The company teamed up with KFactory to create a digitalization path
Componente Auto S.A. Topoloveni (CAT Group) is an auto parts manufacturer with over forty years of experience in serving the global automotive producers, design, development and production of auto components and assemblies. It has always been a reliable partner for both OEM products and for the spare parts market. Our main goal was to help CAT Group to become the factory of the future.
In the current production, CAT uses dozens of industrial equipments such as lathes, CNCs, cutting machines, presses, extrusion equipment, crimping machines and heat treatment furnaces. A large staff is operating this complex array of equipment in three daily shifts.
To keep track of this increasingly complex operation, the management needed a digital solution. That solution can monitor and deliver real-time information on all the manufacturing activities and at the same time help analyse the historical information.
To achieve these goals, the company teamed up with KFactory. The goal was to create a digitalization path, integrating rapidly advanced monitoring and reporting digital technologies into its factories.
KFACTORY ROLE
Our team focused on the client’s goal – an automatic data retrieval system with real-time visibility into the production process. Also, a complex context analysis that allowed CAT Group to understand how to increase production by becoming more efficient.
The adoption process was accomplished in a short time. After the initial tests were completed, the CAT team started working with the solution very quickly, in a matter of weeks.
“The KFactory team partnered with us from day one and throughout the implementation process but also to train our team in understanding the results produced. Their support team has continued to be available 24/7”. – Ionut Borcan, Plant Manager at CAT.
PEOPLE AND CULTURE
The KFactory digital platform is enabling CAT Group to better match jobs and skills. That improved manufacturing and internal supply chain efficiencies as well as the CAT Group production team experience. Most of the manual activities related to production monitoring and consolidation of production reports has been taken over by KFactory platform.
Analysis and decision making processes are now based on real time data. The management team is able to receive alerts and react to unexpected issues almost instantly.
All the data we collected helps the management create a template for continuous improvement. The decision process has become much more precise. Discussions are held on real data, produced in real time or immediately after the end of the shift. People have become not only more aware of the current problems, but also of the steps that must be followed in the processes of continuous improvement. Ultimately, these steps are necessary for any factory to maintain its competitivity.
VALUE DELIVERED
This solution has helped The CAT Group to increase productivity by at least 10%. The data flows to and from plant systems. That ultimately means that important information related to production data and equipment functionality are available 24/7 for the team members and management.
They no longer need to spend valuable time manually checking information or data. Management can also view real-time production data to make efficient and rapid decisions.
Also, the client will continue to improve the performance of the machines and their availability through the detailed and contextual analyses performed with the help of the KFactory digital platform.
When digitalization meets tradition, CAT Group becomes the factory of the future.
