Shopfloor transparency at Schinko

Combining data from different IT systems and machinery delivers crucial information for optimising production

For more than 30 years, the Austrian company Schinko has been an established manufacturer of machine housings. The company sees digital transformation as an essential part of its strategy, which is why it is focusing on digitalising the core activity of its business: production. The most important goal for Schinko was to track what is happening in real time on the shopfloor and use this information to optimise production flows and processes. GFT was appointed as a consulting and implementation partner to work on the following:

• Gather data from different machines (laser cutting machine, punching and bending machine) as well as different software systems like ERP and Line Metrics – Cloud
• Create logical links between various data sources using algorithms and calculation logic to merge related data sets (e.g. from orders), or calculate key figures such as strokes per minute at order level
• Provide advice on creating meaningful dashboards based on all collected data over different time periods such as the here and now, individual days, weeks or months

Comprehensive project support from GFT – consulting, solution design, implementation and training on the IIoT solution

GFT experts were in close contact with Schinko from the very beginning. Defining the project objectives and scope together made it possible to work on delivering the solution as planned. Despite this, the project was based on agile principles to allow sufficient leeway for changes in parameters, such as combined instead of individual orders. The project spanned the following tasks:

• Solution assessment by a team of experts from business, IT and automation engineering to capture customer expectations, check feasibility and ensure smooth project delivery
• Close collaboration with the customer during all project phases
• Introduction of an IIoT solution with scalable architecture
• Creation of an overview of all important KPIs using dashboards
• Drafting of a proof of concept (POC) as a starting point for digitalising the whole company

Increased efficiency and productivity thanks to real-time data

For Schinko, the new solution has delivered significant benefit. Now production status can be monitored in real time, providing instant transparency regarding target and actual order processing times. This has made it possible to continuously improve planning and provide more accurate KPIs such as throughput rates. Real-time data on machines and processes also makes it easier to detect malfunctions and reduce downtime in the long term. In summary:

• Data can be viewed through a central control panel by every employee, from the machine operator to the production manager. This information can also be accessed from all company PCs or mobile devices
• Faster response rates (thanks to automatic alerts highlighting unforeseen incidents) make it easier to troubleshoot immediately, enhancing efficiency and productivity
• Automatic reports and dashboards from all connected data sources, saving time and effort invested in report-writing