Search technology supports self-service on Delphi plant floor
By Staff -- Manufacturing Business Technology, 9/1/2006 12:00:00 AM
At its engine-component plant in Grand Rapids, Mich., Delphi Corp. is using a search solution from Centric Software to sharply cut the cost of getting manufacturing instructions to the factory floor.
"Kiosks" located around the plant give operators the latest assembly and tooling instructions, tooling locations, and CAD drawings—called up by the operators themselves using search profiles that control information delivery based on log-in codes.
Security of intellectual property is improved, in that operators in the die room, for example, see only die-related information. Before, says Michael Skilling, manufacturing engineering manager, a physical repository of instructions and drawings was maintained in a secured vault, with two people employed to locate and print off copies of the information.
In addition, operators on the "B" shift lacked access to the data after 5 p.m., and had to leave notes for information requests. Duplication costs and maintenance on the blueprint copier exceeded $100,000 each year.
Digitizing the information, says Design Manager Vickie Mulcahy, was only practicable if employees without advanced IT skills could find what they needed themselves.
Based on queries, Centric's intelligent search solution calls up the latest approved manufacturing instructions and drawings from Delphi's product data and design systems. The instructions are then presented as a single package that can be printed out by the operators.
Kiosks on the plant floor make information available 24/7. Key is the use of "search profiles," says Chris Groves, Centric CEO. These both limit the amount of typing that operatives must do, and control the information presented.
In sum, the system delivers substantial ROI over the previous manual solution, concludes Skilling. "For a one-time investment of $45,000, we eliminated excess labor and a $100,000 annual recurring cost."
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