Machines Data Integration

Company name

Valtecne Spa

project title

Machines Data Integration

dimension and location

Medium enterprise - Berbenno di Valtellina (SO)

technologies

Big Data Analytics

Valtecne Spa specializes in precision mechanics and technological innovation. Through the digitalization of production processes, the company optimizes the efficiency of CNC machines, improving productivity and competitiveness.

The problem

Valtecne has undertaken a series of strategic initiatives necessary to complete its journey towards the digitalization of factory data for the setup of its CNC machine tools.

The current non-digital management causes inefficiencies in the production process:

  • it does not allow for the optimization of CNC machine setups;
  • it generates negative economic impacts with the potential purchase of duplicate tools;
  • it does not allow for effective standardization in the tool preparation process, which is necessary to reduce assembly errors.

The solution

The implementation of a digital and integrated tool data management system allows for the improvement of production efficiency by overcoming the critical issues mentioned above.

  • Optimization of CNC machine setups
  • Reduction in tool procurement costs
  • Standardization of the tool preparation process, which reduces assembly errors, potential damage to parts and/or machinery, and possibly injuries.

A key component of this digitalization is the TP32 software (Integrated Tool Management System), which was only partially integrated with the company’s IT systems.

The developed solution is a Python application that allows the user to:

  • Select one or more input files or the folder containing them (original Excel files and the additional information files to be extracted);
  • Select a destination folder where the output files will be created;
  • Specify any additional parameters identified during the design phase.

The application provides information on the extraction’s execution status after it has been launched by the user and prevents any operation that could compromise the input files.

WP1: Data formats analysis, selection, and validation of ETL technologies

  • Analysis of available data formats and algorithmic strategies to extract individual portions of information and assign the correct semantic interpretation to enable data structuring;
  • Experimentation with technological approaches (languages, libraries, methodologies) and their ability to guarantee the obtained result.

WP2: ETL algorithms implementation

  • Implementation of dedicated parsers for each input file format to extract and structure the information;
  • Implementation of output validators in terms of format consistency, structure, and quantity;
  • Implementation of an output generator compatible with the ERP\TP32 system for loading the new data.

WP3: ETL algorithms validation

  • Semantic validation of data extraction, both by sampling and through high-level aggregations (quantity, variability of values, etc.).

Desired Impacts

Competitiveness: The full implementation of TP32 (which requires the development of software for extracting data related to non-consumable tools) will optimize machine setup activities, increasing the efficiency and productivity of the mechanical processing department.

Reduction of selection and assembly errors during the tool preparation process, preventing damage to components or equipment.

Health and Safety: The project has led to a progressive reduction in movements and stress conditions for workers searching for tools within the facility, as well as a reduction in safety risks due to the new assembly procedures.

Sustainability: The new process has eliminated the use of paper tool tables and will avoid the need to scan these documents. The overall improvement in processing efficiency has also resulted in reduced energy consumption.

Reshoring: The increase in competitiveness and production efficiency will help retain high-precision mechanical processing operations within the national territory, as well as increase attractiveness to international clients.

Benefits for the company

The key indicator for the developed software application is certainly the time required to migrate data from the non-consumable tool text tables to the TP32 software database. The operator, using the developed software, takes a maximum of about 2 minutes to migrate a single table, from preparing the input table to verifying the successful migration. Overall, the software component will enable the successful completion of the digital and integrated transformation of tool data through the TP32 software. The performance indicator that has benefited the most from the implementation of TP32 is the efficiency of the production department (OEE – Overall Equipment Efficiency). The reduction in setup times due to the digitalization of the tool management system has allowed for an increase in working hours compared to the total theoretical hours, with significant positive impacts on the company’s competitiveness.

With the new process, it is possible to define the rotation indices of non-consumable tools and optimize their use based on the production mix. This has led to optimized purchasing, with positive consequences for the company’s competitiveness. The application also allows for batch operations, i.e., for groups of tables, introducing further efficiency in migration times. Moreover, the described flexibility enables Valtecne to distribute the migration of tables over time according to production planning.

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