18 MiMfg Magazine July 2021
annual sales in 2020 , they understand fully that these connected and integrated technologies are key to their future growth , says Vinnie Johnson , Piston Group Founder , Chairman and CEO .
“ Optimizing Industry 4.0 technologies is key to fueling our growth and is woven throughout our strategy at Piston Automotive and at the corporate , Piston Group level ,” says Johnson . “ At Piston Automotive , we ’ re taking a phased approach , initially starting with system integration , access to real-time data and automation , to establish a solid foundation of information that will enable us to make better manufacturing and operation decisions .”
Optimizing Industry 4.0 technologies is key to fueling our growth and is woven throughout our strategy at Piston Automotive ... we ’ re taking a phased approach , initially starting with system integration , access to real-time data and automation , to establish a solid foundation of information that will enable us to make better manufacturing and operation decisions .
— Vinnie Johnson , Chairman and CEO , Piston Group Founder
Real time production reporting has improved their inventory accuracy and ultimately enabled them to reduce inventory levels . Automation of production scheduling has led to an improvement of their overall equipment efficiency by reducing the need to manually manage and track changeovers , and it eliminates past problems of over / under production of specific parts . The automation of big data collection throughout the entire manufacturing process has enabled faster and more accurate troubleshooting of issues , from product quality to repair and maintenance of equipment .
“ To stay competitive we need to continue to learn to work both faster and smarter ,” says Bob Holloway , President of Piston Automotive . “ This includes using data to improve efficiencies , solve problems and identify and manage issues before they become bigger issues .
“ Today 100 percent of our manufacturing and shop floor equipment is connected to our network , including our Manufacturing Execution System ( MES ) and ERP systems ,” he adds .
They were an early adopter of Ethernet IP communications across their shop floor , which has allowed them to stay on top of industry trends . In addition , their shop floor manufacturing equipment is fully integrated from their ERP system through MES and then back up so they have full automation of production scheduling , production reporting , shipping application and data collection throughout that entire process chain .
Their goal one day is to “ have all employees , down to line workers , have access to data tied to their line / specific role . This level of data will empower decisionmaking throughout the organization ,” says Holloway .
The Only Constant in Manufacturing is Change
Keeping up with the technology and Industry 4.0 is a constant process that even large manufacturers have to manage in order to grow . Keeping up with the trends can be daunting , admits Scipione from The Center .
“ It is easy to become overwhelmed when considering adopting new technologies ,” he says . “ The first step to implementing technology is to understand the voices of both the business and the customer to identify how the organization could benefit from innovations .”
He adds , “ Proper prioritization using a needsbased assessment can result in an adoption that is both strategically sound and capable of generating savings to support further investments going forward .”
Michigan manufacturers large and small have shown the ability and willingness to continue to evolve — but , often times , getting started is the hardest part . Scipione recommends starting small , either with a particular new technology or piece of equipment , then build from there .
“ It starts with the question of whether they are ready for new technology . Do they need to address other issues first like the operation of their organization ? Do they need to apply lean manufacturing practices ? And how is their culture ? Is their culture ready to adapt technology or do they need to improve their culture first ?
“ Then it ’ s about creating a blueprint . What ’ s the first step ? What makes the most sense from an ROI standpoint ? Start small . It ’ s about taking one step at a time to ensure that investments will create a cost savings to pay for the next step ,” says Scipione .
At the end of the day , Industry 4.0 represents an opportunity for manufacturers to make better , more profitable decisions through information and understanding while applying cutting edge technologies to increase efficiency . Whether it ’ s using robots that run continuously , connecting systems to collect machine-level data or implementing new software to support the front office , nearly all manufacturers can leverage Industry 4.0 to evolve the business . 6
Have a manufacturing story to tell ? E-mail communications @ mimfg . org .