Established in 1995 in northwest England, Piolax manufactures plastic engineered parts for a range of sectors. In particular, the automotive, aerospace, switchgear and energy sectors require high-quality engineered parts. Piolax’s Europe-wide focus services major European companies including Peugeot, Nissan and Volkswagen.
The Piolax Syspro solution has been designed to support a streamlined manufacturing and supply process. Customers place orders with the Sales and Distribution Division which are transferred overnight to Manufacturing. The order triggers the MRP function to create the demand.
Syspro transmits this data to the APS module which interrogates the data and produces the production plan. From here a works order is generated that contains all the production information and barcode labels for the items.
Mobile computing for shopfloor data capture and communication keeps Syspro updated by logging exactly what is happening on the shopfloor. Using wireless hand-held computers with integrated laser scanners, operators simply scan the instruction on the works orders for the various operations they must perform for each job.
The scanned information is transmitted back to the system, which uses ‘traffic lights’ to indicate the exact status of each plastic molding machine. For example, as soon as a job is complete the machine operator scans the barcode works order to indicate that the task is finished. In the event of a production issue such as a machine breakdown, the operator also scans a barcode. This automatically signals a ‘stop’ and registers a red traffic light on the screen which notifies the maintenance team to fix the machine.
Being able to monitor progress on screen using the large plasmas or any PC is highly useful for management and shopfloor staff, as the screens show the status of each machine, the jobs they are performing and the next set of jobs coming down the line. The screens also display job progress in Gantt chart format which gives a rapid visual account of job cycle times. Piolax can instantly see if a job is ahead of schedule or if it is lagging. This allows Piolax to react immediately and ensures efficiency.
The Syspro solution is configured to Piolax’s exact requirements and integrated with the Syspro Advanced Planning & Scheduling (APS) module, creating a turnkey solution to manage its high-speed, high-turnover make-to-stock operation. Piolax has full visibility of its production processes, enabling readily accessible management information and a platform for its expanding business.
“We are pleased with the Syspro solution and it has generated a lot of interest from other Piolax sites around the world. The quality of the information the system provides and the ability to interrogate this using Crystal Reporting Services is creating a stir.”
— Geoff Youds, Plant Manager, Piolax
Piolax’s existing solution could no longer meet the requirements of its growing business and high-speed, high-turnover make-to-stock operation. Spreadsheets were used for job costing, increasing the risk of data entry errors and requiring updates to several systems, a time-consuming task.
Piolax implemented Syspro ERP with Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) in 2007. The result was full visibility of its production processes, accessible management information and a platform for its expanding business. The tailored solution incorporated shopfloor data capture (SFDC) using mobile devices to assist with managing and monitoring production progress.
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