HEGLA-HANIC GmbH

With the change processes towards Industry 4.0, the capture and evaluation of data are becoming more important, as is software. Once the data from the systems and the processes are available, an exact target/actual comparison of the planning and the results is possible in real time. It is no longer based on probabilities, planned values and a partially recorded output. The information becomes even more accurate if, say, laser marking is also used in production. As soon as a pane has been marked with a number or a QR code, it can be uniquely identified throughout the entire product life cycle and tracked in a process-safe manner at the production stations. The more information of this kind is collected, processed and made available, the more intertwined and transparent the processes can be made. When this data is provided in a targeted manner, for example to the HEGLA-HANIC continuous optimisation system, time variations are directly incorporated into the planning and may lead to an adjustment of the cutting plans with regard to preferred products or can be used to further optimise waste.

 A greater degree of merging of information from additional sensors, data from the machine control system or the ERP software creates an even more precise picture of the processes, which also reveals the bottlenecks in the value chain in question. On the basis of the resulting key figures and contexts, individual processes can be changed and simulated, and ideal processes can be defined within the framework of process analysis. The knowledge gained is then integrated into process design to optimise the workflows for the company in question.

The Managing Director of software business HEGLA-HANIC, Dr Jan Schäpers, advises his customers to collect data over longer periods to ensure it is available for evaluation later. He also recommends using cockpits at central production locations to transparently display machine data, maintenance dates, relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) or the current target/actual status of processing. This provides employees with useful information on their process step to aid decision-making or to facilitate their work. In addition, the Shop-Floor Assistant app can be used to access cockpit data, machine data and maintenance intervals, among other information, regardless of location and manufacturer. In addition to the documentation for the individual systems, an internal ordering service or the request for an internal rack transport, the app offers functionalities for the identification of glass types by scanning the QR code, for example. Depending on data integration and transfer, the app may also be used outside production. A single scan is sufficient on the building site, for example, to access the fire protection certificate for a pane, to order an identical glass type directly or to document the delivery of a rack by scan or photo. Complete data transfer along the whole value chain opens up the options considerably: The window fitting company can directly re-order a product via the app while enquiring about the required pane from its supplier, including its price, and can immediately give the customer a delivery date.

Press officer:

HEGLA GmbH & Co. KG
37688 Beverungen, Germany

Carsten Koch
Phone +49 (0) 52 73 / 9 05 - 121
Email: carsten.koch@hegla.de 

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