Transformed by LES
31 January 2011
A manufacturer of control modules and power electronics has upgraded its SMT production.
Liebherr Elektronik GmbH, a manufacturer of control modules and power electronics for industrial, rail and aerospace applications based in Lindau, Germany, has upgraded its SMT production with help from ASM Assembly Systems GmbH & Co. KG (formerly SIPLACE Electronic Assembly Systems GmbH & Co. KG).
Thanks to the successful implementation of SIPLACE LES (Line Execution System) and the totally paperless management of all set-up-related procedures, Liebherr Elektronik is now able to execute the changeovers for even the smallest lot sizes without costly production interruptions.
By converting to non-stop set-up processes with SIPLACE LES, Liebherr Elektronik improved the capacity utilisation, productivity and flexibility of its electronics production.
Peter Horatschek, Head of Operations scheduling at Liebherr Elektronik, confirms: “Nowadays there is very little to differentiate between the various placement machines from the leading vendors and hence, the choice is difficult. However, what makes the selection more critical, is choosing the right technology partner in terms of software and process competencies. The success of SIPLACE LES demonstrates to us that integrating and optimising the entire workflow with the help of good software can produce huge efficiency improvements for manufacturers.”
With SIPLACE LES, Liebherr Elektronik employs the modern and comprehensive software for controlling set-up procedures in SMT production. By letting SIPLACE LES control and co-ordinate all set-up-related processes in production scheduling, the component warehouse, the pre-set-up area and on the SMT line itself, Liebherr Elektronik is, for the first time, able to implement non-stop set-up changeovers even for the fastest sequences of small lots. This capability in turn provides the company, whose customers in the manufacturing, rail and aerospace industries increasingly count on highly flexible suppliers, with a significant competitive advantage, because it enables it to maximise the utilisation of its placement machines and reduce its production costs.
Liebherr Elektronik has implemented a seamlessly integrated solution for the flexible and efficient production of small lot sizes. SIPLACE LES even handles sequencing production jobs on the basis of volume and deadline information imported from the ERP system. Another interface links SIPLACE LES with the inventory management system of Liebherr’s component warehouse. So only jobs with confirmed material availability make it to the production stage.
SIPLACE LES also optimises the production workflow. LES monitors inform the warehouse staff of what materials must be prepared by what time for upcoming production jobs. From the warehouse, the components move to the Active Feeder Pool, a pre-set-up area which was newly created for the LES workflow. Here, the operators set-up the materials – again guided by special LES monitors – on component carts in fixed docking stations. By scanning component reels and feeder IDs they make sure that everything is in the right place.
SIPLACE LES reserves its most severe impact for the set-up procedures at the line. The line stops, which were necessary for traditional set-up changeovers, have been replaced with the so-called floating set-up ‘on-the-fly’. The LEDs on the X-feeder modules signal to the staff which feeders can be torn down. The operator removes the appropriate X-feeders without stopping the line and replaces them with feeders from the Active Feeder Pool. Since the feeders register with the machine automatically, they can be installed in any slot. After they have been removed, the feeders are returned to the Active Feeder Pool, where they indicate via their LEDs whether they are still needed for one of the upcoming products and should remain in the pre-set-up area or whether they can be torn down completely and the remaining material returned to the warehouse.
“The great benefit of SIPLACE LES is the calmness which it brings to the factory floor. Since the employees in the entire process chain receive all the information they need early on and are guided via monitors and LEDs, there is none of the usual hectic pace during set-up changeovers. And since production jobs with similar set-ups are grouped together, the changeovers require minimum effort and can be executed on-the-fly by replacing a few feeders,” reports SMT Production Manager Peter Reck.
The image shows (from left to right): Jan-Holger Hein (SIPLACE Product Marketing Manager Software), Peter Horatschek BSc BIS Ing. (Head of Production Scheduling, Liebherr Elektronik GmbH), and Peter Reck (Head of SMT Production, Liebherr Elektronik GmbH).
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