In modern furniture production, where very large quantities are manufactured, the efficiency of packaging systems at the end of the production line is crucial. A prime example of such capability is demonstrated by Wächter Packautomatik, a specialist in this area. Their advanced packaging system is not only adept at handling high volumes, with the capacity to package about 20 cabinets per minute, but it also showcases remarkable versatility.

Given the diverse range of furniture variants, the packaging process must transcend individual formats to encompass all cabinet sizes, from the smallest to the largest. And the lines must not only pack the cabinets, but they must also perform the folding and closing of the cartons and the palletizing of the finished packages. 

In addition, packaging lines need to take up as little space as possible. The systems must operate with maximum automation, both during operation and when changing formats. And finally, they must be planned to be fail-safe and equipped with redundant process options.

A flexible packaging solution using 15 industrial robots 

An international furniture manufacturer offering furniture for self-assembly at home asked Wächter Packautomatik for a solution to pack large production volumes of furniture. A team from sales, mechanical and electrical design, and automation at Wächter Packautomatik offered a packaging solution using industrial robots because they knew from experience that only robots provide the necessary flexibility and high availability.

The team developed a concept consisting of 15 robots divided into 7 individual cells. The packaging line is supplemented by two carton folders at the start, which fold a tray from a flat carton blank, and two lidding machines at the end of the line, which seal the filled cartons. The finished product is then stacked on pallets.  

A packaging cell with two robots was first set up as a prototype to test the processes and functions in real life. After this prototype passed all tests and fully met the customer’s expectations, the planning of the entire line was started based on the experience gained.

A digital test is faster than a physical test 

A particular challenge in this project was the large variety of product variations. If all variants had been tested using the real robot cell, it would have been very tedious and time-consuming. Therefore, a solution for factory planning and simulation was required, which would allow the modeling and analysis of a digital twin of the packaging plant. A digital twin behaves like a real plant; it can save a lot of time and costs in development, optimization, and commissioning. 

Wladimir Krieger, Robotics Engineer, working in the automation department at Wächter Packautomatik and being responsible for the software-related commissioning and optimization of machines and robots, chose Visual Components. 

How the cabinets get into the cartons

The cabinets to be packed, consisting of walls, doors, and shelves, are stacked on pallets and fed to the robotic cells from two sides via a complex, fully automated conveyor system. The pallet positions are located on the left and right of the packaging line. Two robots remove the required number of products and place them on an alignment table above the cartons. Then they are picked up by another robot and inserted into the folded cardboard case.  

With this setup and two cardboard cases filled side by side in parallel, the system can pack 20 boxes per minute, from small shelves to large cabinets. One side of the packaging module can be prepared for the following format without interrupting the ongoing packaging process on the opposite side. Format changes as well as filming, labeling, and removal of the remaining parts can thus be done without time pressure. 

Visual Components facilitated a very high level of automation

Wladimir Krieger from Wächter Packautomatik describes the reasons why he finds this project so outstanding:

Our packaging plant achieves a level of flexibility and automation that has never been seen before on the market. Visual Components’ software simplified the feasibility analysis and accelerated the modeling processes. Thanks to modeling, we were able to try out numerous settings directly on the digital model. And as a sort of bonus, we were able to train the operators even before the real plant was completed, which accelerated commissioning.

Wladimir Krieger, Robotics Engineer, Wächter Packautomatik

Due to the large number of variants and the high throughput with the corresponding short cycle time, Wächter Packautomatik had to develop a new type of concept for the packaging machine. Visual Components was initially used to communicate and explain the new concept to the customer. Later, in parallel with first prototypes, Visual Components made it possible to reliably plan material flow, robot movements, and cycle times with very little effort. 

Convincing results – for Wächter Packautomatik and their customer 

For Wächter Packautomatik and its customers, the digital twin built with Visual Components is of great benefit, because the individual processes and their interrelationships can be very easily clarified and presented understandably. With just a few mouse clicks, the product to be packaged, and the corresponding robot cell can be switched to another variant. This saves a lot of time when testing, optimizing, and demonstrating the individual packaging processes, and the digital twin also saves valuable resources. 

Wladimir Krieger from Wächter Packautomatik emphasizes the advantages of the digital twin:

Unlike with previous projects, the processes no longer had to be tested at the physical system. Instead, even the most complex processes were displayed reliably and quickly in digital form. We also simulated the machine settings for the different formats with Visual Components.

Wladimir Krieger, Robotics Engineer, Wächter Packautomatik

Mr. Krieger is also responsible for on-site customer training: “Another advantage is the training of the operating personnel on the digital model. The machine operators knew the settings of the system at an early stage and could start directly. This was possible thanks to the model in Visual Components.” 

