Quality control during the production process - Case study

In today's industrial world, product quality is a crucial element of manufacturing. Often, companies allocate significant resources to improve the quality of their products. Our company had the pleasure of collaborating with a company specializing in the production of automotive parts. We developed a system implemented in factories that enables real-time assessment of the quality of manufactured components, thus supporting enhanced production quality.

Customer and challenges

Our client is an international manufacturer of automotive parts, also creating intelligent solutions for land, sea, air, and space transport worldwide. They approached the SKM Group with the challenge of creating an efficient quality assessment system for their automotive parts. The key objective was to enable employees to perform real-time quality assessments and identify defects in the parts, contributing to the reduction of defective products and improving production efficiency.

The European facilities of our client, specializing in the production of high-quality seals for the automotive sector, decided to modernize their quality control process. Until now, quality control was conducted in a traditional manner, involving monitoring the efficiency of individual machines, manual data recording, and reporting measurement results to management. Our company's task was to design a measurement and quality control reporting system from scratch, meeting the requirements of Industry 4.0 standards. The system should have full translation support, as it is intended for use by all the company's factories located throughout Europe.

Solution - Quality control process

Initially, our main task was to thoroughly familiarize ourselves with the procedures in the factory and the entire production process. The task was challenging because we needed to grasp many technical issues specific to the manufacturing industry. To gain a better understanding of the processes occurring during production, we gathered information about the previous work and needs from employees across various organizational levels. Through a thorough analysis of the client's requirements, employee feedback, and the current situation in the factory, we prepared a detailed specification and a specific action plan.

Since we were building the system from scratch, we had flexibility in choosing the technology stack. We opted to utilize .NET in conjunction with Angular, and we also leveraged services provided by MS Azure.

The system is designed for two types of users:

• Administrator

It is designed to be operated from a desktop. The administrative panel is a crucial tool for managing the entire system. Here, all production parameters are defined. In addition to basic functions, such as defining and collecting data related to users, departments, or positions, the system gathers detailed statistics on defective parts during production. Key statistics include overall figures, providing information on the quantity of defective parts produced, and rejection reason statistics. The system updates these statistics in real-time, allowing the manager to promptly identify and eliminate production issues.

From the administrative panel, various settings related to factory operations can be configured. For instance, critical instructions for manual part inspections by operators can be added to the system. Another important aspect is the establishment of production goals for specific parts. All statistics in the system have multiple filtering options. The administrator has full control over the system configuration, enabling adaptation to the dynamically changing needs of production.

• User

The system is designed for tablets attached to each employee workstation. During workshops, when SKM Group had the opportunity to be present on the production floor and observe the work, we immediately noticed that employees were wearing gloves. This information was crucial for us as we could promptly adjust the system and ensure appropriate UI/UX.

The actual production process involves the manual inspection of the manufactured part by the employee and categorizing it in the system as either correct or defective. While inspecting the part, the employee can refer to instruction files containing schematics, making it easier to detect defects. The system collects real-time data on employee performance and provides summary information regarding shift goals and defective parts.

The system designed for employee use also handles bulk packaging. Depending on the packaging sizes set in the administrative panel, the system informs about a full packaging and undergoes the packaging closure process. During their work, employees have real-time access to all their statistics with extensive filtering options.

During the development of the system, we kept the client informed about the ongoing progress, so each successive iteration brought us closer to meeting all the system-related requirements.

Results and benefits

Thanks to the prepared solution, the quality control process has been significantly automated, reducing it by over 90%. Employees now assess finished parts and enter results with a single touch on tablets integrated with the system. Before the system was implemented, all activities were carried out manually, leading to numerous errors and uncertainties. Production statistics were delivered to management with delays.

Data on production efficiency are automatically organized and reported to management in the form of reports. The system received an enthusiastic response from the client, prompting us to further develop it. Currently, the system is being implemented in additional client manufacturing plants. In the next phase, we plan to introduce automatic data transmission by machines, aiming for complete digitization of production in line with the principles of Industry 4.0.

The implementation of our system has brought numerous benefits to the client:

• Scrap Reduction: Through rapid defect identification and continuous statistical analysis, the company achieved a significant reduction in the quantity of defective products.
• Production Optimization: The system enables precise production management, translating into efficiency and the achievement of production goals.
• Swift Response to Issues: Thanks to real-time statistics and analysis, the company can quickly respond to potential issues in the production process.
• ‍Enhanced Management: The administrative panel allows flexible management of all production aspects, adaptation to changes, and easy system maintenance.

Our collaboration with an international manufacturer of automotive parts was not only a challenge but also an opportunity to create an innovative solution that brings positive changes to the production process. With the quality assessment system for manufactured parts, the company not only improved the quality of its products but also gained a tool for effective production management at the highest level.

We believe that innovations in information systems can truly contribute to the success of manufacturing companies, and our collaboration is an excellent example of this. If you are interested in the way we work on a daily basis, we invite you to explore our Case Study