01 The challenge
Unplanned downtime was running at several hours per line per day, but nobody could say reliably why — downtime causes were written on job cards after the event, and the data was incomplete. Tooling was replaced on a fixed schedule rather than on condition, and maintenance only found out about problems when a machine stopped.
02 What we did
- Machine connectivity to every CNC line via controller protocols and retro-fitted sensors for older equipment
- Live OEE dashboards — availability, performance and quality per line, shift and product
- Automatic downtime capture with operator reason codes on a tablet at the machine
- Condition-based tooling and maintenance alerts from spindle load, vibration and cycle data
- Maintenance work-order workflow with response-time tracking
03 The results
- OEE lifted from well below to within industry benchmark range
- Unplanned downtime roughly halved across the lines
- Tool changes moved to condition-based, cutting tooling spend
- Maintenance response measured in minutes instead of hours