Founded in 1963, the SANHA group is the leading European manufacturer of press fit piping systems for water, gas, solar, heating, cooling, and sanitary applications. With an extensive product range comprising over 8,300 products, they have been at the forefront of digital innovation since the 1970s.
Leading the Way with Industry 4.0
According to Andreas Jüsgen, CIO of SANHA, “The move to Industry 4.0 makes sense. It will help us connect devices with machines and set up digital processes. Automation enables machines, devices, or transport units to follow a defined process without human input.”
Production Optimization: The Prerequisite for Industry 4.0
Industry 4.0 requires seamless workflows and visibility into production. Manual processes can be a major stumbling block in SANHA’s manufacturing workflows. Andreas stated that currently, “Data acquisition is manual and decentralized. We know that we’re missing out on critical insights for cycle time, OEE and downtime.”
To make the move to Industry 4.0, SANHA turned to Magic Software’s Industry 4.0 solution, FactoryEye, which enables them to simplify factory floor production, minimize errors across the entire supply chain, and improve production visibility for insightful decision-making.
“By modernizing our production processes, we will increase production efficiency and streamline workflows in all of our sites,” says Andreas.
Smarter and Faster Responses with Real-Time Data
Through FactoryEye, the entire management team can view cross company data (downtime, machine errors, etc.) on their mobiles at any time, in any location. Armed with valuable production insights, managers can immediately track production floor issues and schedule deliveries with increased accuracy, for shortened delivery times. Connected IoT devices and automated production is turning SANHA into a digital factory.
As Andreas iterates, “being able to update our planning system (MRP) in real time with live production data and finished goods is a major improvement for us. Accurate planning means better scheduling, inventory optimization, and shorter delivery times.”
Improved Productivity with Digital Processes
Machine operators and their managers can now focus on the big picture, while still dealing with challenging tasks, and enhancing communication visibility. “It is particularly important for us that our people follow and understand digital change,” Andreas emphasizes, “they should be involved in the process, and not feel replaced by machines.” SANHA’s team are envisaging an improved work culture and opportunities for remote work.
Enhanced OTD and Customer Experience with Smart Industry 4.0 Integration
Before the shift to FactoryEye and Industry 4.0, getting current data about delays was a huge challenge. FactoryEye allows SANHA to immediately inform its customers and suppliers about unforeseeable bottlenecks caused by extraordinary conditions. With predictive maintenance and bottleneck mitigation, SANHA can improve control over delivery times and inventory management. This ability to react and fix issues immediately is a huge game-changer for SANHA, because as Andreas points out, “quick corrections lowers the reject rate, prevents errors in production, reduces costs, increases available goods, and ensures punctual delivery.”
Why SANHA Ultimately Chose FactoryEye
FactoryEye’s solution has empowered SANHA to take a step towards Industry 4.0 digitization. By automating the end-to-end manufacturing process, FactoryEye allows the SANHA team to identify machine failures before they happen, detect negative trends early, and provide decision makers with data in real time. Armed with visibility and business-critical data, SANHA is looking forward to achieving Industry 4.0 success in 2020 with FactoryEye.
Andreas stated “Magic’s solution hit the sweet spot for us by providing advanced, easy-to-use machine connection, data visibility, and a smart IoT solution for production. Our industry 4.0 project helps reduce costs, improve efficiency, productivity, and cost structure. Real time monitoring of our machines enables all predictive and preventive maintenance models, reducing machine downtimes. Optimizing maintenance intervals and costs is now actually conceivable and attainable.”
FactoryEye: Adding Visibility in a Time of Uncertainty
The Covid-19 pandemic is the biggest crisis manufacturers have faced in decades. In addition to disrupting supply chains, many manufacturing executives are working from home, with little visibility into what is happening on the ground. Using FactoryEye, manufacturers can reduce the amount of people needed on-site by enabling remote work and collaboration from their laptops or smartphones, thus keeping their employees safe, up to date, and primed for growth when this crisis ends.