Wächter Packautomatik will continue using Visual Components as an important tool in the areas of process planning, validation and visualization. Due to the growing demands of the market, packaging plants will become even more complex in the future. Visual Components will make it much easier to map this complexity in engineering and present it to customers. 

About Wächter Packautomatik 

Wächter Packautomatik manufactures packaging machines for the food, flooring, and furniture industries and numerous special solutions in Bad Wünnenberg-Haaren, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.  

Mr. Krieger works in the automation department at Wächter Packautomatik and is responsible for the software-related commissioning and optimization of machines and robots as well as customer training. He also provides internal support for quotations, feasibility studies, and project planning of robot systems. 

About Visual Components

Founded by a team of simulation experts and amassing over 20 years in business, Visual Components is one of the pioneers of the 3D manufacturing simulation industry. The organization is a trusted technology partner to a number of leading brands, offering machine builders, system integrators, and manufacturers a simple, quick, and cost-effective solution to design and simulate production processes and offline robot programming (OLP) technology for fast, accurate, and error-free programming of industrial robots.

Want to learn more about the benefits of our solutions for your business? Contact us today!

The post Packaging perfection: navigating variations in furniture packaging with Visual Components appeared first on Visual Components.

Within DHL Supply Chain, Digital Manufacturing acts as an innovation and technology development hub for robotics and automation; sourcing, manufacturing, and integrating robotics solutions that ensures DHL builds a resilient, sustainable competitive advantage.

Download full case study in PDF here.

Challenges

Digital Manufacturing highlighted the following challenges that DHL typically faces in the packaging operations,

• Customization – Capability of accommodating differentiated packaging solutions to multi-faceted customers across different industry verticals including Health, Pharmaceutical, Automotive Manufacturing, Financial Services and Food & Beverage.
• Tight Packaging Requirements – Highly sophisticated outsourced supply chains requiring a high degree of technical control for efficient and accurate outputs.
• Visualization – The ability to show customers how their operations will benefit by using DHL and how DHL can achieve efficiency gains, cost reduction and increased automation into the packaging processes.

Speaking about the challenges, George Walsh, Product Development Engineer at Digital Manufacturing, DHL mentioned, “The constantly changing nature and highly competitive world of supply chain and logistics means we need to develop our automation systems quickly and at the lowest possible cost.

Providing flexible and robust solutions is critical to the seamless service that DHL provides, and that’s where simulation and visualisation of the challenge enables our success. Simulation software and process modelling helps us show customers how we can be better for their business without having to interrupt their operation. Simulation helps improve automation to achieve efficiency gains.”

Why DHL chose Visual Components

Visual Components was chosen as a simulation tool for DHL projects for several reasons, but here are some of those mentioned by Digital Manufacturing,

• Advanced Platform that can be used from model building and layout planning to equipment verification and process optimization.
• The ease of use and simple workflows for modelling packaging solutions and processes
• Extensive library of parametric and reusable models in the Visual Components e-Catalog saves time in setting up the simulations.
• Fast and easy modelling of custom equipment that could be used in simulation with real behaviours.
• High-quality graphics and ability to export content makes it a visual communication tool.

Digital Manufacturing shared some of the case studies where simulation with Visual Components streamlined the operations and improved the efficiency of processes in different setups.

Health industry packaging system – processing efficiency improved by 35%

This case study is about a production system in the healthcare industry where the manual packaging process was carried out at many individual workstations spread across the UK. Digital Manufacturing saw the opportunity to improve production line efficiency through automation of the non-value add tasks combined with line balancing best practice. Using Visual Components, it was possible to validate efficiency improvements of 35% by switching from individual workstations to a balanced flowline.

Moreover, with the use of simulation, it was easy for the customer to visualize the functionality of the process which helped in the decision making and implementation. The turnaround from the first concept of seeing the manual operation to producing the first simulation was 3 weeks – and going from presenting the simulation and confirming the project another 3 weeks. Within a couple of weeks from the decision, the first line was built. Simulation with Visual Components not only added more realism by demonstrating the overall process with actual products and tasks but also created a trust that enabled the customer to make their production decisions faster compared to the cases without simulation.

Electronic goods packaging – increasing productivity by 35% whilst maintaining costs.

The customer wanted to understand the impact of upgrading their single robot production line to three in parallel with minimal operator intervention. Visual components enabled the Digital Manufacturing team to experiment with production line automation concepts to find the right balance of cost, scalability, and performance. The use of simulation allowed the productivity of each concept to be calculated during the development stage and the selection of the most optimal scenario was easier with data-driven facts. The selected production concept improves productivity of each robot system by 34% and improves operator interaction from once every 7 minutes to once every 50 minutes including a reduction in total touch time by 50% to 9 minutes.

