Panasonic Smart Factory Solutions boosts efficiency and quality
About the client:
Panasonic worked with a client who is one of the largest players in the automobile ancillary parts manufacturing space. They engage in design, manufacturing, and assembly of wide range of products used in automotive vehicles viz., Two wheelers, Three wheelers, Passengers cars, Light Commercial vehicles and Heavy commercial vehicles. It is one of the key ancillary suppliers for a leading two-wheeler manufacturer’s - ICE and Electric vehicles contributing to the larger EV ecosystem.
What was the client’s challenge?
- The manufacturing assembly line-up was manual. This means that at every step, there was a supervisor who was checking every part manually and clearing for further production - this was a time-consuming process leading to inefficiencies.
- In case of manual checks, there were margins for error impacting the final quality of chassis being supplied to their Client – a leading two-wheeler manufacturer. At the Client’s end, there was a high rate of rejection. The two-wheeler manufacturer has a target to produce 1000-1500 vehicles per day to meet customer demand, their manufacturing line and processes were capable of delivering this. However, due to quality issues with the components, the team was able to produce only 700-800 vehicles per day.
- The Client had a TAT of producing one vehicle every 26 seconds so the component manufacturers are required to supply error free parts to ensure efficiency, quality and target achievement. And the 80% gap in meeting this target is due to fabrication dimensional variations in the supply.
- The main issue was related to dimensional deviation of chassis. While strength of the chassis is not an issue, the dimensional deviation leads to errors in the manufacturing line, impacting the production and quality.
What was the solution provided by Panasonic?
The solution Panasonic deployed aimed at overcoming the challenges that the client was facing.
- Miraie Profactory, Welding Machines, Robotic arms
- Implementation Details:
After due diligence, the client zeroed in on the IIoT solution -Miraie Profactory from Panasonic Smart Factory Solutions India, which enhanced the capabilities through vertical integration i.e. hardware and software to converge operation technology (OT) and information technology (IT) to have a comprehensive view. It uses new-age technologies such as Cloud, IoT, analytics, mobile app to name a few, to manage end-to-end operations resulting in enhanced production efficiency, quality, identifying issues and reduced downtime, thereby creating economies of scale.
The team found the app interface very easy to understand and deploy. In addition, Miraie Profactory was already compatible with the welding machines and robotics arms that were deployed on the client’s product lines.
What was the impact of the solution deployed?
Return on Investment – How is solution improving productivity thereby adding to the bottom line as recorded by the two-wheeler manufacturer and the client?
- Increased Efficiency: Through automation of the pilot assembly line:
- OEE was maintained by 80-85%
- Production efficiencies improved from 45% to 75%
- Better capacity realisation - Chassis production rose from 180-190 frames to 230-240 (currently)
- Real-time Production Visibility: Miraie Profactory enabled sensors and connected devices give supervisors a real time view of what's happening on the shop floor
- Installation of QR code to keep a track of the product from start to finish – in real time
- Consumption of gas, wire, metal etc., components and commodities can be effectively calculated
- Intuitive dashboard with analysis (for laptop/mobile)
- Automated SMS based notification from machines (reduced dependency on floor managers)
- Improved Quality Control
- Effectively identify and remove bottlenecks in fabrication (welding), vehicle dimensions etc., to name a few
- Predictive Maintenance: Miraie Profactory gives a prompt response into machine health, machine downtime, or, parts.
- Empowered Workforce: Through Panasonic’s IIoT, we are training two people in every assembly line – adding the skilled workforce.
What’s next?
In the first stage, the client deployed Miraie Profactory to make the welding processes for chassis efficient and improve production and quality.
Next steps:
- To cover the entire manufacturing process from supply chain to production to dispatch
- Explore deployment of Miraie Profactory with other vendors of the client.