Glacier computer
installation, the IT team wrote a front-end system that allows the
computers to interact with S&Z's databases.
The company also uses an MRP package called Max, developed by Kewill
Systems. This software's primary function is conducting financial
transactions and other applications. Additionally, the IT staff
has greatly expanded Max's original applications through the development
of in-house programs, facilitating such functions as work-in-process
tracking.
Over 200 S&Z employees attended a training session for the new
system prior to putting the new computers to work. The company created
a 1/2-hour DVD video that walked employees through the various screens
they would be using with the new computers plus a clear explanation
of how to interact with the new system. Employees were divided into
groups, and the entire training process was completed in one day.
Overall, the implementation went smoothly. Few problems were encountered,
and the new system drew high marks from the work force. As proof,
during the first month that the system was in place, productivity
rose by 10 percent, a direct result of bringing rugged, full-blown
computing power to even the farthest reaches of the facility.
"With the new system, every stage of production is captured,
from receipt of components and raw material, through shipment of
the finished products," said Mr. Brueggeman.
BY INTEGRATING MOBILE, real-time data collection throughout
its plant, S&Z has increased productivity and enhanced on-time
shipping capability. Ruggedized computers from Glacier, including
many fork lift-mounted units, withstand demanding conditions. Click
here, or on the image, to enlarge.
Raw material arrives at the plant in large coils of
sheet steel. The stock varies in width and thickness, according
to the parts for which it is designated. When a coil arrives at
the facility it is identified by a bar-coded label, generated by
one of the Datamax printers; a unique serial number on the label
thereafter identifies the coil as it moves through its assigned
route. The computerized label process saves hours of manual labor,
in a climate where every second matters.
Two bar code label software packages are used for generating labels:
BarTender, from Seagull Scientific, and BarFont. As work-in-process
proceeds, labels are generated on demand, as necessitated by various
WIPs; many clients, for instance, have specific labeling requirements.
Bar codes are scanned at various points during the manufacturing
process. Fork lifts are equipped with handheld scanners from Symbol
Technologies, tethered to the Glacier computers. The scanners, Model
LS3203 ER, are capable of both long- and short-range scanning, allowing
the fork lift operator to collect data with maximum efficiency.
In other shop-floor applications, wireless handhelds from PSC (Model
RF8200) are used to capture label information and feed it into the
plant's data system.
Once each coil is labeled, the inventory is easily updated each
time the material is moved in-house or out of the facility. When
an order comes in for the lot, the vehicle-mounted M-Station screen
shows the coil's location, the press number, and job specifications.
The coil is received at the correct press, and specifications are
reviewed and approved in the system by using the unit's touchscreen
commands.
The large, easy-to-read touchscreen includes information on the
customer, job, material, and precise container specifications. The
latter item is critical within the automotive industry, as customers
will reject any product not packaged correctly.
When a press begins running, the I-Station screen shows continuously
updated production and job information, allowing operators and floor
supervisors to ensure that the task is being performed correctly,
as well as immediately revise any mistakes.
"By pressing a button on the screen, the press
operator can alert a team member on the forklift that he's almost
ready for a refill coil. That saves 15 to 20 minutes of 'up time'
that the operator used to waste by stopping the press, walking the
floor, finding the fork lift operator, giving him the job information,
and then waiting for the coil to be delivered and loaded onto the
press," Mr. Brueggeman said. "That extra 20 minutes makes
a big difference in the bottom line."
The screen also shows the operator's performance, including job
start/end times, press strokes per minute, and the percentage of
up- and down-time on the press. With all this information available
at the touch of a button, the accuracy and productivity of the work
force has increased tremendously.
"Because the workers' time on the job is now linked to his
pay, it's the first time we've had everyone clock in," Mr.
Brueggeman said. "Before we installed the Glacier system, our
guys would occasionally forget to clock in and out of jobs, which
gave us a very inaccurate picture of what was happening on the floor.
"Also, our customers are thrilled over one particular
feature that really addresses their needs," Mr. Brueggeman
continued. "Each Glacier PC can display a different color screen
background, based on customer quality issues and active customer
complaints. This way, the operators and supervisors are aware of
complaints in real time, allowing them to monitor certain jobs more
carefully."
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Ranging from blue for "No Active Complaints" to red for
the most serious complaints, the screen colors are updated within
one minute of the customer's complaint. For the most serious issues,
the floor supervisor can immediately see the red screen from across
the floor and instantly work with that operator to make a thorough
inspection of each piece.
"Because the Glaciers are full-blown PCs, we don't have to
worry when we make application changes," notes John Galbraith
of S&Z's IT department. "We just write the application,
send it out, and the Glaciers pick it up quickly."
Further, the computers' touchscreen capability has done away with
keyboarding, saving additional time. And, notes Mr. Galbraith, portable
work stations have been created by mounting battery-equipped Glaciers
on carts that can quickly be rolled to a specific area, providing
managers with full computing power anywhere in the plant.
As S&Z continues its roll-out of the Glacier units—the
facility in Mexico is slated next for implementation—the company
continues to find new ways to extend the computers' contribution
to the enterprise.
Questions? Interested in finding out more?
Contact one of our rugged and industrial computer
experts by email or call us toll free at 866-724-6257. |
