Diagnosis of Productivity Improvement Potential and Integration of Industry 4.0 Tools
Diagnostic Project and Action Plan Definition with Itemsa
Case Study
Development and definition of the transformation plan towards Industry 4.0 for Bidones Graells, José Graells e Hijos S.A., based on a situation analysis and diagnosis consisting of the evaluation of productivity improvement potential, waste reduction potential, and the definition of the resources required to achieve the objectives of this strategic transformation.
Bidones Graells received support from ACCIÓ, the Agency for Business Competitiveness of the Government of Catalonia, through the ACCIÓ Coupons programme, consisting of grants and financial support aimed at improving competitiveness and supporting the transition of Catalan companies towards Industry 4.0.
These grants are currently no longer available, but at Itemsa, as ACCIÓ-accredited consultants, we can help you apply for and obtain similar funding and develop projects such as this one.
Initial Situation
Bidones Graells is a family-owned company founded in 1909 and dedicated to drum manufacturing. Over time, it has evolved and grown, consolidating its position in the market thanks to its quality standards and personalised customer service for leading companies across different sectors.
The company has evolved generation after generation, adapting continuously to market demands, and the next step is now the transition towards Industry 4.0. At this stage, previous knowledge, know-how, and the most suitable tools for this transformation are essential.
Consultancy and Planning
Initially, the objectives and work plan for the diagnosis are defined. To do so, the areas to be analysed are identified first, focusing on the most representative factory processes: presses, welding, and seaming.
An IT tool capable of integrating the company’s different processes and parameters into a single environment will be required, covering the different key phases and areas such as:
- Process optimisation studies to establish standards for the tasks carried out in the defined sections (PROCESS ENGINEERING-Work Analysis from the APPRODUCTIVITY Suite).
- Simulations under different production scenarios while always guaranteeing an optimal saturation level (PROCESS ENGINEERING-Work Analysis from the APPRODUCTIVITY Suite).
- Real-time monitoring of production progress against forecasts in order to avoid or minimise the effects of any inefficiencies that may arise (Dynamic Balancing from the APPRODUCTIVITY Suite).
- Automatic calculation of achieved KPIs and, where applicable, calculation and reporting of incentives (Competitiveness, KPIs and Incentives Manager from the APPRODUCTIVITY Suite).
Implementation
Once the analysis phase was completed, the suitability of Approductivity as a tool for the transition towards Industry 4.0 and for unifying management systems through integrated software was confirmed.
The Action Plan was shaped around productivity improvement initiatives, prioritising those involving low investment and rapid payback, such as incorporating auxiliary production and preparation tools (L-shaped feeders, welding marks, etc.), as well as larger-scale actions with fast returns, such as workplace redistribution, improving workload balancing between operators, reorganising tasks to combine operations and improve methods, and ensuring compliance with all operating methods established through their implementation, training, and consolidation.
Objectives
The objectives of this Diagnostic Project for Bidones Graells are:
- Quantification of productivity improvement potential through process and work method improvements and increased use of facilities and machinery.
- Quantification of waste reduction potential by reducing the GAP between reality and standards.
- Validation of Approductivity software as an Industry 4.0 tool for improving the company’s competitiveness.
- Definition of the resources required to achieve efficiency and flexibility improvement goals and maintain a continuous improvement system.
All of this contributes to defining the Transformation Plan towards Industry 4.0 for a strategic change driven by validated tools and essential KPIs or key performance indicators used to monitor production performance, such as productivity, efficiency (OEE), and quality indicators.
Results Achieved
The diagnosis revealed the improvement potential and, with it, the potential for cost reduction through increased productivity. In addition, these actions will rely on integrated software for process optimisation studies, workload balancing, real-time production monitoring and deviation detection, KPI achievement calculations, and incentive calculation management.
Once implemented at Bidones Graells, the different improvement actions could allow cost savings of between 10% and 15% compared to the current observed situation, more specifically: 17% in Presses, 18% in Welding, and 10% in Seaming.
Furthermore, a 20% reduction in the workload associated with information management is expected thanks to the digitalisation and automation of these processes. The incorporation of machine sensors would also lead to an additional 15% to 20% reduction in information management time.
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Cost Reduction
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Workload reduction
