Consulting Services

  • Gemba Walk: Help a production team do the job right the first time and prevent production errors from happening

  • Increase operator productivity by comprehensively guiding them through complex processes

  • Reduce human error through easy to follow, interactive instructions that guide your team as they perform their daily tasks

  • Augment operator engagement through interactive work instructions

  • Minimize quality defects through automatic in-line quality inspections

  • Gain visibility into operator performance through real-time data and bench-marking

  • Increase productivity by tracking the most relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) of operations

  • Easily visualize costs generated by production errors, rework and scrap.Reduce the cost of poor quality by minimizing rework, scrap and defective products

  • Initial 2 hour team meeting to discuss and identify cost-saving opportunities

  • Further 30 to 60 minute one on one sessions with stakeholders to further review opportunities, document and report

  • Detailed machine evaluations to OSHA 1910 standards

  • Stop Time Testing

  • Recommendations for the proper point-of-operation safeguarding methods or devices

  • Evaluation of electrical and related documentation for compliance to “control reliability” standards.

  • Recommendations for additional Part fixtures and hand tools to eliminate “hands-in-die” operations

  • Forklift safety recommendations and machine collision detection upgrades

  • Recommendations for Automation upgrades to maximize safety productivity

  • Build and Deploy mechanical machine guarding systems, OSHA and ISO compliant safety controllers, safety light curtains, safety door interlocks, safety laser scanners, safety floor mats

  • Long and short-term safety strategies to increase productivity while maintaining a high level of operator safety.

  • Cost = Average time for audit = one hour per machine + required hardware and labor to implement recommendations

  • Paint a detailed view of your work processes with real-time data from your people and machines.

  • Provide department, division or plant-wide display of OEE and other KPIs

  • Partner example 1:  https://www.advantech.com/industrial-automation/industry4.0/

  • Partner example 2:  https://www.klipfolio.com/resources/kpi-examples

  • Work with IT professionals to ensure seamless and secure network interface

  • Cost = Hourly depending on extent of project + required hardware and labor to implement recommendations

  • Connect measurement and inspection tools to the lean apps built to increase production visibility and perform faster root cause analysis

  • Design 2D and 3D machine vision algorithms using standard or custom tools

  • Acquire and deploy machine vision components: conveyor, lighting, position stages, work-holding, , lenses and filters, cameras, computers

  • Implement machine vision systems and automated gaging systems, as required

  • Cost = Hourly depending on extent of project plus equipment

  • Connect position encoders, speed monitors, pressure and force sensors, temperature, flow, level, load, weight, vibration and humidity sensors to detect and solve issues faster.

  • Wired or wireless networking of machine sensors, depending on cost-benefit analysis

  • Upgrade, rebuild or repair existing machine and robot controls, motors, gearing, valves

  • Partner example:  https://buy.advantech.com/Search.aspx?skey=mesh

  • Upgrade or design new machine controls for discrete manufacturing equipment, batch processing and robotics cells

  • UL 508 control panel fabrication

  • Custom  mechatronic systems, robots, conveyors, precision positioning stages

  • Program CNC machine tools, PLC control systems, motion controls and robots

  • PLCs Supported: ABB, Allen-Bradley, Automation Direct, B&R, Beckhoff, Modicon, Opto 22, Rockwell Automation, Schneider, Siemens, Telemechanique, Weintek

  • Robots Suppoted: ABB, Adept, Denso, Fanuc, Kawasaki, Kuka, Motoman, Nachi, Omron, Universal Robots, Yaskawa

  • Commission controls for plant equipment

  • Reduce unplanned downtime with optimized maintenance scheduling and failure prevention.

  • Boost Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) by optimizing the production conditions of each machine and process.

  • Maximize throughput by identifying process bottlenecks, and testing alternative setups without affecting production.

  • Reduce defects and improve product quality with accurate predictive quality and optimized machine performance.

  • Reduce time-to-repair and cost-to-repair through accurate issue categorization and alerts.

  • Reduce unplanned downtime with optimized maintenance scheduling and failure prevention.

  • Build new revenue streams by providing digital services to customers such as PdM dashboards, optimized maintenance schedules, or a technician dispatch service.

  • Improve customer satisfaction by sending customers automated alerts when parts need to be replaced or serviced, strengthening your brand, and keeping a competitive advantage.

  • Screen example:  https://www.seebo.com/predictive-maintenance/

  • Design data collection systems using existing or new controls and sensors

  • Process / machine concept development

  • ROI and benefit analysis of new machines or processes

  • Machine Scope of Work and BOM development

  • Machine fabrication, Factory Acceptance Testing, installation and startup

  • Identify required sensors

  • Qualified installation of all low voltage (less than 120vac) devices) including mounting, programming, testing

  • Acquire and Deploy ANDON systems

  • Acquire and Deploy production and quality plant display dashboards

  • Track step, process and cycle time by product and worker to optimize production.

  • Monitor process completions in real-time to detect and solve bottlenecks faster

  • Measure first pass yield and quality defects by product variety to improve product design

  • Third-party (PLC / CNC) system data:  Bring in and visualize data from other systems and data sources. Build dashboards for all of factory data in one easy-to-understand view.

  • Error-proof your operations and guide production teams as they perform their tasks by Poka Yoke techniques and digital work instructions to guide assembly

  • Cost based per screen developed

  • Detailed operator and management training on all solutions provided: how to maintain tools

  • Kaizen :  Provide your team with feasible targets and objective data-driven feedback. Instantly see the impact of your coaching on your operations in real-time.

  • Sensor, programmable controller, robot and drive setup and maintenance training

  • Tulip software screen development training for digital work instructions and detailed quality and production reports; Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE) measurement

  • Reduce new employee on-boarding costs by not having to allocate a full-time training buddy and speeding up the training process.

  • Decrease the time and effort required to on-board new employees through self-guided training modules and digital work instructions

  • Minimize turnover costs through a more efficient training process that speeds up the on-boarding of new hires

  • Raise new hire engagement through ‘gamified’ training programs