Metal Fabrication Production Monitoring
KMF are a UK market leading supplier of precision sheet metal and contract manufacturing solutions to a diverse range of industry sectors. Formed in 1971, KMF has grown into one of the UK's largest and most successful sheet metal manufacturing plants.
Located in North Staffordshire, KMF has a 110,000 square feet production facility that operates 24 hours, 7 days a week, with 350 full time permanent staff and annual turnover of £30m.
After an exhaustive process the company invested in a PlantRun OEE system to monitor seven Trumpf assets including PL600 and PL700 punch lasers, L41 (3030) Fibre laser, L20 (5030) laser and TC5000 punch machines. This decision was aided by the fact that PlantRun was already proven in monitoring laser cutters and punch presses, which due to the nature of their operation are known to be problematic to monitor effectively.
The system continuously monitors products, operators, shifts, downtime (short or microstops) and reasons for long stoppages, OEE etc.. Report and analysis tools are built in or data can be exported.
Rapid Significant Reduction in Unplanned Downtime
Empowered with the accurate data the PlantRun system provides asset run time has been improved significantly over a three month period showing an increase in run time of 9.2%. This equates to 15 hours 34 minutes additional runtime per day across the seven assets. Top reason for downtime each month was “No operator” indicating possible justification to employ extra machine operators.
Keith Nicholl, Commercial Director at KMF commented;
“Tascomp had the necessary technical and people skills to make our solution work….they always displayed a positive can do approach and got the job done. PlantRun is now central to how we performance manage our key kit, it is reliable, accurate and most of all meaningful”
Recognising the benefits the system provides the company subsequently expanded the system to monitor eight additional Trumpf assets including TruBend Series 5000 press brakes including 2.5 metre bed (85 tonnes capacity) and 3 metre bed (130 tonnes capacity) models.
Unlike the performance monitoring capability built in to some branded equipment, with PlantRun any make, type or age of asset can be connected.
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