The Manufacturing Information Platform (MIP) created by WMG, part of the University of Warwick, has been helping Pressmark collect data to improve its manufacturing processes. So far the technology has helped the business analyse machine downtime, discover the bottleneck and change the process in order to become more time-efficient.
Atherstone-based high-quality metal pressings firm Pressmark has been continuously improving business throughout its longevity, regardless of challenges brought on by the pandemic. With the knowledge and capability of supporting a wide variety of clients, the firm strives to improve its customers' experience through collecting data and reducing downtime where possible.
In an article published by WMG, they said: “At Pressmark Pressings Ltd, we are using this data to show a dashboard of the production rate compared with targets. This helps the management team see where issues are arising that impact productivity. This is critical in the very challenging environment as industries recover from lockdown restrictions.”
WMG provided Pressmark with sensors that have been installed on the company’s press machines. This new automated software is allowing Pressmark to collect data about them, specifically temperature, vibration, and cycle accounts and thus showing where variants are to be calculated when the machines are most efficient.
The data collected from the sensors has already proven to be making a difference in the business. For example, Pressmark noticed unnecessary downtime in production due to materials not being readily available at the machine when it was ready to go. However, with the help of sensors, they will be able to send a signal to the materials handling area to ensure they are with the machine at the right time. John Nollett, Managing Director of Pressmark, said:
“Understanding what is going on in the process and what we can do to improve it is invaluable to the business. It allows us to create a better experience for our customers and understand what stage our machines are at. The sensors tell us more about the number of vibrations coming from a machine, the more vibrations indicate that there may be an issue with the tools or machine deteriorating. This gives us time to plan ahead and provide maintenance for the tools or the press. Automating our products in this way leaves less chance for error than with a manual process”
The integration of modern technology with older, more traditional equipment has been having a positive impact on Pressmark. From reducing downtime to becoming more efficient and saving on cost. On top of giving the company the chance to change its manufacturing processes, this change has also made the company more competitive and gain the capacity to provide to more customers. However, this isn’t the end of automation at Pressmark, as they also plan to utilise cameras in the future to quality check products and more.