Exceeding the project goals

Using Visual Components, DHL was able to realize significant operational improvements and cost savings for the benefit of their outsourced customers. This provided a competitive edge for DHL to win more customers. Here are some of the important benefits and facts highlighted by DHL:

1. Visual communication tool

By using the software, DHL’s customer was able to see the impacts of DHL’s proposed changes to production line efficiency (using automation) and this enabled decisive buy-in by their customer.

2. Efficiency gains

It was possible to validate efficiency improvements of 35% by switching from individual workstations to a balanced flow-line.

3. Improved floor plan layout

Floor plan requirements reduced by 33% whilst production efficiency improved by 35%.

4. Identify potential issues early

Simulation allowed for improved automation, process flow and centralising conveyor belt division of labour. This led to headcount reductions from 39 FTE to 13 FTE, without sacrificing output, quality or flow.

5. Quickly iterate multiple concepts

Multiple simulation scenarios are created to calculate the optimum production flow and use of robots compared to humans. This results in improvements in robot productivity by 14% and improves the operation interaction from once every 7 minutes to once every 50 minutes which reduces the total touch time by 50%.

When speaking about the role of Visual Components in different industrial cases, George mentioned,

“Using Visual Components, we were able to achieve increased efficiency gains, reduced packaging and processing costs whilst helping our customers visualise how automation could improve overall production efficiency gains. It’s a game-changer.”

George Walsh, Product Development Engineer at Digital Manufacturing, DHL

Summary

DHL used Visual Components to improve packaging production, reduce packaging costs, implement increased automation into the packaging process for the benefit of their outsourced customer whilst equipping DHL with a competitive advantage to win more customers. Most of their simulation use cases can be summarized as following,

• Design, optimize, and verify the packaging process and production feasibility.
• Increase capacity and flexibility through automation.
• Dynamically present solutions to customer executives and project stakeholders.
• Move fast through designing and building simulation models.

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In this case study, we’ll examine how QING used 3D manufacturing simulation to set up a fully functional face mask factory in the Netherlands within just a few weeks to meet the high demand for face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A critical shortage of face masks

In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was spreading rapidly throughout Europe. During this time, there was an increased global demand for personal protective equipment—or PPE—and a critical need for face masks.

As a result of setbacks in global production and logistics, the Netherlands faced the same challenges with obtaining PPE as everywhere else. However, the shortage was exacerbated due to the fact that there was no local production of face masks in the country.

In this environment, four entrepreneurs decided to establish MondMaskerFabriek, the first face mask production facility in the Netherlands, to meet the high demand for this type of PPE. They envisioned creating a workforce that consisted mainly of individuals with refugee status in order to help them integrate into Dutch society and build a professional network.

However, their initiative was complicated by the fact that to protect their workers against the coronavirus, their factory would have to implement social distancing measures—to keep six feet of distance between workers—at all times.

Using simulation technology to create a highly efficient and safe layout

Around April 20^th, MondMaskerFabriek contracted QING to help them commission two production machines from China, as well as to quickly design and execute a facility that not only made optimal use of the company’s investment, but also provided a safe and healthy work environment for the workers.

QING used Visual Component’s 3D manufacturing simulation software to design the layout that included manual assembly workstations for stitching and packaging, as well as to perform the throughput analysis.

Using Visual Components gives us a big advantage in the development of new automation or processes. We use it in almost every project to create insights, make important decisions, and provide valuable substantiation to our clients.

Bram de Vrught, Business Manager at QING

“Using Visual Components gives us a big advantage in the development of new automation or processes,” said Bram de Vrught, Business Manager at QING. “We use it in almost every project to create insights, make important decisions, and provide valuable substantiation to our clients.”

The first mask was produced on April 27^th, which was King’s Day, a national holiday in the Netherlands. Interestingly, QING had been founded exactly seven years earlier, on King’s Day in 2013.

Over the next weeks, QING and MondMaskerFabriek worked together on the simulation to discuss the machine locations and finalize the layouts. Once the layouts were agreed upon, the team validated their designs to check the statistics of resource utilization and determine how to optimize certain processes to achieve maximum productivity. Using the layout as a blueprint for the logistics and training of the operators, they also used statistics to check the travelling distance per day of each worker, as well as their output. They measured every stitch and monitored continuously to ensure every worker was fully utilized.

In the first stage of the factory setup, there were two production lines that each had an automated face mask production machine where the raw face masks were produced. The elastic ear straps were attached with a welding or stitching at one of the manual workstations. Next, the masks were transported to the manual packaging bench where they were bundled and stacked inside boxes. The boxes were then packed and prepared for shipping.

During this stage, the QING team used simulation to check routing. In addition, to maintain a safe and healthy workplace, QING developed a feature in Visual Components that calculated the distance between workers and triggered an alert any time the social distance of six feet—or 1.5 meters—was compromised.

