Challenge:
A machine for automated stripping and cutting wire required an attendant to watch the machine nearly full-time to ensure the machine’s smooth operations and monitor potential depletion of wire on the wire spools. If the machine stops operating or if the wire spool runs out and the machine attendant isn’t available, the machine is down, not producing.
Solution:
Added fiber optic sensors with a secure communication IIoT gateway to monitor product coming out of the machine to get part counts and infer machine downtime and asset utilization. The solution was also set up to monitor wire remaining on the wire spool for alerts ahead of time when it’s nearly empty. Alerts/notifications are provided on a newly installed Andon light stack, in messages on an inexpensive tablet, and via text messages on selected smartphones. All data is recorded in an Industrial IoT platform.
Results:
Unplanned downtime has been reduced significantly, increasing asset utilization and revenue from that cell. Data is also available in the Industrial IoT platform for trending and analysis to understand the behaviors of the machine and the operator for improvements.
One of the more exciting results from the solution was that the full-time attendant to the machine can now spend 75%+ of their time performing other, more value-added tasks. That’s like hiring a new operator for free.
