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www.us-tech.com Auto-Kabel Optimizes Stock
Replenishment with WERMA’s StockSAVER T
By Michael Groll, Head of Strategic Marketing, and Susanne Kaufman, Public Relations, WERMA Signaltechnik GmbH & Co. KG
he friction-welding machines at automotive supplier Auto- Kabel require a constant sup-
ply of adequate material without ex- cessive safety stock. To ensure that material does not run out and result in machine downtime, the company implemented a system that offers transparency into stock levels in its first in, first out (FIFO) racks, as well as an effective and reliable replenish- ment system. The easy-to-retrofit system from
WERMA, StockSAVER, is a process optimization system that reduces the amount of safety stock traditionally held line-side and solves many other problems often associated with kan- ban systems. Auto-Kabel’s material is held
line-side in storage bins on flow racks. The FIFO system ensures that bins placed into the racks first are the first ones to be used. The flow rack system is also used at the company’s head- quarters in Hausen im Wiesental, Germany, where it provides machine operators with cable shoes and eye- lets. The flow racks contain more than 90 stack locations, which are each filled with three bins. Each bin holds approximately 400 parts.
Reducing Downtime The company’s industrial engi-
neering department identified a need
to improve the kitting of parts for the welding machines — a process that had always been the source of bottle- necks. The high throughput of com-
tance from logistics if they ran out of material, during which time the ma- chine was not operational. The fre- quent and lengthy stoppages were
chine monitoring and data collection system SmartMONITOR, which we really like. So, we had a look around to see what else WERMA could offer and found StockSAVER,” says Maik Engelhardt, pilot project leader and industrial engineer at Auto-Kabel. After an initial site visit and
presentation, the company fitted three flow racks that contained 90 stock lo- cations with the system. From the be- ginning of the trial, it was clear that the system was a real benefit. StockSAVER is a maintenance-
free system that is easy to retrofit to any FIFO flow rack. Sensors attached to the rack ensure complete trans- parency of stock levels. This allows workers to see material levels easily and also guards against misplaced stock.
Sensors monitor the number of
StockSAVER provides complete transparency of stock levels held in FIFO flow racks.
ponents often led to shortages and idle time, because of inadequate re- plenishment. Machine downtime was another
problem. Operators often had to leave their machines to get assis-
unacceptable. Auto-Kabel and WERMA made
contact at one of WERMA’s frequent road shows, where it was showcasing its system solutions. “We already knew about WERMA from its ma-
bins held on the FIFO flow racks. The number and movement of bins is then sent to the SmartBOX and forwarded on wirelessly to StockSAVER soft- ware, where it is displayed as a digital copy of the stock held on the racks. This system solves many tradi-
tional kanban problems, such as lost or damaged kanban cards or human error in replacing bins on the racks. It also frees up space on the factory floor. The automatic stock replenishment system reduces the possibility of
Continued on next page
June, 2018
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