Real-time, Automated Data Empowering the Precision Machining Industry
Customer Company Size
Large Corporate
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- GainSeeker
Tech Stack
- Automated Data Collection
- ERP Integration
- Coordinate Measuring Machines (CMM)
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Cost Savings
- Customer Satisfaction
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)
- Analytics & Modeling - Real Time Analytics
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Applicable Functions
- Quality Assurance
- Process Manufacturing
Use Cases
- Predictive Maintenance
- Machine Condition Monitoring
- Process Control & Optimization
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
Hertzler Systems has been providing seamless, accurate data acquisition solutions for over 30 years. They serve a large and diverse customer base in service, transactional, and manufacturing environments, including companies like Consolidated Biscuit Company, Darden Restaurants, Pactiv Inc., McCormick & Company, and Hormel Foods. Customers invest in Hertzler Systems' software and services to easily acquire data in any process, analyze it in real-time, and instantly notify process owners of process variations. These capabilities help clients reduce costs, cycle time, errors, and defects, while increasing profitability and customer satisfaction.
The Challenge
A senior quality engineer for a leading machining company faced alarming scrap levels, with only hindsight data available to prevent it. Precision was crucial for the intricate manufactured components. The company had five work zones with a first-pass yield of only 40 percent, generating staggering annual scrap costs. Pertinent inspection data was manually collected and recorded, making it costly and difficult to manage. Weeks often passed before usable data became available, allowing defective products to pass through manufacturing processes with hidden issues. Identifying underlying issues required extensive efforts from Six Sigma Black Belts, often long after the fact.
The Solution
The quality engineer envisioned an automated data collection system that would seamlessly integrate with the company’s ERP system, gages, and coordinate measuring machines (CMM). Hertzler Systems provided the GainSeeker automated real-time data collection system, which collects data directly from all plant devices, including the scheduling system. This system was designed to be easy for machine operators to use, enabling them to take initial actions toward problem prevention. GainSeeker empowered operators to drill down into the data in real-time to see how a process was performing, significantly improving the company's operational efficiency.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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