Direzione 4.0

Towards an increasingly digital and interconnected company

Direzione 4.0
ANDREA BIER, PRODUCTION MANAGER, TOLD US ABOUT DIGITAL CHANGE AND INNOVATION OF TERMOLEGNO.
What was the turning point in Termolegno’s path of growth and change?

The true revolution in Termolegno took place in 2019 with the introduction of the welding robot with two work stations, which marked the transition from an artisanal work approach to a far more industrial method.
It took us quite a while to “understand” it, to enhance and appreciate it. It is not easy to use. And at the beginning, it goes without saying, there was skepticism. Welding requires experience and manual skills and ability, it is a "sacred" job for Tecnolegno. However, when we realized that the robot performed certain welds with a speed five times higher than that of manual welding, and with an unbeatable standard of precision, we surrendered. Today two employees program the robot and manual welding is limited to more complex jobs, where the flexibility of the craftsman is still decisive.

The integration of the robot in the digital flow that regulates work also implies a crucial revolution: each operation is encoded in input and output. It brings with it that information pool that allows us to more and more improve, optimize and standardize the process.
Welding Robot station Welding Robot station
Welding Robot station
After the robot, what were the other key revolutions in the production system?

The motorized long folding machines have contributed to a decisive leap, not only for the execution of the work itself, fast and flawless for sheets up to 1 and a half millimeters, but also for the management potential. The machine, for example, "suggests" what tools to use according to the folding requirments. It is like having a consultant by your side, who however always lets you choose. Furthermore, with the electronic lists and the collection of information, we plan production in the best possible way: from the purchase of materials to the grouping of processes of the same type.
Long folder station Long folder station
Long folder station
Are there new investments “on the agenda”?

We never stand still here. The company made strategic investments exactly during the critical Covid period, to improve and project itself into the future. The next arrival will be a five-axis numerical control machining center, which, in addition to automation, will also allow us to operate starting from larger bars…
…not to mention the advantages related to data, considering how our machines are now integrally interconnected with the design and management software. The designers can so customize new components, having at their disposal a reliable and extraordinarily dynamic archive of tested and codified articles. This allows us to design and review the drawings down to the smallest detail, with the aim of optimizing the processes.

There are also positive effects in the management of spare parts and maintenance. The data access availability and fluency makes our know-how "visible". We have a history of the operations and maintenances performed. We are more aware of the items we use more frequently, the production of which is worth optimizing.  Generally speaking, the digitalization of the workflow offers us a precise picture of the operations that generate value and where, it is therefore necessary to concentrate costs and resources. This information also allows us to understand the criticalities, where and how the product can be improved.