Adapted to individual requirements
Designed to be effective, flexible and cost-effective, the solutions we provide for your production concept are our answer to the challenges of today. We are faced with declining product life cycles, increasing cost pressure and the need to be agile and/or be able to adapt to conditions as they evolve. In order to meet the needs of the market, companies today are having to deal with increasingly complex structures and influences on production planning and production control.
Definition of lean, modular and scalable concepts
By lean, modular and scalable concepts, we mean competitive machines and systems that use intelligent technologies. Modular and scalable solutions can be adjusted to the conditions of the market and to customer requirements. With production solutions from Schaeffler Special Machinery, you are well equipped for the future.
Lean machine systems
The concept of lean manufacturing defines methods for implementing production environments that are aimed at optimizing processes and avoiding waste. Production processes are designed in such a way as to achieve the greatest possible efficiency with high flexibility and quality. Non-value-creating processes, such as warehousing, transport, waiting times, defects, overproduction, etc., are identified and eliminated.
Implementing these lean assembly and testing sequences requires a comprehensive review and adaptation of production processes. Employees are involved, so that the workflows for existing systems can be reviewed and improved. When developing new systems, attention is paid to responsive and competitive concepts that also include upstream and downstream processes when designing the machines.
Using continuous improvement process (CIP) systems and a culture of continuous learning, at Schaeffler Special Machinery too we are constantly enhancing our portfolio and our individual production solutions for our customers. The use of innovative technologies, our understanding as a partner for production excellence and our focus on customer satisfaction are decisive when it comes to us continuing to implement competitive machines and systems in the future.
Modular machines
Modularity in production lines describes organizing processes into independent modules that can be flexibly combined to meet a variety of different requirements. For example, this can occur within the context of using or replacing individual processes for different products or product types. Adjustment effort can be significantly reduced through meaningful standardization of machines and systems, harmonized interfaces and streamlining. The use of similar components and modules offers further potential for reducing adjustment effort, particularly when producing small batch sizes. In addition to real-world components, we at Schaeffler Special Machinery also look at digital components in our systems.
Researchers are currently debating the concept of modular production, in the form of what is known as matrix organization. The benefits of productivity and flexibility offered by synchronized lines and garage production should be combined. By networking all production participants, the aim is to obtain flexible material flows and novel factory layouts.
Scalable solutions
A scalable production line is designed to be expanded or reduced according to real-world requirements. This means that scalable machine concepts offer the capabilities needed to respond to market conditions and customer requirements. Scalability is imperative when it comes to developing modular systems that make such agility possible.
Scalability can relate to individual processes, machine parts or parts of the overall system. The use of automation solutions and intelligent technologies can contribute to the competitiveness of production companies. Cash and material flows can be optimized by following the “just in time” principle and the investment risk can be minimized. The specific time reference of investments made in machines and the utilization of available capacities are decisive in this regard.
Automation
Automation solutions, for example in the form of robotics or software applications, can have a positive effect on production costs, productivity or product quality. Our specialists will design the right system for your specific production requirements.