AMGC spurs Klinger to embrace industry 4.0

Industrial sealing and fluid control manufacturer Klinger Australia has revealed how a local event held by the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre spurred it to take the first steps in implementing an Industry 4.0 strategy in their production facility in Western Australia.

The company introduced Industrial IoT technology in three phases ‘in a matter of weeks’ via a Smart Shop Floor project at their Welshpool facility, one of two Australian manufacturing sites along with Gladstone, Queensland operated by the global group.

Phase one involved installing sensors made by an Australian based global technology provider to nine machines – referred to as the work horses of the business – in Klinger’s production facility, connecting devices and accumulating data for analysis.

Phase two involved training operators to log in, log off and select the reason for a machine becoming idle.

The transition was fairly easy at Klinger due to the introduction of an ERP system three years ago, when machine operators were asked to start using a shop floor interface on a daily basis.

The third phase scheduled for mid 2021 involves integrating the system with the ERP software to become a smart and connected enterprise.

This final phase will enable the business to gain visibility of the demand placed on the plant with 600-700 jobs open at any one time.

Klinger Australia finance director Ajith Gunasekera said: “Planning well to optimise material recovery and have a greater, real-time view of jobs through each of our machines means we can further improve customer service levels.”

Now AMGC’s Dr Jens Goennemann and Angela Doyle have toured Klinger’s production facility to see how the IoT technology was embraced.

Klinger Australia managing director Kevin Woolley said: “To be the best at what we do – we have to fulfil our customers’ complete list of requirements and be better than our competition and peers.

“To do this we need to be at least one step ahead of the game, several steps if possible.

“Industry 4.0, IIoT and all of the technological benefits afforded to it offers us the advantages we are looking for.”

Klinger Australia is represented in overseas markets through offices in Singapore and Thailand.

Picture: Klinger Australia

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