Seco Tools says manufacturers need to measure and quantify the causes of unproductive time so they can optimise their efficiency, adding that the company’s Machine Monitoring system provides them with the data-driven knowledge they need to not only manage production efficiency, but also increase both output volume and product quality.

Done in real time and remotely, Seco’s system samples production data on a continuous basis to povide a full picture of what happens on a manufacturer’s shopfloor (and beyond) and thereby build an in-depth profile of daily activity, and trigger alerts for onsite response or remote notification of production-critical metrics.

“Detailed insights into machining operations on all attended and unattended shifts make it easy for manufacturers to track overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and make continuous improvements to operations for better planning, scheduling and communication.

“Limited access to real-time production data slows a manufacturer’s response to individual applications, machines, cells and overall production workflow. Seco Machine Monitoring provides enhanced communication from the shopfloor to upper management based on data-driven ‘smart manufacturing’.

“Colour-coded metrics on real-time dashboards give manufacturers the insights they need to improve efficiency. Furthermore, employees can easily add their insights and observations, categorise machine downtime and help contextualise problems. These solutions come courtesy of partnerships with a network of software providers and technology partners like Machine Metrics.”

Seco adds that rather than offer customers data-gathering solutions that merely accrue information from production processes, the company provides a robust portfolio of solutions. “For every challenge that limits manufacturing effectiveness, Seco draws on a continuing stream of unduplicated insights gained through decades of manufacturing expertise to create solutions in partnership with customers.

“While data and analytics are valuable to manufacturers, these tools take on even greater importance within the context of a broader set of Seco support options that address everything from employee technical education to tool-use optimisation.”