Are you getting the most out of your machinery?
DoorCo’s technology manager, David Rosser, is back with some more tech tips for the fenestration sector.
In manufacturing, we often talk about efficiency, output, uptime, and margins – but one of the most valuable metrics is frequently overlooked: actual machine production time.
Tracking machinery can bring huge benefits in optimising your production facility. If you’re not tracking your machinery, you could be missing a key opportunity to boost productivity, reduce costs, and make smarter decisions.
At DoorCo, we’ve integrated our IT and OT (Operational Technology) functions to drive improvements that go beyond cybersecurity and device management. Gaining deeper insight into how our machinery performs was a key focus and the result is data that has enabled our production team to make meaningful improvements, and in turn, improving efficiency, output, uptime, and margins.
Track my machines
Key to this project has been choosing a solution that not only delivered the information we needed but also didn’t disrupt the shopfloor too much.
We needed a solution that worked across all our equipment, provided real-time visibility, and – most importantly – was actionable. There are many options out there, but we found that Track My Machines was the best option for our needs.
The simplicity of the system has meant that training has been minimal and integration has been seamless.
How it works
Using compact Wi-Fi connected devices that measure current draw, we can now see exactly when each machine is running. Dashboards on show throughout the factory, and accessible by managers on their computers, show live activity allowing us to respond quickly when a machine stops.
We even have alerts set up to notify key team members of any issues. If your machines aren’t running, how long does it take for you to find out?
Why the breakdown
Taking the tracking a step further than ‘when’, we also track ‘why’ a machine isn’t producing. To enable this, the production team led a cultural shift among CNC operators, moving the focus from units produced to maximising machine hours. Each operator now has a tablet showing real-time performance data and can log downtime reasons – whether it’s a tool change, material changeover, or an unexpected breakdown.
This visibility empowers our operators to minimise controllable downtime, which naturally leads to more output.
Optimising planning
With such detailed information, we’ve been able to optimise programming to reduce the cycle times further and implement preventative maintenance strategies to increase the productive time of our key lines.
We’re also able to monitor the performance of each machine closely; gaining this level of insight into the performance of certain machines is helping to inform investment decisions around which machinery needs to be replaced.
Since the implementation of this project, in parallel to other technological improvements, we’ve seen a 26% increase in our production rate. Great news for us, and great news for our customers whose increase in demand can be met without compromising on efficiency or quality.
Tracking machine time has helped us work smarter by improving operational performance. If you’re not already doing the same, it’s worth asking, how much more could your machine be doing?
If any DoorCo customers wish to discuss this project further, we’re happy to help.
