Error-Proofing Technology

When it comes to manufacturing, it’s always important to seek improvements. After all, a customer never complained about having a better product! Error-proofing technology can make sure that you build your products better and faster.

Benefits of Error-Proofing Technology

• Reduced costs
• Improved product quality
• Elevated productivity and employee satisfaction
• Increased transparency and accountability
• Reduced risk and customer complaints

Error-Proofing Products & Systems

Benefits are great, but first, you have to make a decision. How do you determine what products or systems are the best choices for you? The best approach is to examine your company’s specific problems and consider these options:

Pick-to-Light (P2L)

This system helps employees quickly find a small number of items when there are many SKU’s (25-1500) located across a lengthy storage area (4ft – 40ft). Indicator lights direct operators to the appropriate picking bins, which yields the following benefits

• Reduced time spent reading and mentally registering part numbers
• Minimized part number transpositions and other operator picking errors
• A P2L system can be used in “reverse” for a Put-to-Light system.

How a P2L System Works:

• The software reads the production traveler.
• It matches the build request to the item’s BOM and lights up the appropriate modules and respective SKU’s.
• The employee picks the items from the indicated parts bins until all indicator lights have been completed.

Light Guided Assembly System (LGS)

LGS can help employees pick a subset of the available parts from various onboard manual assembly workstation bins. Some benefits of an LGS include:

• Shows detailed work instructions along with comparative images of the desired work to be performed.
• Software that acknowledges correct or incorrect items, locations and work procedures.
• Helps improve speed and accuracy especially for less experienced assembly operators.

How an LGS Works:

• A workstation has an overhead system supporting a projector and a hand-tracking system.
• The workstation parts bins have front “flags” that catch the light beam emitted from the projector directed by the software.
• The LGS program provides step-by-step work instructions by showing details on a screen and projecting light or a symbol to the correct parts bin and onto the workpiece indicating where the work is to occur.
• The employee can either confirm completion, or the program can automatically move onto the next order.

Digital Assistance Validation System (DAVS)

DAVS are used for incoming inspection, counting, sorting and manual assembly stations. The system and software can show detailed work instructions along with images of the desired work to be performed. Some benefits of using a DAVS include:

• Error reduction through acknowledgment of correct or incorrect items, locations and work procedures.
• Improved training for new or less experienced employees.
• Increased speed and accuracy.

How a DAVS Works

• Items are placed on the work surface within the defined work area.
• The employee follows work instructions on a monitor and selects the correct parts.
• The camera observes the operation and accepts or fails the work performed.
• The software will stop the instructions until the work is performed correctly.
• Every item and work step is recorded by the camera and retained in memory for quality validation and traceability.

System Comparison

Get Custom Solutions to Improve Your Lean Manufacturing

At FlexMation, we aim to be trusted partners who advance your manufacturing performance. Simply put: We help you make things better, safer, faster and smarter. If you’re interested in learning more about how we can improve your assembly process, please contact us today.

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