Schinko boosts productivity by 20%

The Austrian company has increased quality and production throughput with the help of GFT.

All production areas at the enclosure manufacturer Schinko GmbH are being gradually connected to a fully integrated digital shop floor management system. This is enabling production transparency as well as prompt intervention when required – also automatically.

20% higher productivity

Transparency motivates and reveals opportunities for optimization

Information in real time

Live feedback on work progress makes planning and logistics easier

Reduction in set-up times

Machine dashboards promote fast response and better cycle times

Client

Schinko

Schinko GmbH, based in Neumarkt im Mühlkreis/Upper Austria, is an established specialist in the German-speaking region for customised machine and equipment enclosures, associated integrated control cabinet technology and workplace design. Schinko takes over the entire manufacturing process from the first sketch to prototype construction to the final product.

Challenge

What to do with the data?

Data, data, data... To improve in many areas and create transparency, Schinko's employees used to spend a lot of time collecting endless data: energy, gas and coolant consumption, machine running times, fault reports, material purchases, delivery times and much more. But collecting and evaluating the data became too much effort compared to productive work. Excel spreadsheets overflowed, and employees could no longer keep up. That was a good three years ago. Schinko's management started looking for alternative solutions in order to take a major step towards digitisation. Requirements:

Collection of data from different machines, manual workstations and software systems
Creation of logical connections between different data sources
Building of meaningful dashboards with extensive manufacturing information
Continuous comparison of planned and actual status
Integration of more and more business areas

Engagement

Start: Proof of concept

It all began with a proof of concept, which included an architecture and integration concept as well as a functional prototype. Experts in lean management and digitisation from GFT therefore analysed Schinko's various production areas. The company produces high-quality, customised sheet metal enclosures for many different industries, including semiconductors, medical technology, metrology and 3D printing. Production is divided into five areas: cutting of sheet metal blanks, edging, welding and grinding, nano high-tech powder coating and final assembly. Some production steps, such as laser cutting and coating, are relatively automated, while others, such as bending of sheets, grinding and final assembly of parts, are hard manual work. They all need to be digitised.

Exterior view of the Schinko facility, showcasing its modern architecture against a bright sky with large stone boulders in the foreground. — Explore Schinko's state-of-the-art facility, where innovation and modern architecture meet to enhance manufacturing excellence.

Two men discussing the details of a large industrial machine on the shop floor of Schinko, highlighting precision and attention to detail in manufacturing. — Explore the precision manufacturing processes at Schinko with this detailed shop floor inspection, emphasizing quality and innovation in industrial production.

Two employees engage in a discussion on the shopfloor, with real-time data displayed on a large screen in the background, illustrating transparent and data-driven management at Schinko. — A snapshot of shopfloor collaboration at Schinko, where real-time data displayed on a large screen fosters transparency and efficiency in manufacturing operations.

Two professionals discuss operations on the shopfloor at Schinko, with real-time data displayed on screens in the background, highlighting the transparency and efficiency in the manufacturing process. — Enhancing shopfloor transparency at Schinko through real-time data displays, fostering informed decision-making and streamlined operations in manufacturing.

Two professionals collaborate in front of a TruBend 5130 machine, discussing data displayed on dual screens, representing transparent shopfloor management. — An image depicting two professionals engaging with real-time data on dual screens in a manufacturing environment, emphasizing transparency in shopfloor management at Schinko.

A worker at Schinko reviews real-time data on a TruBend 5130 machine, showcasing enhanced transparency and efficiency in manufacturing operations. — Discover how Schinko improves operational transparency and efficiency with real-time data monitoring on the shop floor, using advanced technology like the TruBend 5130.

Aerial view of the organised and efficient shop floor at Schinko, showcasing modern manufacturing processes and streamlined workflows. — Discover how Schinko optimises its manufacturing processes with a streamlined and organised shop floor, enhancing productivity and quality in production.

Phase 1: Cutting and edging

First, the GFT experts developed a procedure for sections of the cutting and edging areas. After a successful test run, GFT's shop floor management system was introduced across the board. It is based on GFT's own Logical Twin Platform SPHINX OPEN captures all available machine data and makes it available to the production team in real time on clear dashboards. In detail, this involves the following information:

Machine running times (productive, standby, set-up, faults),
Reasons for faults,
Materials,
Employee times per job – always with target and actual status.

Phase 2: Coating

Coating came next. Here, interpreting the data, mapping it to process performance and defining the appropriate KPIs was more challenging than in cutting, partly because corona made on-site visits impossible. The GFT team therefore had to iteratively develop the perfect dashboard that would optimally represent reality and performance. It records all parameters, ranging from machine data in nano high-tech coating through to the weight and areas of the individual components. These components are then attached to hooks and automatically moved into the powder coating system via a ceiling track system. The shop floor management system can then also be used here as large monitors.

“The whole thing gets the team thinking about performance and competitiveness – and we clearly see this in increases in productivity.”

Christian Deinhofer

Plant Manager

Schinko

Benefit

Increased motivation and productivity

Motivation and a willingness to optimise have increased since employees have had transparency on pending and completed orders, machine status and achieving their own targets. More importantly, Schinko has also been able to increase cutting productivity by 20%. In bending, where shop floor management is even newer, the increase is currently 10% and, according to plant manager Christian Deinhofer, will increase to more than 20% in the future. He also sees the following advantages:

Data can be viewed by all employees via a central dashboard, on all PCs and mobile devices in the company
Reaction times are shortened through production monitoring in real time, instant transparency on actual and target times regarding order processing
Planning and scheduling are improving constantly thanks to precise key figures and automated reporting
Quality and safety increase as faults are detected more quickly and interruptions to operations are reduced in the long term

“We are gradually digitising in a careful and measured way – with a clear view of costs and benefits at the end of each milestone. When all production areas have been digitised by next year, we will consider the next step forward.”

Gerhard Lengauer

Managing Director

Schinko

Download – just one click away

Success story

Schinko boosts productivity by 20%

Download

Outlook

AI solutions in the cloud as the next step?

Schinko currently operates the GFT system on premises, i.e. entirely in its own data centre. A move to the cloud is not yet an issue for Plant Manager Deinhofer and Managing Director Lengauer. However, both are keeping their eyes open on current developments in cloud services in the manufacturing sector. They are counting on GFT for advice.

As a partner to all major cloud providers, GFT has great expertise in this area and is a development partner to Google and Co. in numerous areas. The company's own software platform SPHINX OPEN, a central data model for Industry 4.0 applications, is also cloud-capable. With more computing power, entirely new applications would be conceivable at Schinko, such as the use of artificial intelligence for detecting discrepancies in quality control.