About Client
Established in 2008, this leading global provider of material handling systems specializes in designing and manufacturing conveyors and warehouse control systems (WCS). With a presence in six countries and a revenue of $40 million, they cater to major players in the packaging and manufacturing sectors, such as corrugated paper manufacturers. Their solutions are critical for managing the flow of materials efficiently in complex environments like packaging plants and logistics centers.
Challenges
For companies in the packaging and manufacturing industries, ensuring the smooth and efficient movement of materials like corrugated containers and folding cartons is crucial to maintaining productivity and minimizing downtime. The provider's advanced conveyors and warehouse control systems (WCS) are designed to streamline these processes, but several challenges were impacting operational efficiency. There are 3 categories of solutions – manual, semi-automatic and automatic. Increasingly, the clientele is opting for fully automatic solutions.
However, automating a high-speed operation is not easy. For example, allocating material to conveyors in a WIP area needs the operator to know exact position of material and available conveyor in real time. Any latency in receiving information in the real time position leads to misinformation when allocating material. Moreover, manual methods of allocation mean frequent manual errors. This causes collisions and disruptions or system delays leading to jams that halted production, requiring significant time and effort to resolve.
Meanwhile, competitors were advancing with fully automated systems offering real-time monitoring and error correction, putting pressure on this provider's customers to modernize and stay competitive. ?
Solution
The provider partnered with Saviant to tackle the operational challenges they were facing. Together, they developed a fully automated material handling system powered by an Industrial IoT (IIoT) platform. This collaboration integrated advanced technologies to enable real-time monitoring and automation, significantly improving the efficiency and reliability of the provider's systems. The solution includes –
Architecture audit –
Saviant studied the existing infrastructure and workflows with in-depth interactions with the company’s PLC engineers, software and data teams. This helped gain essential insights into the reason for latencies in the present semi-automatic systems.
A revised system architecture was developed that ensured availability of the right data in real time for allocations. An algorithm to automate allocation was also developed.
Industrial IoT platform:
The new system was designed using an IIoT platform, which would allow for real-time data collection and processing.
- Node-red platform:
To manage workflows and integrate various system components, the solution employed the Node-Red platform. This choice allowed for a more flexible and scalable system, eliminating the need for hard coding and making it easier to adapt the system to changing business needs.
- Remote monitoring and control:
The system included web and mobile applications that enabled remote monitoring and control. This feature reduced the need for on-site interventions, allowing operators to manage the system from anywhere, leading to faster response times and increased operational efficiency.
- System optimization:
The solution achieved 100% automated material allocation, which drastically reduced the time and effort previously required for manual processes. Additionally, the system was optimized to reduce sensing and control/actuation times, making the entire operation more responsive and efficient. By designing the system without hard coding, the solution remained highly flexible, allowing for easy adjustments and scalability as the provider’s needs evolved.
Key Results
The implementation of the automated material handling system brought significant improvements for the provider and their customers:
- Faster Go-to-Market (GTM): The new system enabled the provider to accelerate the launch of their product, reaching multiple customers more quickly and efficiently. This rapid deployment allowed them to stay competitive in a market that is increasingly dominated by fully automated solutions.
- Scalable system implementation: Our client successfully developed a scalable material handling system, allowing for easy expansion and adaptation to meet growing customer demands without the need for significant reconfiguration.
- Reduced costs: By minimizing reliance on skilled labor and reducing operational disruptions, the provider lowered overall costs for their customers. This resulted in more cost-effective operations and better resource allocation.
- Enhanced customer satisfaction: With fewer errors, faster production times, and reduced downtime, customers experienced improved productivity and were better able to meet their own customers’ needs, leading to higher satisfaction and loyalty.