New Hexapod Production Sets Standards for Other Value Streams
As part of the current restructuring measures, DPG has developed a new scalable concept for the value streams based on a redesigned factory layout. Its implementation was recently successfully completed in the hexapod production. This new concept, which is to become the production standard at the DPG sites, will be gradually rolled out to the other value streams and production areas.
Watch this video to find out more about the opportunities and potential for improvement that are possible in the redesigned hexapod production:
By restructuring the hexapod production following a comprehensive analysis of the production processes, the team from this value stream is now able to achieve significant improvements in hexapod production at the site in Karlsruhe, Germany. These advancements hold considerable optimization potentials for PI in terms of lead time and competitiveness - also for the other value streams and production areas.
For the hexapod production, it was decided to optimize and rebuild the assembly by establishing a so-called matrix production. For this purpose, PI experts - with the support of specialists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA - developed a redesigned factory layout for the hexapod production in Karlsruhe. This layout was designed taking the latest findings in the fields of ergonomics, digitalization, and automation as well as lean approaches into account.
The relocation of hexapod production to the new premises will enable a significant increase in production capacities, which will also help to shorten lead times. Other beneficial results include a high first pass yield rate, significantly reduced throughput times, and increased availability of capacities within the value stream.
Considering the continuously growing market demand for hexapods in recent years, the optimization measures implemented have become unavoidable. The capacity expansion in this product division at the Karlsruhe site is an integral part of the company-wide investment program with a volume of more than sixty-three million euros.
In addition to an overall increase in production capacities, our goal was to significantly reduce lead times. This has been fully achieved. We have already reduced lead times to less than half of what they were at the beginning of the year and will be down to a few weeks for standard products by the end of the year. Additionally, we now have the potential of increasing the output by more than 100 %, which will allow us to respond flexibly to further increases in demand. The first positive results are really motivating us to systematically extend these steps to our other production areas.
The redesigned factory layout for the hexapod production in Karlsruhe is a good start and is an example of how we are developing the organization in a sustainable way. The new production shows us how we will be able to sustainably improve our competitiveness in all value streams in the future. There is still quite a long way to go, but the first results clearly show that we are on the right track. Axel Widenhorn and his team are doing a fantastic job here.
Read the press release here.
We would like to invite all employees to join our colleagues on site to take a look at the new hexapod production in Karlsruhe.
Contact person: Dr. Axel Widenhorn, Director Operations - DPG, Managing Director PI miCos GmbH & Managing Director IBS Ingenieurbüro GmbH
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