- Improved throughput and delivery times
- Hugely improved cycle times
- Reduced costs
- Automated track and trace
- Faster plant problem resolution
Truflo Marine gets its shopfloor on song
1 min read
Birmingham-based FCX Truflo Marine, which builds valves for naval applications for everything from submarine hulls to air systems, weapons discharge systems and surface ship applications, has transformed its competitiveness and component throughput by installing a production monitoring system from Seiki Systems. The resulting visibility of manufacturing data, production monitoring and management reports has enabled it to switch to more 'lights-out' production, control work flow with outside suppliers and identify a major production headache that has alone slashed down time.
Manufacturing director Steve Chapman says it all started when the firm decided it needed a system that could feed its CNC machine tools with part programs, set-up and tooling information, and be able to feed back to its existing Exel efacs ERP system. Truflo found Seiki's PC-based Networked Manufacturing Software (NMS), which does just that. It manages and stores manufacturing data, such as NC programs, tool lists, setting notes and video clips, and distributes it to shopfloor PCs that provide a DNC link to machine tools. It also records job and machine information, and communicates with the ERP system.
Says Chapman: "With the wealth of data that can be captured and manipulated by NMS, we have found it to be a very powerful reporting tool that has helped our management team improve the running and efficiency of the machine shop." He explains that on receiving raw material into stock the firm now assigns due dates, loads work against machine tools and designates shifts. The system records cycle and set-up times, and compares anticipated times against actual times to assist with continuous improvement. "In fact," he maintains, "we have now removed job times from our route cards as NMS will collect more accurate data."
Truflo operates a two-shift system, but without office support for much of the second shift. However, the company says that hasn't been a problem for the system. "Such is the flexibility of NMS that should something go wrong, I can simply log on to its graphical work planning board at home, to see the jobs for each machine, and quickly reschedule or reprioritise jobs," says Chapman.
He says the system is also helping operators, especially because of its information sharing: for example, the screen can display component drawings and photographs of set-ups and tooling arrangements. That aspect is working so well that Truflo has now extended the system into its assembly and cleaning and finishing areas.
Other points worth noting are the system's audit power, and its display of detailed job and management information in real time. Says Chapman: "We have found we now have a very powerful tool and, especially from a quality point of view, one that provides a simple tracking system, which is important to an industry that demands full traceability and integrity."
Key benefits
