Strengthen tool management: inventory tracking and ordering information for “vending machines”

Did the metal processing industry grow at double in the first place? What about Germany in high-paying treatment? How can we reach this level? Only by using a very high-quality production process and continuously optimizing to achieve this level, the founders of Sauerland Ionrad MKL turning and milling technology company are very clear about the mystery. Working with tool suppliers, they offer more than just tools.

Germany MKL Turning and Milling Technology Company adopts the concept of intelligent tool management, focusing on the development of efficient processing technology

Michael Kunsleben (named after MKL's name) has realized that he must correctly address this challenge: in Germany, the business of producing forgings and eye bolts for customers has gradually shifted to Asia, the local market. Continued downturn, it seems that the future is not very optimistic. He purchased CNC machine tools in 2005 to open up new markets. The company's business is in a rapid start-up phase. It currently has 25 employees and annual sales of 3 million euros. “Potential customers often want to know if we can grow, and we want to know if we are willing to invest in new manufacturing technologies. They use these two factors to judge whether we are actively looking to the future and decide whether to entrust our business to us.” The Kun family (Michael and his two sons Danny and Ronnie) have proved through practice that metal processing is also promising in Germany with high pay.

Many people suspect that the "digital" generation, who is as young as the Queen's brothers and who grew up on downloading and online shopping, simply cannot succeed in the traditional industry. However, the career planning of the Queens brothers seems convincing and complementary: the brothers are both knives experts, they have completed compulsory education and obtained a diploma, Danny majored in mechanical engineering, and Ronnie majored in industry. engineering. One is keen on programming and new products, and the other prefers quality assurance and manufacturing prototypes.

Young boss Danny Kunsleben is taking the knives from the automatic aftermarket

Many small canyons in Sauerland, Germany, are home to traditional metal processing towns, many of which are processed by processors (eg MKL). It is in these provinces that technical experts are particularly important. “Automation and process optimization are the secrets of our continued growth. Although we lack talent, we can grow faster and be more flexible,” said Danny. At present, the company has a large workload and heavy tasks. The employees use three-shift work and the delivery time is about 10 weeks. MKL will soon be able to shorten the ordering time to 4 weeks from the date of the order. Since 2005, the parts manufactured by the company have become more and more complicated. The Kuns family sold their first plug-in products to Bosch for cargo handling systems. “The production of highly complex parts (less than 500,000 pieces) in small batches with minimal manufacturing processes – this is our business philosophy,” founder Michael Kunsleben said. As the size of the company continues to increase, will operational flexibility be more limited? “We really need more tools to meet the requirements,” said Danny. “At the same time, “in order to make our production environment more adaptable, our systems must be straightforward, simple and easy to understand.” In order to promote the digitization of manufacturing, Are young Kun brothers looking at the vision of “Industry 4.0” for German government projects?

As a processing supplier, MKL can produce the best quality products.

Shorter delivery time and better price

The first fully transparent metal processing plant, located next to the quality laboratory equipped with the most advanced Zeiss 3D measuring technology equipment: the tool cabinet is grey and not very eye-catching, but its quality is far more popular than the appearance. . The tool cabinet is a "vending machine" from Walter, a manufacturer based in Tubingen. This vending machine ensures that MKL achieves the goal of delivering to customers within 4 weeks. As a networked system, the machine can automatically manage and store a wide variety of tools, hence the name "Vending Machine". The machine operator simply logs in via the touch screen, selects the desired tool, determines which machine is being used, and enters the required quantity and cost center. The vending machine issues a "green signal" and releases the relevant storage compartment to remove the tool; after machining, the tool is returned to this compartment. Smart software is the “heart” of vending machines, recording tool consumption, inventory, and tool change cycles. For example, if the tool inventory is below the specified value, it will be automatically recorded in the Walter Tool Shop or User ERP. The advantage of this is that it ensures maximum transparency of the tool inventory - the tool "black box operation" has become a history, minimizing the risk of tool exhaustion. This is truly a new tool management transparency concept, a dream of Danny Kunsleben's dream, and also a cost analysis for parts, projects, machine tools or cost centers.

Company founder Michael Kunsleben at the measuring station of the MKL Quality Laboratory

“Keeping continuous growth is the biggest challenge.” Recall how cautious and repetitive the Kun family was before deciding to choose a Walter solution. “More workers need more tools because we want to produce more dedicated Products, so we need more comprehensive cutting materials to meet the needs of a variety of different groove types. Our aim is to reduce costs and reduce the risk of error." After all, MKL needs about 1,000 different tools a year to meet the continuation. Growth - for example, the company began to process more composite materials. After visiting countless exhibitions, they decided to use vending machines, the first of its kind in Walter EMO 2011. “The MKL element is incorporated into the configuration,” adds Stefan Schmidt, Walter's sales manager in Germany. “Because this is software design and understanding how MKL processes consumables (eg indexable) Blades, drills and tool holders, all of which need to be reused and reused after use.” Because Walter implemented a “Vending” solution, it reduces the complexity of the user's production environment and saves money. A lot of costs, such as optimizing large tool inventory, reducing unnecessary capital usage.

Vending machine, working as a helper

The vending machine is simple and convenient to operate, and the operator is not restricted. For this reason, it is widely accepted by MKL employees. For example, the bar code on the machine operator's work plan clearly identifies the correct tool to use. Compared to this bar code, the use of hand-held scanners on vending machines now ensures that indexable inserts are not mixed because there are only very subtle differences between these blades.

MKL is part of the product processed by local processing processors for customers.

Every day at 3 pm, when working at the end of the shift, the automatic after-sales machine performs inventory - there is no longer a need to count or re-order the indexable inserts. In addition, the vending machine is also a safe in the MKL production environment: it stores NC programs, processing strategies and ceramic test standards, which are stored in dedicated cells and take special protective measures.

However, there is no Danny Kunsleben's future development plan for MKL in any grid of the machine - the habitual thinking of "old thinking" is obviously not his acting style. “One of my visions is to achieve unmanned production – we have gradually carried out this work. However, in order to achieve this, we need excellent staff, first-class technology and advanced IT systems. Why not in Sauerland Realize it?"