A smart industrial printer linked to each production robot ensures every manufactured part has the corrrect label

Just In Time delivery in assembly order

A manufacturer of car body parts introduced track and trace technology to dovetail its production with customers' JIT expectations.

The system included on-demand label printers to dentify parts and stillages together with mobile computers to track them amd provide real time visibility.

Applications

Complete production control and tracking applications spanning:

• Scheduling of orders into sets of Kanbans
• Scanning barcodes on Kanbans, materials and parts to verify and control production of parts and labels on the robots
• Scanning barcodes on Kanbans and parts to print Odette labels for stillages and verify their contents
• Scanning stillages to control dispatch and meet deadlines

All data collated on the floor by the handheld mobile computers is integrated key business information systems. These included the company's own transaction broking system as well as IFS for ERP and Crystal Reports for business intelligence.

Benefits

• Complete real-time visibility over production
• Adheres to assemby plant's JIT sequences
• Supply chain system adjusts real-time to car assembly schedules
• Operations are highly efficient – for example, raw materials are ordered precisely to production requirements

PROCESS POINT SOLUTION

Problem Left hand and right hand body parts produced on the same machine were prone to mis-labelling

Solution Link the labeller and the robot commands and scan the label after application to release the workstation for the next panel.

Company Turnover: £100-250 million. Employees: 250-500