CONTROL SYSTEMS + AUTOMATION
Automated inventory management For manufacturers, productivity is a primary goal and it has knock-on effects for resources, operational efficiency and the bottom line. Despite this, a major cause of wasted time continues to be overlooked: poor inventory management. Having the right tool available at the right time is critical for manufacturers. Francis Richt, Global Manager for Sandvik Coromant’s Digital Machining Business outlines how specialist tooling software can help manufacturers improve their inventories and profits.
I n a typical workshop operators can spend up to 20% of their time looking for tools, and about 15% of jobs are re- scheduled or delayed because the right tools could not be found. These findings, based on Sandvik Coromant’s re- search among its own customers, show the extent to which poor inventory management wastes time for manufactur- ers. Inadequate inventory management leads to accumu- lated high-value inventory levels, large volumes of stock becoming obsolete or stock-outs, which often means the inventory is depleted when a certain tool is needed most. Other effects include difficulties in measuring tool perfor- mance, and higher costs for stock management and pro- cessing orders. As a sector so concerned with time, manufacturing should not be wasting so much of it looking for tools and spare parts. One problem is that tool management and tool vending systems remain siloed within many organisations. In addition, most companies rely on people to inspect and replenish their tool cabinets. Many manufacturers are reluc- tant to embrace digitalisation because they are unsure how Industry 4.0 can fit into their established working process- es – like enterprise resource planning (ERP), supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) and manufacturing execution systems (MES) – and win the buy-in of workers on the shop floor. Sandvik Coromant has set itself a goal to change this within the next five years – by helping customers automate inventory management through software. In doing so, they can solve issues of poor inventory management in ways that overcome their reluctance to go digital, and benefit the bottom line. Faster production times In its Digital Factories 2020: Shaping the future of manu- facturing report [1] , Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) ob- served that, “the full effect of digitalisation is only realised when companies are connected in real time to their key suppliers and critical customers.” In particular, they are achieving this by using Industry 4.0 devices like sensors on production and assembly lines to capture data in real time for improved analytical capabilities and empowered decision-making. As with supply chain management, this ethos of better data capture can also be applied to man- aging inventories. It’s a challenge because inventory management has many different facets. These include monitoring inventory levels and knowing when new tools need to be ordered, to
The software is designed to help manufacturers optimise tool inventories and profits. ensure production is never at a standstill. One example cited in PwC’s report is the Fujitsu plant in Augsburg, Germany, which uses automated shelf-life monitoring to optimise its inventory levels and prevent stock-outs. According to the report, the facility has “an interim storage facility – its ‘supermarket’ – and self-driving electric vehicles which are integrated into its manufacturing execution system in order to ensure a ‘just in sequence’ delivery of components.” In this case, digitalised inventory management does more than save the company’s time, it supports faster pro- duction times. Better inventory management is not exclu- sive to large multinationals like Fujitsu. With software, small- er or mid-sized manufacturers can also automate their own multifaceted inventory management processes. Adding value to processes Sandvik Coromant’s CoroPlus ® Tool Supply is designed to add value for customers by driving automation with higher efficiency and sustainability enabled by data and insights. CoroPlus ® Tool Supply brings together hardware – specifically, tool storage – and software. The customer is supplied with a purpose-made tool vending cabinet with drawer system which combines with a powerful software platform. This is accessible through a PC or tablet. The automation software offers manufacturers an alternative to doing everything manually, and can avoid incurring a time cost when there is little time to spare. CoroPlus ® Tool Supply
MARCH 2022 Electricity + Control
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