Work Instructions
Paper-based work instructions are still commonly used in factories and can often lead to problems in production by being difficult to understand, potentially out of date and costly to reproduce. Standard Operating Procedures are vital in production to eliminate errors and improve quality, ultimately leading to better profits.
Overview: COMPANY G are designers and producers of automotive products and specialists in exhaust systems, producing thousands of complex components for car manufacturers and OEMs across the globe. Their busy production facility in Wales engaged the Industreweb team to devise a new way of seamlessly presenting machine operators with the correct instructions at the point of production, to reduce errors and ensure that the correct parts are delivered to their customers, right first time.
Technologies used: Industreweb Data Platform, Industreweb Display, Siemens PLC
Approach: COMPANY G's paper-based instructions were catalogued and indexed against the Siemens PLC programme and stored in a database (MSQL) structure. Using the machine’s PLC to set the steps in the workflow, the Industreweb Data Platform (Edge Device) triggers an instruction to the database to display the indexed electronic versions of the specific task instructions as a webpage on an overhead screen placed next to the machine. As each step changes, the work instructions are automatically advanced to the next operation ensuring that the operator always has the correct procedure on display. The electronic instructions can be updated and deployed centrally easily ensuring strict version control.
Machine Protocols: Profinet, MSQL