Customers' vehicle specifications determines the configuration of each sub-assembly the assembly sequence

This fuel systems manufacturer is a long term customer. We have supplied intelligent labelling, mobile data and sequencing solutions.

Assembly plants provide 8-14 day rolling schedules which they update in realtime. Manufacturing is builds to sequence. The complications are sequences change and some products fail quality checks.

Process summary

Vehicle assembly sequences drive the ERP system and the production process:

1. Basic manufacture
2. Product labelling
3. Routing to assembly
4. Assembly
5. Routing to stillages
6. Stillage labelling
7. Despatch

Sequencing

Codeway software looks at the assembly plants' rolling schedules every few minutes. There is a web portal for the manufacturer to see the current status.

Intelligent labelling

The production system drove a specific type of label printer which come to the end of its life. Rewriting the process control software would have been too expensive. The IT manager asked Codeway to program intelligent industrial label printers to do the job without changing the host software.

Error detection

Printer command strings were sometimes corrupted leading to undetected labelling errors. The intelligent printing program detects any errors and displays a message for the operators to take corrective action.

Data capture and ERP interfaces

The company had developed a data capture and exchange system using XML. Codeway provided support for these XML transactions and the company's ERP system in the next generation of label printers. This meant the could send XML transactions to the ERP system, a significant benefit.

Routing

The company operates multiple lines. Operators scan the labels on the base products to route it to an assembly station to add optional extras according to model and customer specification. This also updates production status displays.

After quality checks another scan routes the finished product to a location in a stillage.

Stillage labels and despatch

Codeway software synchronises the location of items in stillages with the assembly sequence.

Finally an operator scans the stillage label to despatch the products. The software checks the order of the products in the stillage matches the current rolling assembly schedule. It then generates a set of XML transcations to update the system.

Results

The printers, scanners and sequencing software are embedded a mission critical process. They have eliminated errors and helped the company to maintain its reputation as a leading supplier to the main UK vehicle manufacturers.

The IT manager commented, “I’m dealing with the same people I was dealing with 6 or 7 years ago, which is not only good for a business relationship, but also underlines the solidity of an established company.”