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Automation & Control


documents related to each project in a single file that’s easy to share, review, and archive. “With Companion, all of our project data is centralised,”


says Russo. “I can’t imagine going back to multiple files and folders to manage my projects.” Phoenix Contact’s Lean Six Sigma practitioners had been


intimidated by the sheer quantity of tools available in the DMAIC toolkit and how those tools could be applied. With Companion, practitioners use the software’s Project Roadmap to organise their projects into detailed phases, along with the associated tools for each step. In addition, on-demand Coaches give the Belts guidance and examples for how to use tools at each phase of the project. “Ambiguity about how to start and complete a project is diminished,” says Russo. Russo, who mentors Lean Six Sigma belts at all


certification levels within the company, says Quality Companion is equally helpful to practitioners completing improvement projects at all levels of complexity.


“Companion puts project management tools at the fingertips of all our practitioners – from Green Belts in training to those at more advanced levels.” Companion also greatly reduces the amount of time teams


spend manually copying and pasting project data into various project forms. The software’s integrated tool set allows data to be shared throughout the entire project, so when you enter or change a piece of data in one form, it also updates other forms throughout the project. “We’ve saved time on redundant data entry and cut down


on most of the paperwork it previously took to report the status of our projects,” Russo says. And customising Companion’s project forms, tools,


Project Roadmap and Coaches is easy. “We’ve developed our own standardized forms to execute projects,” says Quality Manager and Green Belt Peter Muller, “and all the forms link up and communicate with each other when changes are made or data is added.” Russo finds Companion especially helpful when it


comes to tracking and monitoring project statuses, as well as presenting results to management and key project stakeholders. “The all-in-one design of Companion makes it simple to see the progress of each project,” he says. “It’s also easy to create high-quality project presentations directly within the software.”


Results


While Phoenix Contact’s deployment of Quality Companion is still in its early stages, the software’s role in helping to complete several successful projects has already proved extremely beneficial. “Companion’s ease of use, as well as early project


successes, has made our conversion to the new software simple,” Russo says. “I saw the benefits right away.” One project lead by new Green Belt and Customer


Fig. 2. Quality Companion helps Phoenix Contact practitioners manage all the documents and tools they need to complete their continuous improvement projects in one application, rather than in multiple files and folders on a network drive.


Service Manager Amy Gangl eliminated the use of a manual paper filing system in the customer service department. “We’ve made our processes paper-free and saved thousands of dollars,” Gangl says.


E


Enclosures fix on walls or to machine bodies BAV models have a front side door,


nclosure expert LOHMEIER’s BAE and BAV lines of HMI enclosures which are tailored to the


requirements of state-of-the-art panel IPCs and touchscreens. Designed for use with the CS-3000


support arm system, they can now also be combined with all other systems on the market thanks to standard-compliant universal machining. Thereby, integration of the HMI enclosures becomes even easier. If required, they can replace older units in existing machines and plants. They can also be mounted to walls or directly attached to machine bodies. The enclosures feature new metal handles with an added benefit:


26 www.engineerlive.com


thanks to their modern design, they ensure considerably improved handling. Just like the enclosures, they can be coated in any RAL colour, with different colours possible for handles and enclosure. Thus, the units can be optically and technically adapted to the individual machine design or CI. Additionally, all visible screw heads on


the front plate were replaced by invisible fixing elements on the inside. Featuring a high-quality powder coating


on the inside and outside, the enclosures are equipped with an inner reinforcing element under the support arm connection which allows users to install even heavy systems.


while BAE models have one on the back side, both providing optimal accessibility during installation, maintenance and daily operation. A seamless PUR foam seal ensures IP55


protection and reliably prevents dust and liquids from entering the enclosure and the sensitive electronics within. The aluminium front plate can be fitted according to customer requirements and the components installed within the enclosure. Four sizes with dimensions between 400 x 300 x 210 and 600 x 600 x 300 m are available ex stock. l


For more information, visit www.lohmeier.de


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