A household name in the automotive sector, Audi is well known as a pioneering car manufacturer and it relies on innovative technology when it comes to incorporating IT systems into its production environment. The software solution of choice used for enhancing performance and productivity at its Germany-based press plants is Factory Framework provided by Forcam and as Solutions reports, the benefits have been significant.

Vehicles produced by Audi are among the most sought after cars in the worldwide market today. Audi locations include Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm in Germany, Györ in Hungary, Changchun in China and Brussels in Belgium.

Car body panels for a number of Audi models are manufactured in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm where more than 1,500 employees are working on state-of-the-art press machinery. This independent subdivision is responsible for the distinctive Audi design in aluminium and steel and is one of the most efficient plants in the whole company.

In the automobile sector, niche products are becoming more and more important and to remain competitive, instant reaction to specific customer requests is paramount. From an evolutionary perspective, the range of models available from Audi has increased and this has had a direct impact on the manufacturing of car body panels, as it requires the production of more and more sophisticated pressed parts, involving the use of a wide range of tooling.

For Audi, this necessitates enhancing capacity and improving the efficiency and performance of the press plants. Lean manufacturing has emerged as a resourceful strategy, with constant performance monitoring being an important principle in order to continuously improve procedures. This ensures constant progress and a sustained high level of productivity.

In this regard, Forcam Gmbh, based in Friedrichshafen has proven to be a reliable partner. “Thanks to the application software Factory Framework, we are able to completely monitor the production process as well as the necessary infrastructure,” enthuses Axel Bienhaus, head of central management for the press plant section at Audi AG. “The concept is that during production, all manufacturing related data is available in real time, allowing for detailed analysis and Total Productivity Management (TPM), thus enhancing general productivity.

Tailored software

Factory Framework is an innovative Manufacturing Execution System (MES) that facilitates the processing of production data in real time. As an added bonus, the solution is easily integrated into SAP ERP through the use of an adaptor thus allowing companies to link the process level (shopfloor) with the business planning level (topfloor). In reality, the software fills the gap between machine control and SAP ERP.

During the pilot phase, Forcam installed the new system on select press lines at Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. The modular aspects of the system simplified the gradual implementation of individual modules and also allowed for smooth, continuous production. Following this phase, Forcam went on to implement the software on a total of 33 press lines at Ingolstadt and an additional 15 at Neckarsulm.

With Factory Framework, all machines and their respective procedures are automatically monitored. A specially developed category portal enables each staff member to access important information, which facilitates a critical analysis of any weak areas of the process that may exist. The data is accessible from everywhere inside and outside the of press plant and through a standardised data model, comparing plants in all locations is possible.

Machine data – either from a single machine or a cell – is collected, stored on a server and can be accessed and analysed at any time. Factory Framework’s report generating capabilities are particularly powerful – detailed reports can be produced and exported to an Excel file for analysis. At Audi this is an important element as up to 16GB of raw data is produced on a daily basis and as Factory Framework employs standardised compression routines, data collection processes can be run automatically in the background.

The big picture

Breakdowns and malfunctions in press plants are easily recorded as every occurrence on the machines is registered by the software and subsequently diagrammed. The data is collected in shift reports and analysed by management during daily meetings. Through the use of plant performance indicators and other specific parameters, detailed reports can be formulated on a localised and global level.

Select press lines can be segmented into ‘harbour categories’. The Harbour Report is the universally most recognised benchmark for productivity in the automobile industry and, based on the acquired data, press plant supervisors are able to assess performance levels quickly.

Via a large LCD screen each press plant supervisor is able to monitor all machines directly from a remote office and the use of colour pie charts makes it possible to establish the current status ‘at a glance’. “Green means the plant is producing,” Mr Bienhaus reveals. “Yellow means planned maintenance, while blue indicates a new set-up. Red or brown suggests malfunction.”

Particularly beneficial for Audi is the new system’s sustainability. A seven level, cascaded indicator enables each staff member to clearly identify problems in the event of malfunction, providing them with a clearly defined error message. The first malfunction key indicates whether the breakdown is mechanical, electrical, or tool related. “It’s a very visual system,” Mr Bienhaus explains. “For example, if the error is tool related, the subsequent level indicates that the shortfall is due to the upper part of the tool. Eventually, it will become clear which part caused the malfunction – the diagnostic process becomes progressively more detailed until the faulty element is located.”

The bottom line

Statistical data reveals beyond all doubt that once Audi implemented the new software, there was a marked increase in productivity. “We’re very pleased with results,” Mr Bienhaus adds. “Due to Factory Framework, the press plants have increased their productivity by 20%, but equally as important is that we are now operating much more efficiently than before. We can provide year end accounts from all our press plants in a fraction of the time it took previously – what formerly kept six employees busy over a period of three months is now carried out by a single person in just one week.

“Implementing Factory Framework at Audi has resulted in wide ranging benefits across the whole company,” he concludes. “Apart from improved performance through increasing the capacity of the equipment, we have also streamlined our operating procedures and have greater transparency through clearly structured graphic data generation.

“Through ‘weak point’ analysis we have significantly reduced machine downtime and the system enhances customer visibility too through web- and server-based technologies.”
Through regular software updates from Forcam, Audi is also able to enjoy long term return on investment.

Forcam
www.forcam.co.uk