With the increasing demands in the automotive industry, particularly in the areas of quality control and production management, suppliers need to rethink. The automotive supplier Alps Alpine therefore replaced its previously implemented solution, which was designed for basic traceability with process interlocking. “We lacked quick access to all relevant manufacturing data. To meet the increasing expectations of OEMs, we needed to find a solution that would provide a holistic overview and instant data availability, so that we could respond immediately to process and quality issues,” explains Ákos Varga, Senior Manager at Alps Alpine.
The iTAC.MOM.Suite closes this information gap. It is a comprehensive manufacturing management system that covers all requirements, including production and quality management, traceability and real-time control of production processes. A total of 1,700 devices are now connected to the solution at Alps Alpine – from SMT to final assembly.
Connecting machines and systems from different manufacturers
A core element of the new solution is the iTAC.SMT.Edge. In SMT production, there are machines and systems from different manufacturers and of different ages that use different communication methods. This makes data transfer and analysis more difficult.
iTAC.SMT.Edge makes it possible to connect machines and systems from different manufacturers in a bidirectional network. The data is consolidated on the shop floor by means of an edge solution-based machine integration platform and distributed to the higher-level company systems, such as the MES, via a direct interface.
Edge technology provides a simple way to collect, link and analyze data from all SMT machines in real time. This means that important key figures such as cycle times and productivity can be compared not only within a plant, but also across several locations.
Alps Alpine started out by using the iTAC.SMT.Edge at its plant in Hungary. After successful testing, the solution was rolled out to other locations such as Mexico, China and Japan.
Immediately identify errors using real-time data
iTAC.SMT.Edge enables a high level of data availability, among other things. Alps Alpine particularly appreciates the availability of real-time data, which significantly improves the traceability of parts and components within the company. “With the previous system, tracking data was very difficult and time-consuming. Now we have instant access to all the information we need,” states Ákos Varga. This considerably simplifies and speeds up the internal troubleshooting process.
This form of traceability is equally important for OEMs. “In the event of complaints, the affected component must be found as quickly as possible – regardless of whether it is still in the warehouse or has already been installed in a vehicle. Thanks to the iTAC solution, the time needed for such investigations has been significantly reduced. What used to take days can now be determined in a few minutes,” says Ákos Varga.
Outlook: further automation and predictions
Alps Alpine has laid the foundation for future automation with the iTAC.MES.Suite and the iTAC.SMT.Edge solution. Planned expansions in the areas of data analytics, predictive maintenance and anomaly detection show that automation is becoming increasingly important in order to overcome the shortage of skilled workers and to make production processes more resilient and efficient. “We are striving for a production system in which machines independently detect problems and provide early warnings of failures. Further development towards more automated production ensures long-term competitiveness in the company,” explains Ákos Varga.
