EuroWire November 2019

Focus on the UK

Many good ideas fail because of improper implementation of the ideas rather than the idea itself being flawed. Take, for example, implementing a new software system. A company purchases some high-end design software; rightly, it is expecting to use it to its fullest potential to get maximum return on investment. The company employs its best experts to plan and start the implementation of the software. How to bring about successful implementation of cable design software

Ridgway’s multi- application taping line The HTM-MACDC is a new advanced taping line designed to apply a variety of insulation materials such as Kapton, glass and mica to wire, cables and conductors. The lines are designed to maximise productivity whilst minimising costs by giving one technically advanced solution for multiple taping requirements. The lines comprise a payoff drum stand, straightening unit, taping machines, caterpillars, induction heating unit, varnishing units, radiant oven, nip rollers, recirculating wheels for multi-pass applications, cooling systems and a take-up drum stand. A camera system is installed on the taping machine to monitor and control the tape being applied, to ensure a repeatable, overall higher quality taped product. A spark tester is also fitted for quality assurance for applicable products. Data capture is available as an option. Control systems are PLC-based, with servo drive systems used extensively for precise speed control – especially important for precision tape applications. Heating systems are similarly controlled through the PLC with pyrometers providing temperature feedback. An HMI is fitted for easy operator interface, and taping application ‘recipes’ can be stored and recalled for quick line setup. successfully completed a rigorous factory acceptance test, taping a range of cable and conductors to a high quality. Andy Clarke, sales director at Ridgway, said: “Ridgway have been providing taping machines to the electrical and energy industries for many years and believe our new range of machines provide our customers with the best and most innovative solutions to date, enabling them to enter new markets without having to invest in dedicated production lines for either Kapton or glass.” Ridgway continues to offer the standard range of horizontal and vertical cable and conductor taping machines designed for a variety of applications. Ridgway Engineering – UK Website : www.ridgwayeng.com ▲ The new HTM-MACDC line from Ridgway Engineering The taping machine

The team calculates how much time it saves an individual design engineer and how it would speed up the design process. A presentation is made to the management of the team’s intentions to automate the existing process. The plan passes, because it is perfectly aligned to the business objectives. However, it is crucial that software implementation plans are aligned with the process rather than just the objectives. The cable manufacturer in this example had an

A new software system in action

▲

objective to deliver quality product design service at the lowest possible cost, and the quickest possible time. It put a new process in place 20 years ago that involved recruiting design engineers to produce datasheets to a high level of completeness. The process worked well, and the company gained market share because of the quality of customer service it provided. However, a few years later, the cable industry changed. The cost of design engineers increased, which also increased the design engineers’ mobility, and increased the cost of their recruitment. This fact made the model above inefficient, which also made it misaligned with the business objectives. Due to the high turnover of engineers, the quality of the customer service reduced. The inexperience of the new engineers led to design and datasheet errors. Each design had to be checked to eliminate engineering mistakes. This increased the design department’s costs as well as the length of time it took to produce a design. This scenario is a clear example of how, on presenting to the board of directors, the automation of the process will appear to be the correct solution. However, in this case, the correct solution would be to realign the design process to the business objective with the aid of automation. By improving the process, the benefits of the software are greater. It is not only able to cut down quotation time, but will also reduce maintenance time and reduce mistakes that can lead to expensive scrap. The existing process needed to be simplified. Only a small fraction of customers require all the calculations currently being presented in datasheets. Each calculation requires time and therefore costs. Reducing the complexity of the datasheets reduces the amount of time needed to check and maintain them. Customers who require a full complex set of calculations on their datasheets, a drawing, or special instructions are less than five per cent of the general market. Therefore, their cases will be treated as exceptions, and extra effort will be needed only for these customers. The calculations can be further automated with software to reduce the engineering effort in making new designs and maintaining old ones. A solution is also needed to retain engineers in order to improve consistency and maintain long-term relationships with the customer. Engineers are inherently creative. Using automation, engineers are freed from the mundane manual or Excel calculations. Their talent can be channelled into value-adding activities, such as product development and improvement, which should be high on the business objectives list. The example also highlights an important fact: the circumstances, and sometimes the objectives, of the company are likely to change. This needs to be taken into consideration when selecting and implementing a software system. A system that gives the greatest flexibility should be selected, with an implementation approach that takes into account the changing nature of the process. Automating any business process through the use of software should be a task that is undertaken with the aid of the software supplier. The supplier will bring fresh thinking to the procedure, which can be valuable when considering the automation of traditional processes. Cimteq Ltd – UK Website : www.cimteq.com

44

www.read-eurowire.com

November 2019