NEXEED in action

Important parameters at a glance: The number of items, rejects, maintenance work - efficient manufacturing processes are based on various parameters that require problem-free monitoring. This is the only way to effectively prevent delays in production and delivery. KPI Reporting helps to keep an eye on the process data for all the assembly systems, to quickly identify faulty processes and to counteract the loss of effectiveness in a targeted manner – at both the system as well as the line level.

Compare performance, implement improvements: With the Global Production Overview, anyone who would like to know how his own line is doing within a plant, or a plant within the global production network, can very easily compare key figures and target values. Targeted benchmarks unleash new motivation - and help with optimization.

A skillful approach to variability: Production is more variable and unpredictable than ever before. For example, if supplier parts do not arrive on time, production becomes hectic. With the Global Production Overview, there is always transparency about production capacities in sister plants. This enables short-term bottlenecks to be eliminated and supply contracts to be adhered to.

Generate important KPIs from shift data: Without a valid database, efficiency in production cannot be improved. Therefore, KPI Reporting opens up new perspectives on their lines for production managers. Dynamic KPI reports with freely adjustable upper and lower limits, e.g., for cycle times and OEE, offer full transparency, which is flexible over any period of time. In combination with other modules, such as the Global Production Overview, it is possible to compare lines across plant boundaries.

Plan, implement, check, act: 1,000 parts per hour were required but, in reality, only 800 rolled off the conveyor belt – why? With KPI Reporting, the line manager has a comprehensive tool at hand to determine the causes and to make decisions. Dynamic reports visually prepare the important parameters for him and also enable the precise monitoring of the derived measures.

The key element of modern production: Shift logs have always been an indispensable planning tool, but they are often still paper-based. With the Shift Book, production planners have a comprehensive digital solution for planning upcoming shifts, from production deadlines to one-off events such as downtimes or maintenance. Full transparency makes it possible to optimize performance and quality.

Always keep your finger on the pulse of the shift: Deviations from production planning are not always immediately apparent. The Shift Book is therefore the ideal digital companion for line managers. Unplanned downtimes, machine failures or reduced output are documented promptly and provide an up-to-date picture of production. As a result, targeted countermeasures and adjustments can be made.

Better planning of filter exchanges: Having to replace a CDC bath due to clogged filters is a costly affair; it can result in expenses of around 200,000 euros and a machine downtime of up to 12 days. With the Nexeed Industrial Application System, important parameters such as temperature and pressure can be monitored centrally in real time. Thanks to warning messages, maintenance staff know at an early stage when a filter is beginning to clog – and can act before it is too late.

No injection molding without the right tool. However, the increasing demand for small production runs and part variants requires frequent machine changeovers. Paper-based tool management and manual searches lead to expensive delays. With Tool Management, line managers always have complete transparency over all the injection molds or individual components that are in operation – including point of use and status. This minimizes changeover times.

Modular milling machines ensure high efficiency. In practice, however, this only works if the line manager knows exactly what their condition is. Milling tools, for example, wear out more quickly at the front, so the individual components have different maintenance intervals. With Tool Management, limiting values are defined for each component. Together with the current point of use of the tool, this information is the basis for predictive maintenance.

Product quality is dependent on tool condition. With hundreds of tightening and other tools in use, it is easy to lose track: How often has a tool already been in use? Does it need to be replaced? Where is it located? Tool Management provides centralized answers to all tool management questions. In this way, the solution ensures minimum downtimes and provides the basis for predictive maintenance measures.

Increased performance thanks to networked technology: Lubricants and filters keep systems running, but require regular inspections and the proper quality. The Nexeed Industrial Application System enables employees to find out about the status of lubricants and filters in real time. The benefits: Lower maintenance costs, significantly simplified test processes and an overall greater system effectiveness.

Targeted reduction of downtimes: Poor laser performance is often a question of cleanliness: Once dirty, the lasers are down for a long time. The Nexeed Industrial Application System bundles important laser data and helps to determine the degree of contamination at an early stage. Maintenance work can be planned promptly, downtimes can be shortened, and the overall system performance is ensured.

Rapid intervention in the event of vibrations: Ball bearings are exposed to great forces. Additional disturbances, such as vibrations due to faulty spindles, must be avoided. The Nexeed Industrial Application System measures vibrations and deviations. Your benefits: shorter downtimes through timely intervention - and substantial savings in maintenance work.

Less scrap thanks to data transparency: Without a centralized data collection, welding processes are prone to high scrap rates and unplanned downtimes. The Nexeed Industrial Application System meets these challenges with maximum data transparency: all error messages and quality indicators can be displayed and evaluated centrally at a glance – both live and based on historical data. The result: fewer errors, shorter downtimes, and higher product quality.

Central monitoring of machine conditions: The error rate in leak tests is decisive for detecting errors early. If it exceeds a critical value, fast action is required. The Nexeed Industrial Application System makes it possible: thanks to central monitoring, the persons responsible can keep track of several machines’ test results and react promptly. This increases transparency, reduces reject rates, and optimizes product quality.

Centrally accessible data: Depending on the end product, screws and bolts and the associated torque values differ considerably – and they occur in large numbers that vary. The Nexeed Industrial Application System bundles the torques for all the nutrunners centrally in one location so that you do not have to search for a long time on the production line in the event of faulty connections. In this way, incorrect values can be identified and quickly corrected at any time.

