A key part of any manufacturing process is ensuring there
are no bottlenecks in production and understanding the impact that
a single failure might have on the overall process.
Car manufacturer DaimlerChrysler has developed a digital factory
that can map production flows and assess the impact of problems
before the design of a product has been finalised. The method has
produced significant savings.
The company has been using simulation software and virtual reality
to examine variants more quickly and effectively to make decisions
with a higher degree of certainty.
Susan Unger, CIO at DaimlerChrysler, said, "We are piloting a
digital plant. As the engineers and designers are developing new
products, the digital plant is simulating production."
This approach allows DaimlerChrysler to assess whether its
manufacturing processes would be able to support the new product
once it has been developed. "We estimate the digital plant is
saving us 30% in terms of time to production," said Unger.
The digital factory allows the production-planning department to
begin its work earlier in the process. Teams are organised in a
project-oriented, interdepartmental fashion at DaimlerChrysler's
two Mercedes-Benz Technology Centre locations. The teams comprise
staff from development, production, sales, procurement, research
and external suppliers.
DaimlerChrysler said all of the development activities for the
vehicle and its components are recorded digitally and stored in a
central database accessible by employees. This creates transparency
and ensures that everyone involved is up-to-date on the development
process.
The company has now established a structured approach to product
development, supported by software tools designed to measure and
evaluate how far the product and the process have advanced during
key development periods throughout the product creation
process.
Unger has been looking at how she can take templates developed
regionally to roll out in other countries. One such template,
developed in conjunction with SAP, has allowed DaimlerChrysler to
put in place the IT operations for its Malaysian operations in four
months - it would have taken 12 months previously.
She said, "We have developed an engineering portal to allow
engineers in Asia and Europe to collaborate."