Time savings and error reduction thanks to Hoffmann Group’s Connected Manufacturing digital tool management system

What daily challenges do you face in production, and what tasks are time-consuming?

Typically, the key issues are production organization and tool handling. Very often, we lack an overview of both the available tools and the tools assembled and used in production. Of course, this hampers work preparation and tool provision. We were spending time organizing tools every day.

What made you choose Hoffmann Group’s Connected Manufacturing system?

We have been looking for an intelligent tool management system for years and have received offers from several suppliers. Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a suitable solution because many of the systems available on the market are not ideal for small and medium-sized companies like ours. When we heard that Hoffmann Group wanted to establish itself in this area, we listened carefully, as we are accustomed to the good quality of Hoffmann Group and have known them as a leading supplier for many years.

How has your experience been with Connected Manufacturing as a pilot customer?

At first, there were some doubts, but Hoffmann Group’s technical advisors helped us identify and correct potential problems. Now, the software runs stably in daily production, and we are very satisfied with the performance and results.

What added value does Hoffmann Group’s Connected Manufacturing offer you?

The software is clear and easy to use. We were particularly impressed by the ease with which tools can be measured and transferred to the machine. When creating a new tool and configuring the tools on the machine, we can already record a time saving of approximately 5 minutes per tool. Furthermore, we also avoided annoying transmission errors that can easily occur when typing on the machine control. Here, we were able to reduce the error rate to 100 percent. This makes us significantly faster, more efficient, and safer. Our employees can now focus on productive activities, as time-consuming tasks such as manually entering tool parameters and performing control and monitoring operations are no longer necessary. This time saving and the ability to work error-free provides us with great added value.

What was the system implementation process like?

Once we received the fully developed CAM interface, we were able to get started very quickly, as the CAM database was simply imported into Hoffmann Group Connected Manufacturing, and all the tools in the Tebis library were automatically created. Then, simply select the tool in Hoffmann Group Connected Manufacturing, scan the RFID code, and you can start measuring immediately.

And what do you think now?

We are in constant contact with the Hoffmann Group development department and together we optimize the software in practice with regard to operation. The customer pilot phase also serves to mature the product and ensure a reliable system operation in daily production. We are pleased that our ideas and experiences are being taken into account and implemented in the development. In this way, we can contribute to the development of the system and optimally design Hoffmann Group Connected Manufacturing according to our needs, i.e., the requirements of small and medium-sized businesses. Machinery available to the customer:
Machines: 5 x Hermle, 1 x DMG (all iTNC530 controls)
Presetting device: 1 x Hoffman Garant VG1
CAM: Tebis
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