Monitor press processes centrally: Presses work quickly and with great force – so reliable processes and effective error management are all the more important. The Nexeed Industrial Application System supports both: The pressing forces and positions can be easily viewed in the tool. The Nexeed Industrial Application System also centrally bundles and visualizes messages about the individual process steps. This creates ideal conditions for short processing times – and ensures the quality of pressing processes and products for the long term.

Production and personnel in harmony: Production and personnel – both key indicators are subject to permanent fluctuations: Whether the production volume or the availability of personnel fluctuates is almost secondary. It is important that the current events are coordinated. Transport Management takes care of that: All actual transport requirements are automatically distributed to the available capacities and efficient tours are created.

Flexible milk run trains: Milk runs often have low utilization rates. Statically defined routes and unnecessary stops with very little material cost time and money. With Transport Management, both the number and the frequency of milk run trains can be reduced: The tour planning ensures optimum utilization by planning upcoming and new transport requirements in real time. In this way, orders can be planned and processed both flexibly and efficiently as required.

AGVs become intelligent: AGVs do not automatically know where the material to be transported is available for collection and where exactly it has to go. AGV Transport Orders answers these questions. This application identifies the relevant supermarket and the exact source for collection. At the same time, a reservation is placed in the destination supermarket. Thanks to the status feedback from the AGVs, the in and out booking at the supermarket takes place automatically.

Automatic prioritization: When does which line need material most urgently? Neither employees nor milk runs can know that. Transport Management automatically prioritizes the transport requirements, visualizes them for everyone involved, and uses intelligent algorithms to distribute them to the milk run tours according to priority.

Automatic integration of new stations: New lines or stations in a plant are an enormous challenge for intralogistics. Transport Management makes it possible to create and incorporate new stations into existing milk run tours via the user interface. The automatic distribution of the transport requirements to the tours saves a great deal of time for calculations and money for implementation.

The Intelligent Supermarket: If the flow of information and material in intralogistics is not synchronized, things quickly becomes confusing. Stock Management digitalizes the flow of materials: thanks to automatic booking, everyone knows at all times which material is located where. This simplifies the search and makes inventory much faster and more transparent.

Reduced effort, low susceptibility to errors: Parts that look (almost) identical are prone to mix-ups. Thanks to the Put-to-Light signal from Stock Management, every employee knows which lane is intended for the provision of certain parts – and is immediately alerted by a light signal in case of errors. This reduces both the failure rate and the manual search effort.

Dynamic Lane Management: A great deal of space is needed to provide material – especially if each lane is intended exclusively for a certain type of material. Stock Management allocates new material numbers to available lanes and updates the information in the booking system. This saves otherwise unused space and ultimately cash.

Expand the fleet without any problems: Up to now, using AGVs from different manufacturers meant an additional expense that should not be underestimated. With specific interfaces, AGV Transport Orders makes it easier for logistics planners to manage all connected driverless systems. The solution centralizes all AGVs and also enables communication with the company-specific IT systems.

No more delays in intralogistics: If a transport is ready to be picked up inside the plant, speed is what counts the most. To do this, all logistics events as well as available AGVs must come together in one system: AGV Transport Orders supports logistics specialists in order management by automatically triggering the transport with incoming orders – and breaking it down into partial steps if necessary.

Overlook all devices worldwide with a central portal: After delivery, many devices used to “disappear from the scene”; manufacturers only received feedback in the event of malfunctions. With the Device Portal, there is now a central, web-based portal that lists all the devices in the field with their current status. In this way, additional functions, current firmware and updates can be easily installed remotely even after delivery.

Carry out device maintenance from a central location: With the Device Portal, service employees can even support customers who are far away in an optimal manner. In the event of a fault, they can call up the affected device live – including the current status, update history and error messages – and, for example, install a patch or change configurations remotely. The result: minimal downtime and no costly on-site appointments.

Make commissioning child's play: The installation of new control systems can be a test of nerves. With the Device Portal, the device manufacturer is always on site digitally and can support the customer. Connection is sufficient; the rest of the initial setup and configuration is carried out remotely by qualified employees of the manufacturer. This guarantees maximum customer satisfaction.

Automatic execution of production orders. Manually creating and initiating orders can sometimes cause production to come to a halt. Order Management takes over this time-consuming task for machine operators: The electronic order book at the head station is processed little by little. In addition, the display of the order progress ensures full transparency.

Digital management of production orders: Kanban cards or other paper systems dominate order management in many production plants. Every time an order is started or completed, data has to be transferred manually from paper to native systems and vice versa. Order Management creates a digital, centralized and clear order book and thus minimizes effort in the process - a first important step on the way to digital production.

Every machine has a malfunction from time to time. How quickly and effectively this is reported determines whether there will be a loss of production. Maintenance Management therefore offers employees the opportunity to initiate a message right on the affected machine – including a precise description of the malfunction with images, video and audio, if necessary. The solution ensures that the service order is received immediately by the group of people with the appropriate qualifications.

When it comes to unplanned maintenance, speed is what counts. If an employee with the appropriate qualifications receives a service order, Maintenance Management will help them to find a solution: It will show all the relevant information, such as machine type, prioritization and a precise description of the malfunction with images, video and audio. This reduces the troubleshooting and identification time to a minimum and allows a larger group of people to correct simple malfunctions by themselves.