Digitalisation of production at Stenhøj

– very simple and step-by-step

Stenhøj is in the process of digitalising production. The goal is to use data from production to reduce downtime, optimise workflows and be at the forefront of maintenance and new purchases.

– “It is important for us to get started in stages, so we get everyone involved and can see results on our existing production equipment immediately. That is why we started with a pilot project with REEFT A/S,” says Henrik Berg Jepsen, Business Process Consultant, Head of Digitalisation at Stenhøj.

Joint clarification of requirements specification

Over the past year, Stenhøj has been in dialogue with REEFT to clarify their requirements for a system for production monitoring and specify their wishes – now and in the future. Cooperation with REEFT A/S has been close and employees from REEFT have been with Stenhøj for a few weeks to get a handle on all the details in the requirements specification and clarify what the REEFTvisual standard system could solve immediately.

– “We looked at several different systems but chose REEFTvisual because of the competent team of experts and their insight into the way we work. We could see that the employees at REEFT could make REEFTvisual fit into our everyday lives, and we could get started quickly. This made us completely confident in choosing them,” says Henrik Berg Jepsen.

Stenhøj picks the low-hanging fruit first

The digitalisation process can be a mouthful, but Stenhøj and REEFT prepared a project plan with stages together, rolling out the digitalisation in the places where it adds the most value and where it is easy to get started. Together, they have described partial deliveries and key stages that must be adhered to in order to achieve goals and continuously evaluate results. “We have been happy with the process with REEFT, and the project plan has been met throughout,” says Henrik Berg Jepsen.

“Now we know exactly what is going on in production”

REEFTvisual has a plug & play solution that supports both new machines, old machines and manual processes, so that companies can quickly get started with optimisation without major investments in new machinery. Stenhøj has connected REEFT’s link boxes on their existing machines such as laser cutters, welding robots and bending machines to get a status on the condition of each individual machine.

– “We get more knowledge about what is going on in production and an increased awareness of faults in the machines. This provides great value for us. In addition, we get an overview of when we need to replace the machines. For example, we can see when a robot welder has so many unprovoked stops that it is time to replace it,” says Henrik Berg Jepsen.

Andon – call = fast assistance and less downtime on the machines

Operators have been given a tablet at their workstation with a call function – Andon – to call for help if they experience errors or problems. The call goes out to their local team leader, to the planning department or to the area manager, who receives an SMS indicating what type of help the operator needs. And the operators are happy to be called.

– “We have an overview screen with our lines and can immediately get an overview of the machines. This is a significant improvement because we can understand how things are going in the individual area. The call function alone provides so much value that we are considering rolling out more functionality on tablets throughout production,” says Henrik Berg Jepsen.

Here too, Stenhøj is rolling out the new initiatives gradually and this means something for support from the employees:

– “We get all the operators involved because they are not presented with a whole lot of new things at once and do not have to change a whole lot right from the start. Small steps in the implementation make them positive about the next changes. And we are ready for the next roll out because we get feedback from operators, managers and team leaders.

We gain more knowledge about what is going on in production and an increased awareness of defects in the machines. This provides great value for us.”

The next step is integration with Stenhøj’s other systems

The next step in the digitalisation process is integration to the ERP system with calendar integration, after which a BI statistics module must be implemented so that even more measurements can be launched, e.g. OEE, and finally production order management is included in the loop. Some of it is standard in REEFTvisual, and other elements are add-ons and adaptations developed to fit into everyday life at Stenhøj. – “There are lots of development opportunities in the system and we can train super users who can keep the system up to date. So, even though we have a close and good collaboration, we do not depend on REEFT in daily operations,” Henrik Berg Jepsen concludes.

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