EuroWire September 2023

Focus on USA

Automated wire-marking system Identco, a manufacturer of labelling solutions for the power equipment, electronics, transportation and general industrial sector, has introduced an automated marking system for wire and harness label applications.

The company’s VortexID can precisely apply up to 20 labels per minute, and can operate 24 hours a day. Capable of handling a variety of American wire gauge sizes, the wire-marking system is suitable for a broad range of sectors whose products incorporate wires and harnesses, most notably electronics and automotive component production. The module features 300 dpi printing capabilities, with labels applied via a vacuum plate with a rotating mechanism for reliable application on cylindrical products of any material. The VortexID can apply both self-laminating and flag labels, using an interchangeable applicator. This versatility provides a flexible solution, eliminating the need to purchase specific machines for each label type. For both label types, the VortexID’s application consistency and repeatability ensure neat, secure labels where essential product, traceability and electronics testing information is printed and unobscured. Where other modules might be limited to eight hours of continuous operation, the robust VortexID can operate continuously, with the potential for thousands more processed products over the course of a single day.

Identco’s VortexID wire-marking system

“As the demand for high-volume wire and harness manufacturing grows ever stronger, solutions that can automate key aspects along the production line – including, of course, the labelling process – are increasingly sought-after,” said Emilio Garza, automation manager for Identco. “Our new VortexID automated wire-marking unit combines high throughput and continuous operation with the precision printing and label placement necessary to ensure long-term information readability.” Identco www.identco.com

Transforming manufacturing with ERP software

• Precise job costing – providing detailed cost breakdowns for inventory, jobs sequences and cost of goods sold. ERP tracks every cost that goes into a project. • Accurate work orders and routers – work orders act as the architectural blueprint for each job; routers provide the “road map” to get there. ERP electronically sends these critical documents to the shop floor. • Digital inventory management – to show how much of a part or material is on hand, where it is, how much is already allocated to jobs, and when ordered parts will arrive. • Mobile material movement – ERP transforms material movement by seamlessly aligning with mobile technology. Using handheld scanners and mobile devices, part movers can make material transactions from anywhere on the shop floor. The November issue of EuroWire will feature a more detailed look at the subject of ERP from GSS. Global Shop Solutions www.globalshopsolutions.com

• Incorrect work orders and routers – human error can cause shop floor mistakes that lead to missed due dates. • Poor (manual) inventory management – parts and materials get misplaced, and purchasing buys too much or too little due to imprecise inventory data. • Inefficient material movement – manual tracking of material with hand-written cards. GSS states that with reliable ERP software, none of the above problems need to happen. Generally speaking, companies that implement or convert to an ERP system will experience improvements such as: • One “source of truth” – being able to trust all of the data collected, including production schedules and promised due dates. ERP enables this by tracking, organising and providing quick access to information. • Fully integrated scheduling – instantly identify true labour and resource capacities, and carry out “what-if” scenario planning to see how potential schedule changes will affect other jobs.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) soft- ware can be used to turn an inefficient manufacturing company into a lean business. ERP can provide a complete solution to efficiently run an entire organisation, touching on all critical aspects of the business, and allowing everything to be managed from a central location. The systems can provide the data needed to make informed business decisions: people and processes become more efficient and productive; communication between departments improves; and waste is reduced while sales, margins and quality increase. Some of the main signs of an “unhealthy” manufacturing business include: • Untrustworthy data – paper documents and spreadsheets con- taining manual errors and inaccurate, outdated information. • Hit or miss scheduling – using rough estimations to drive a manual scheduling process. • Inaccurate job costing – lack of real-time data makes job costing historical rather than current.

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September 2023