Manufacturing Technology
PR Newswire | September 27, 2023
Rockwell Automation, Inc., the world's largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced the successful one-year implementation of the Plex Manufacturing Execution System (MES) at BIC, a world leader in stationery, lighters, and shavers, at its plant in Bizerte, Tunisia.
BIC's primary business drivers for digitalization and transformation are the standardization of production processes and integration across machines, people, and business layers. Plex MES was selected for its broad functional scope and technical capabilities, with cloud-based Software as a Service solution offering comprehensive support to BIC's standardization process.
Malte Dieckelmann, Vice President of Enterprise Software Sales, EMEA, explains, "Our collaboration with BIC marks a major milestone in digitally transforming its manufacturing operations. By leveraging Plex MES, BIC can transition to a more efficient, standardized, and paperless system. This development not only improves operations but also aligns with our shared focus on innovation and efficiency."
The deployment of Plex MES began in 2020 with a pilot project at BIC's production facility in Bizerte, Tunisia. The Plex MES system offers live reporting, enabling real-time visibility, automation of data collection, and tracking of production KPIs. The benefits of this project include improved inventory control, waste reduction, reduced error from manual processing, and overall equipment efficiency (OEE). It has also allowed for the automation of production integration, a significant change for people on the shop floor.
Rogelio Demay, Senior Manager Information Technology Manufacturing, at BIC, states: "Our journey towards digital transformation is fundamentally about integrating people and technology to improve operations. The shift from a paper-based system to Plex MES has been a tremendous step towards self-sufficiency, enabling us to react swiftly to issues, drive continuous improvement, and ultimately enhance efficiency."
Plex MES also serves as a foundation for BIC's broader Smart Manufacturing Initiative, including the integration of additional elements within the factory to help shift from a paper-based system to Plex MES and support self-sufficiency with a 360-degree view of the factory floor.
Rockwell Automation has been a key partner in this initiative, supporting BIC's vision of connecting operational technologies and the IoT world, bridging the gap between these two spheres and seamlessly integrating them into the company's operations to provide one single source of truth for manufacturing data.
Demay adds, "We value our past while embracing innovation, with a focus on breaking down silos to integrate technology and people. We believe our people are the first factor for success and integrating MES with daily routines is our way forward to improve operational efficiency."
BIC is poised to continue this digital transformation beyond the Bizerte plant and Dafni Vakasi, Smart Manufacturing Manager at BIC described how this approach will be applied across the other BIC factories in Athens, Manaus, and Mexico with the Plex MES solution playing a major role in the journey. The expansion will also deliver benefits beyond BIC's factory walls, helping to integrate suppliers on one side and delivery on the other to fully realize the goals of Industry 4.0, including driving actionable insights from data to empower decisions. With Rockwell Automation's support, BIC's journey is set to revolutionize its operations and establish a new standard in the manufacturing industry.
About Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation, Inc., is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 28,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.
About BIC
A world leader in stationery, lighters and shavers, BIC brings simplicity and joy to everyday Life. For more than 75 years, the Company has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable, essential products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands and is a trademark registered worldwide. Today, BIC products are sold in more than 160 countries around the world and feature iconic brands such as BIC Kids™, BIC FlexTM, BodyMark by BICTM, Cello®, Djeep, Lucky Stationery, Rocketbook, Soleil®, Tipp-Ex®, Us. TM, Wite-Out®, Inkbox and more. In 2022, BIC Net Sales were 2,233.9 million euros. The Company is listed on "Euronext Paris"," is part of the SBF120 and CAC Mid 60 indexes and is recognized for its commitment to sustainable development and education. It received an A- Leadership score from CDP.
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Manufacturing Technology
MongoDB | September 22, 2023
MongoDB, Inc. has unveiled MongoDB Atlas for Automotive and Manufacturing, a new initiative aimed at helping organizations leverage real-time data to optimize processes and enhance user experiences through connected technologies in the automotive and manufacturing sectors.
The manufacturing and automotive industries are transitioning to intelligent, software-based operations that rely on real-time data. However, collecting, processing, and analyzing vast amounts of data from connected devices poses challenges. MongoDB aims to accelerate this transformation by providing industry-specific solutions and expertise.
