Improve the overall material flow of raw materials inside the factory with automation logistics solution and improved quality control by reducing time workers spent making manual data entries in to ERP systems.
Description
As Chemi-Pharm is producing chemicals, majority of its operations focus on mixing, pounding and altering chemicals. This requires movement of different quantities of ingredients, which can cause production down time if necessary components are not available on time at correct locations.
Challenge
– Due to large quantities of fast moving incoming and outgoing units, raw materials and ready products need to be transported from one location to another continuously. Failure to do this on time results in interrupted workflows, leading to downtimes and lower efficiency.
– Reallocate factory operators from repetitive data entry-tasks to more demanding tasks, while reducing human error in IT systems.
Solution
For Chemi-Pharm, the primary focus for implementing an automated intra-factory logistics system, based on OPIL, is to increase efficiency in manufacturing and internal logistics process by:
– Using the 3D Visualisation Model to streamline manufacturing process and optimizing AGV tasks based on the data OPIL collects and analyses.
– Using OPIL to steer the fleet of AVGs and operators involved in material handling tasks.
– Automating data collection of AVG movements and production data entries to keep track of the materials during every internal logistics movement.
Factory layout design forChemi Pharm’s new manufacturing unit
Implementation time: 3 months.
Implementation cost: N/A.
Output
1. Increased efficiency and productivity in logistics processes that contribute to the competitiveness of the company. The main advantages come from the improved manufacturing process, which eliminates unexpected inefficiencies in production, making it possible to produce more with the same workforce.
2. Interaction between human forklift operators and AGVs. As OPIL utilizes human forklift operators and AGVs depending on the system’s running availability. This increases configurability for the Factory logistics.
3. Reduced human error in terms of making entries into IT systems. The logistics system automates the recording of raw materials and finished product, reducing human error and keeping better track of real production outputs.
4. Support and know-how on logistics from the L4MS network on how to improve new factory layout. The experiment helped the company to analyse its material flows and bottlenecks, which provided valuable insights into further improvements and to what hardware to invest in. Increased efficiency in logistics processes will contribute to overall competitiveness of the company. Trying out new technologies during the project has provided ideas and inputs for the improvement.
Impact
OPIL enables customization for internal logistic, which is crucial especially for small and medium sized companies. By virtual testing companies can reduce the quality cost processes and quickly demonstrate the optimal solution. OPIL also reduces the dependency of one service provider “vendor lock” and allows solution providers to develop customized solutions faster.
This is a pilot application experiment supported by L4MS (See this experiment in project’s site)
Project:
Enterprises:
Chemi-Pharm (End user); KINE Robotics (System Integrator); Tallinn-based IMECC (RTO) ‘
Sector
Chemicals & man-made fibres
Keywords