In July, the demand for the masks increased, so the team embarked on the second stage of the factory setup. The facility was expanded with two more production machines to meet the ongoing high demand. Because this resulted in almost fully utilized floor space, the production lines were adjusted to each have one face mask production machine followed by one manual workbench for ear strap welding. The number of packaging stations was increased because the packing process was adapted so that every mask was first sealed in a plastic bag before being stacked in a bundle of 10 and placed in one small box that, together with other small boxes, was then packed into a carton for shipping.

During this stage, more workers were added, so the team used the newly developed distancing tool in Visual Components to ensure safe routing. In addition, they used simulations to make sure all resources were being optimally utilized.

The next step will involve further automating the process to optimize the number of manual processes being performed. In addition, the team is considering several different options for growth. “At this point, we’re focusing on increasing production capacity,” said de Vrught. “This is mainly based on the PDCA method. Since MondMaskerFabriek is quite ambitious, further production expansion in the form of more locations could be on the horizon. When setting up more facilities, simulation will again be a very valuable tool to use in the decision making process.”

Benefits of using factory simulation

By using simulation technology during the design of the layout, QING was able to optimize MondMaskerFabriek’s high initial investments related to layout planning and installation. This helped considerably with troubleshooting, redesigning plans, and minimizing downtime.

Another important benefit of using simulation technology was that it helped ensure the safety of MondMaskerFabriek’s employees by implementing social distancing in the simulations. While the rest of the world had to close down factories due to a lack of social distancing, simulation technology helped build a factory in weeks while simultaneously ensuring a safe working environment.

Thanks to QING’s foresight regarding using simulation technology, the team was able to get the factory up and running within a very short period of time and almost doubled production after just two months. As such, this initiative is an outstanding example of the rapid scaling up of production with the use of simulation technology.

About QING Groep

QING Groep, headquartered in Arnhem, the Netherlands, is an engineering development firm that was founded in 2013. The company specializes in factory automation and digitization. In addition, it helps its customers adopt the latest technologies in production management in order to scale up or expand their businesses while keeping their productivity at optimum levels. For more information, visit https://www.QING.nl

About MondMaskerFabriek

Located in Arnhem, the Netherlands, MondMaskerFabriek is the first Dutch surgical mask factory. It was founded by four entrepreneurs in March 2020 to address the high demand for face masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit MondMaskerFabriek for more information.

Project Facts

The post QING Case Study: Using 3D Simulation Technology to Set up a Face Mask Factory During the COVID-19 Pandemic appeared first on Visual Components.

Standing out in a competitive environment

Enabling change and improvement in any business is a challenge, and one that Kaufman faced with each project they took on.  Being able to provide an accurate demonstration of proposed solutions to clients in the manufacturing space was a time consuming but very necessary endeavor in the sales process to get prospects and returning customers on board with proposed projects. Consulting and automation integration in the manufacturing space has become a very competitive environment, and in spite of a long track record of success, the Kaufman team was looking for ways to continue to differentiate their offerings, to stand out in a crowded landscape.

Optimizing the sales process

In late 2015, representatives from Kaufman encountered Visual Components at a tradeshow for the very first time. After viewing a demonstration of the 3D simulation capabilities, their team was enthusiastic. The ability to quickly design and deploy product line simulations during the sales process was seen as revolutionary to their somewhat lengthy sales process. The Visual Components functions and features across a spectrum of manufacturing disciplines meant that pre-sales simulation accuracy would improve and the actual implementation timeframes on projects would be faster and reduce time to full solution delivery.

The order was placed and the implementation happened quickly. The results were profound.

By reducing demonstration timeframes from 4 weeks of prep to less than a week, Kaufman dramatically reduced their sales cycle timeframe

The robust simulation capability helped eliminate the time and expense associated with setting up a sample manufacturing cell as a proof of concept. With an easy to utilize platform, sales reps were able to work with the Visual Components products on their own, reducing the need for more engineers to be involved in the sales process itself, further reducing the cost of sales for the organization.

Achieving efficiency throughout project development

With the implementation team actively working with Visual Components solutions, Kaufman saw further efficiency gains. The initial work done by the sales team and approved by the client would push directly to the project team. By taking advantage of the functions within the Visual Components platform, the engineers were able to program a wide variety of simulation applications , eliminating the need to continue using outdated methods that extended project completion time.

Improving win ratio and profitability

Kaufman Engineered Systems is now in an improved market position. Their sales process is faster, their presentation capability and professionalism had increased dramatically, and there was a greater efficiency with their solution implementation capability. Being able to respond more quickly and accurately to sales requests has enabled Kaufman to be the clear leader in the early engagement stage of the sales process, improving their win ratio and the profitability of the projects they take on.

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