Case Study - Cosworth
Cosworth's productivity races ahead with new DLoG system
Fractions of a second can make the difference between winners and 'also rans' in the motorsport arena. As a result, saving time is a key objective for Cosworth Racing, a name synonymous with success in this highly competitive sector.
With products invariably specified to extremely close tolerances; produced in small batches; required on the tightest of lead times; and subject to frequent modifications, it's no surprise that the company is always looking to streamline its production methods. It's this culture of continuous improvement that has led Cosworth Racing to extend its DLoG DNC and shop floor manufacturing information system to include machine tool monitoring and data collection - with dramatic results.
Cosworth Racing is a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of ultra high performance engines for racing, rally and road car applications. It provides powerplant technology and design solutions for teams in Formula 1, World Rally, CART (USA) and motorbike racing, as well as engine technology transfer to Ford's Premier Automotive Group.
The company's drive to continually improve its methods led Cosworth Racing to implement a DNC and shop floor manufacturing data system from DLoG some years ago.
According to the company's Machine Shop Manager, Paul Green, the system opened the way to productivity improvements by providing a wide range of manufacturing data - such as tool lists, machine offsets, product drawings and set up information - directly to the machine shop operators, via PCs located within the appropriate manufacturing cells.
"The system works extremely effectively, delivering accurate information to the shop floor. But thisis only part of the story," he explains. "We could see that up-to-the-moment information on the status of each machine tool could hold the key to maximising utilisation of our production resources, as well as optimising manufacturing throughput."
At that time, set-up, delays and production periods were recorded on hand-written cards and subsequently entered on to Excel forms. However, the shortcomings of this approach were all too clear. "The situation was also compounded by the fact we were coming under pressure from customers to provide more detailed information regarding quality and delivery times," says Green. "Manual data acquisition took up precious production time. What's more, the information was sometimes inaccurate, incomplete and often difficult to read.
Project team
Following the formation of a project team, key requirements and selection criteria were quickly established. These underlined the need for the new system to be simple to operate. Furthermore, it would have to be based on the proprietary Windows operating system and be easily integrated with existing shop floor applications.
"The proven reliability of our DNC system, backed by first class customer support, meant we had already established an excellent relationship with DLoG," says Green. Even so, a number of other alternatives were evaluated as part of an intensive market study, before the DLoG solution was selected.
Automatic
In operation, the DLoG data collection system is largely automatic. Information on machine status and stoppages is recorded through hardware signals, without the need for any manual input. However, the system also allows quick and effective input of data that cannot be collected automatically - such as periods when operators are attending meetings or waiting for material.
The relevant data is stored on a central network and is processed by DLoG Prisma software to provide cell leaders with a real-time overview of production status, machine utilisation and any delays. In parallel, the system automatically generates reports in a variety of industry standard formats, such as Microsoft Excel.
Rolled out
A feature of Cosworth's operations is that staff may be away from the manufacturing cell when individual machines complete their cycle. To enable this to be recorded accurately, the system has been configured to automatically lock the machine tool after a pre-determined period; preventing it from being re-started until a reason for the delay has been entered.
Following the successful completion of the pilot phase, Cosworth Racing rolled out the system throughout its Northampton manufacturing site. This was supported by a tailored series of on-site training sessions for operators on all three shifts. "The induction programme was important to put employees' minds at ease," says Green. "The DLoG system's clear screen dialogues enable operators to become proficient very quickly. This, in turn, has promoted high acceptance of the new software environment."
Today, the DLoG system is employed for real-time machine status and shop floor data collection. It is also planned to utilise the software's ability to interface job booking information directly with the company's Preactor finite capacity scheduling system in the future. Looking back, Green believes that the close relationship between Cosworth Racing and DLoG was one of the reasons that enabled the implementation to be completed so smoothly.
"It is reflected in the results we have achieved," he adds. "Now we are not only working from more accurate data, but the time taken for its acquisition has been slashed. Our team leaders have effectively gained an hour a day to devote to manufacturing issues. As a result, we have been able to optimise our processes - with major time, cost and productivity benefits."
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