The initiative targets organizations in the manufacturing and automotive industries, which are transforming connectivity, automation, and real-time analytics. This includes innovation workshops, technology partnerships, and industry-specific training paths designed to assist developers in creating data-centric applications that address various use cases, such as digital twins of manufacturing facilities, applications for connected cars and predictive maintenance for factory equipment.
Wendy Bauer, General Manager of Automotive and Manufacturing at AWS, stated, that MongoDB and AWS had collaborated extensively over an eight-year partnership, covering various industries. It was noted that MongoDB was among the initial partners for the AWS Automotive Competency, adding to their list of collaborations.
MongoDB is collaborating with partners such as AWS, HiveMQ, Share Now, Digitread Connect, and customers in the automotive and manufacturing sectors to drive innovation in real-time data applications.
MongoDB is also a launch partner for the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Automotive Competency, further strengthening its commitment to helping automotive organizations build a customer-centric and sustainable future through real-time data applications.
Christoffer Lange, CEO at Digitread Connect, added,
“Time-series data is our bread and butter, and MongoDB made it simple for us to handle this. We were impressed by the simplicity and its performance. Using MongoDB Atlas actually showed that we don't have to worry about the nitty-gritties of treating the database. We got the live solution for our customers in a short period of time."
[Source: Cision PR Newswire]
About MongoDB
MongoDB, headquartered in New York, has a mission to empower innovators to revolutionize and reshape industries by harnessing the potential of software and data. Crafted by developers, their developer data platform is more than just a database; it's an integrated ecosystem of services tailored to meet the diverse demands of modern applications. MongoDB serves a vast customer base spanning over 100 countries, with its database platform being downloaded millions of times since 2007. Additionally, MongoDB University courses have trained millions of individuals.
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Manufacturing Technology
Hyve Solutions | September 25, 2023
The SMT lines focus on manufacturing secure root of trust cards, security modules, Trusted Platform devices, and main system boards
The expansion supports US strategic priority of domestic manufacturing for secure components
It enables Hyve Solutions to respond quickly to market and customer demands
Hyve Solutions Corporation, a leading supplier of hyperscale digital infrastructures and a wholly owned subsidiary of TD SYNNEX Corporation, has just announced the opening of new Surface Mount Technology (SMT) lines that increase its production capabilities in the United States. These lines are part of Hyve Solutions Corporation's effort to expand its manufacturing capacity in the United States. This expansion strengthens Hyve's continuous commitment to providing clients with a secure supply chain by maximizing efficiency at the local level and reducing lead times.
The new SMT lines are equipped with advanced automated technologies and inspection processes to produce custom-built, high-quality motherboards in the US while reducing lead times for complex system boards. This investment in automation increases PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) capacity and reduces manufacturing cycle times.
President at Hyve Solutions, Steve Ichinaga, remarked,
“Expanding our in-country manufacturing capabilities underscores our commitment to better serve our customers. This investment leads to elevated production capacity and streamlined operations with a focus on secure supply chain, boosting our ability to respond quickly to changing market and customer demands.”
[Source: Business Wire]
The expansion of US manufacturing capabilities is significant for ensuring a secure supply chain, particularly for federal defense and intelligence agencies and companies that require high levels of supply chain security. Ensuring a secure supply chain for critical components is essential for public cloud providers and government agencies. Hyve Solutions' investment in US-based manufacturing with advanced automation technologies reinforces its commitment to secure supply chain practices.
Sarah Lin, VP of Supply Chain at Hyve Solutions, stated that the opening of the SMT operation boosts their Secure Supply Chain strategy. This investment in US-based automated lines tighten the supply chain, cut lead times, and provide best-in-class secure supply chain benefits to their customers.
The United States and its allies have made the production of secure root of trust (RoT) cards, security modules, and other Trusted Platform devices, including main system boards, a strategic priority. Assuring the security of the supply chain is essential for the public cloud and its users, especially Federal Defense and Intelligence agencies and businesses requiring a high and boosted level of supply chain security.
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