As the Industry 4.0 ‘concept’ — intended to increase connectivity within a factory — becomes increasingly relevant to the sheet metal-working industry, LVD Co nv (
www.lvdgroup.com) has responded with a technology that gives shop managers critical production information in real time.
Touch-i4 is an industrial-strength Windows-based tablet that provides an overview of the entire fabrication work-shop, while generating and presenting the live information needed to manage networked LVD laser, punching and bending machines.
The real-time Touch-i4 system collects information from LVD machines and a centralised CADMAN database to provide an
insight and flexibility to daily operations. This information can be viewed and managed wirelessly on the shopfloor with Touch-i4, allowing the user to make informed decisions based on lead time, cost, technology and individual machine workload.
Detailed information includes: KPI (key performance indicators) history, with full visibility and diagnosis of workshop performance including OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) analysis; and future workload with overview. The system also allows the user to plan future workload by overall capacity, by technology and by individual machine. Touch-i4 can also be used to help sort and validate parts, allowing users to streamline production orders ready for the next operation.