MoldMaking Technology

OCT 2017

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moldmakingtechnology.com 41 Toolmaking 4.0 Zahoransky has undergone significant restructuring over the past several years. The company is split into moldmaking, automation, mechanical engineering and packag- ing machine divisions. Ten years ago, Zahoransky employed 550 people, 120 of which were working in the moldmaking division. Today, the business has 750 employees at 10 sites in Germany, Spain, Japan, China, India, Brazil and the United States and is experiencing continuous growth. Last year, the moldmaking and automation divisions were united under one roof and one management team to provide integrated systems, which improve produc- tion times. Zahoransky Automation & Molds GmbH, formerly called Zahoransky For- menbau GmbH, officially launched operations on October 1, 2016 with headquarters in Freiburg, Germany. It has 100 employees. The mold shop's capacity is supported by 80 moldmakers, engineers and designers in Rothenkirchen, Eastern Germany and about 100 moldmakers in the Indian plant in Tamil Nadu, southern India, which serves as an extended workbench for the other sites. To manage and streamline all operations, the company introduced an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, which is used across the business. The system is part of what Zahoransky calls "Toolmaking 4.0," a transparent, paperless and data- driven manufacturing organization, which enables the company to deliver on-time in four to six months, even for complex projects. Using barcode technology integrated with the Zahoransky ERP software system, data is collected and then instantly trans- ferred into the system. Once there, the information can be shared throughout the entire organization in real-time, giving management the opportunity to make data- driven assessments and decisions. If there is a bottleneck in any production step, the ERP system automatically checks availability at all other plants, then sends the order to the plant with free capacities where the part is made and shipped back. Touch screens are installed at every manufacturing or assembly station. They show all the necessary data and machining procedures. If a part has to be changed or someone discovers a fault in the process, all of the operators and machines working on the same part in Freiburg, Rothenkirchen or India are instantly notified via their screen, and they can react immediately. While special and unique tools and molds are still manufactured based on specific orders, most parts are now planned based on consumption. All mold components are stored in Zahoransky warehouses once they are machined. The assembly only starts when all components have arrived in the warehouse. Once repetitive parts have left the warehouse for assembly, an order is triggered to reproduce the part. This system not only saves time, it creates a calm and ordered work environment, because the shop floor is not crowded with ready-machined parts waiting for assembly. Planning a generous buffer to process any orders ensures on-time delivery. De- sign changes and customer requests often lead to long design phases, causing delays and late deliveries. A buffer of one or even three months to cover any disruptions in production and order processing supports the Zahoransky goal of on-time delivery. The result of this new approach to planning is an on-time delivery rate of 90 percent and a relaxed work environment. "We are currently running our capacities at 120 percent," Schmidt says. applications). Assembly adds an immense amount of extra cycle time to the customer's production process of the end product." Consequently, Schmidt's team decided to create a niche for their moldmaking business and create added value for the customer by eliminating that extra cycle time. In the case of the syringes, Zahoransky looked at inserting the needle and unloading the assembled product simultaneously with the molding process. Then Zahoransky decided to develop innova- tive concepts, modules and solutions to integrate automation into the injection molding process as well. "This means that assembly is taking place close to the mold or inside of it. Advantages include decreased cycle time, a com- pact production cell and a single supplier for the molds, injec- tion molding process and automation systems. Our designers, automation specialists and toolmakers work together for that one system," Schmidt says. For in-mold assembly, Zahoransky has developed different tools, including total integrated manufacturing (TIM) and servo cavity positioning system (SCPS) tools. According to Schmidt, the TIM cube tool with rotating assembly plates relo- cates the assembly operation to external moving plates, which creates new possibilities for in-mold assembly. The assembly units are positioned opposite one another and are docked onto the tool externally. This makes it possible to execute assembly operations independently from the injection molding process. If there is a product change, the user only has to change the mold cavity inserts. "It's all about saving cycle time," Schmidt says. "If the machine is open, it's wasted time. I want one second for open- ing, one second for the molding process and one second to eject the finished part. So, the goal is to perform processes out- side of the mold and integrate automation inside the mold." That is precisely what the company's SCPS tool does. The tool was designed for the production of multi-material parts on a standard injection machine. It allows for part assembly and cooling outside of the mold. Schmidt says that the SCPS is Michael Schmidt, managing director of Zahoransky Automation & Molds, shows the company's touch screens, which are installed at every manufacturing or assembly station and show all necessary data and machining procedures. His goal is a transparent, paperless and data-driven manufacturing organization.

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