More than just a metric: At FORVIA HELLA’s electronics plant, STIWA Shopfloor Software led to a 60% increase in OEE. The key factor was the precise analysis, which served as the basis for sustainable optimizations directly within the production processes.
FORVIA HELLA, a publicly traded, leading international automotive supplier, is synonymous with innovative lighting technology and advanced vehicle electronics. At the Hamm site, the largest plant in the Electronics division, sophisticated electronic components are manufactured using a high degree of automation and networked production processes. The site is one of the most important production and development centers in the FORVIA network. Driver assistance systems, key fobs, energy management systems, and control units for electric power steering are manufactured here. To meet these requirements, the facility relies on assembly systems from STIWA Automation and STIWA Shopfloor Software in its production processes.
The Digital Heart of Production
FORVIA HELLA places great trust in the performance of STIWA’s assembly systems. This partnership is characterized by a close integration of hardware and software: The Shopfloor software is supplied as an integral part of every assembly system. “With every assembly line, we deliver a powerful and future-proof software ecosystem,” explains Alexander Meisinger. “The Shopfloor Software gives our customers full control to operate, control, and monitor all machines from any manufacturer. In addition, the software provides important analyses so that decisions are always based on objective data. This ensures full transparency.”
Mark Gerlach (Head of Manufacturing Engineering) confirms the added value: “Thanks to its clear presentation and ease of use, the STIWA Shopfloor Software provides our plant personnel with complete transparency regarding the current plant status at all times.” This not only enables proactive detection of deviations but also facilitates quick and informed decision-making to respond efficiently to disruptions and optimally control production processes. “We rely on STIWA's analysis tools because they provide an unprecedented level of detail,” adds Alec McBean (Manufacturing Engineer), who has been leading projects involving the STIWA Software for about a year and a half.
The Key to a 60 Percentage Point Increase in OEE
The Shopfloor Software also played a crucial role in an optimization project for a Grohmann system. It contributed significantly to a substantial increase in the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) of this existing system. Kurt Gruber (Head of After Sales) still remembers the optimization project well: “We use the analytics software in all optimization projects. This allows us not only to assess the current status based on facts, but also to precisely monitor the improvements achieved and communicate them clearly to the customer.”
Christoph Wimmer (STIWA Automation) and Jens Schmidt (FORVIA-HELLA) look back with satisfaction on the completed optimization project: “Our customer was extremely satisfied with the result.” “The result speaks for itself,” Jens Schmidt remarked, clearly impressed at the end. “Overall, the OEE was improved by 60% to the required target value.” The implementation of the Shopfloor Software was strategically planned and expanded step by step. Gradually, the system evolved into a central, cross-plant analysis tool that provided comprehensive insights. “The automatic reporting function is indispensable for our morning meetings,” explains Alec McBean. “We can immediately see where the biggest disruption occurred and where scrap was generated, regardless of the equipment manufacturer. The tool helps us greatly, as it easily identifies pre-assembly problems. This allows us to initiate countermeasures quickly and based on facts.”
A Secure Path to the Future with a New Software Release
A software update was installed at the end of this year. This enables FORVIA HELLA to fully leverage the benefits of the latest software release. Not only were innovative features activated, but essential security patches were also applied to the assembly lines and the central analysis system. “The update increases the system’s resilience and ensures that we remain technologically secure and future-proof,” Alec McBean summarizes with satisfaction.
