fico Tooling B.V.
A few years ago Gerrie Peters, the person in charge of mould-part production at Fico Tooling B.V. realised that something had to be done if they were to stay in business. Fico Tooling B.V.is part of the Besi Group, a multinational player in the semiconductor industry and is the Group’s toolshop for the production of the high-quality mould-parts used within the Group. Competition from sister companies and other suppliers based in low-price countries – Malaysia and China – was beginning to be troublesome.
Fico began to evaluate a number of pallet systems that would carry the workpiece all the way through the production chain. Tests were done and together with Mecatool they developed a variant of a standard pallet to suit their particular needs.
The benefits of workpiece palletisation were quick to kick in with the set-up time for a standard job being reduced from 150 to 30 minutes – a reduction of 80 percent!
The next step was to introduce automation into the manufacturing process. They began by upgrading two Robofil 2030SI machines, one with a 6-position and the other with a 12-position WorkPal Compact for automatic workpiece changing. The result of this investment was so good that within six months they were given a new investment grant which funded a double cell in which a WorkMaster handles loading and unloading on the machine table of a Heun Apos600, as well as the machine spindle and machine table of a Roboform 350. In addition, one more double cell was added with a WorkMaster and two Roboform 2000 machines.
Gerrie Peters – “Automated production sharpens our ability to compete.”
It’s important that these production cells are part of an integrated production unit and this is where System 3R’s WorkShopManager software plays an important part. Toine Sleutjes, Process Engineer, explains: “In barely two years we’ve increased the number of machine hours from 40,000 to 60,000 per year – and with fewer employees and fewer machines! But this requires a production planning system – WorkShopManager – that knows exactly where every part is in the production process.”
There’s no doubt that Fico Tooling has more than met the challenge from the Far East. Gerrie Peters explains: “Our colleagues over there compete with a lower hourly cost and primarily manual production. We have responded with increased productivity from super-efficient machining hours, minimising set-up times, automating production round the clock and great flexibility. This will ensure that the prices for the tools will be remaining highly competitive – and there’s more to come. Later this year we’ll be automating the last step in the line – grinding – where we’re planning another fully integrated double cell.”
One of the double cells. Two Roboform 2000 and one WorkMaster.
“Clearly, increased productivity doesn’t come automatically and if it comes it doesn’t last for ever. So we are determined not to relax, because if we drop behind we’ll lose everything we have gained,” Gerrie Peters concludes.
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Layout drawing:
WorkMaster serving 2 machines: Charmilles Roboform 2000 & Roboform 2400
WorkMaster serving 2 machines: Heun APos 600 & Charmilles Roboform 350
Related links:
WokPal Compact Servo
WorKMaster
Automation in general