At the recent PPMA Exhibition, Harford Control’s train line version of a production line again proved a huge crowd puller. More specifically, the train was set up to emulate and demonstrate the integrated benefits of; on-line Vision (component matching and optical character recognition (OCR)), on-line barcode scanning (including 2D), on-line PLC downtime analysis & OEE, paperless quality management and materials/labour utilisation, as a single turnkey solution, with data automatically analysed, prioritised and distributed across existing PC networks, to drive performance improvement through the ‘paperless factory’.
Having worked closely with its clients, mainly within FMCG manufacturing, for more than 30 years, Harford have developed a comprehensive, but modular, set of factory floor solutions which totally integrate to reduce operator error, improve operational discipline, achieve total compliance, reduce manufacturing costs and increase profits.
To make your life easier, Harford Control takes care of the complexity of collecting data and turning it into simple actionable management information. This includes automated production line setup, automated coding & labelling compliance, automated capture of line efficiency, downtime and OEE data, Right First Time Quality, automated Short Interval Control, yield management, factory floor paperwork elimination, fully electronic traceability and information management, analysed, prioritised and distributed across existing networks – all within a single turnkey solution.
As FMCG suppliers to supermarkets, you will recognise every day the growing complexity of your production operations in order to satisfy the enormous choice demanded by your supermarket customers, together with the added complexity of special offers, short batch runs and the expectation of lower prices. At the same time, being squeezed by higher raw material costs, higher labour and energy costs, you are faced with having to find ways to guarantee total compliance 100% of the time, including on-time deliveries, but doing so at lower manufactured cost.
Roy Green, Managing Director of Harford Control says, “We believe these converging dynamics can only be cost effectively achieved where manufacturers are prepared to look at doing things differently in order to minimise risk, reduce wastage and reduce the overall cost of their manufacturing operations. This is often talked about but very little in evidence, principally because it means a radical change away from paper-based systems and significant investment in automation, real time information management, prioritisation, visualisation and information distribution, if anything of value is to be achieved and sustained.”
“Without such investment, operators, faced with the day to day management of such complexity, will continue to make costly mistakes. To blame people for making mistakes when trying to handle such complexity, without the beneficial assistance of modern technology, seems like blaming people for being human.”
“During the past five years, we have seen an increase in the use of integrated and automated systems which, at their best, will largely remove the incidence of operator error by automatically setting up whole production lines and, through the same system, analysing and prioritising actual line performance in real time. Making real time information highly visible through powerful modern metrics such as OEE, headlines the top production losses and thereby helps to drive continuous performance improvement. The net result of all this is total compliance, 100% of the time, at lowest manufactured cost.”
“Where we have already helped companies to achieve these objectives, we have seen complete transformations in the elimination of coding and labelling errors, increased quality consistency, improved operational discipline, reduced materials wastage, better manpower and materials utilisation and improvements in efficiency/OEE by as much as 40%.”
“One of our clients recently shared with us that by directly acting upon the prioritised information generated within the Harford system, they were able to reduce some product changeover times by more than one hour!”
“All our evidence to date suggests that the successful management of complexity, coupled with sustained performance improvement is highly dependent upon real time, accurate information, made highly visible to all stakeholders. When this happens and operational personnel begin to see the benefits in action, then the all important buy-in for such systems accelerates and quickly becomes the new standard.”
Harford Control Ltd.,
35 Harford Street, Trowbridge, Wiltshire, BA14 7HL.
Tel: 01225 764461
email: sales@harfordcontrol.com
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