Digitalizing production processes at Dürkopp Adler

With our support, X-INTEGRATE (today ATVANTAGE) succeeded in developing a modular solution kit called QONDAC NETWORKS together with QONDAC for its customers. Its central component is a visual system for monitoring and controlling industrial production processes. Customers can analyse the productivity of every single production machine in real time, prevent bottlenecks and problems through conditional monitoring or detect them early and resolve them in a targeted way. Following the plug & work approach, the connected production participants register themselves with the central system and independently report the operations they have carried out. The number of work operations is analysed in the context of the planned production orders, and workstations can be maintained more efficiently based on this data.

Going further, work instructions and bills of materials can be managed centrally, then created and displayed at the workstation where the production order is to be carried out. This simplifies creation, keeps production documents up to date at every workstation and thus delivers a direct increase in efficiency.

In the near future, customer and production orders will be managed centrally and assigned to workstations. This makes it possible to track the progress of production orders and easily re-prioritise them on request. A connection to ERP systems is also planned in order to synchronise master data and orders within the system.

By connecting to modern communication technologies, it will be possible in future to transfer updates and instructional videos for employee training directly to the machines. In the event of a critical production failure, the machines can also be serviced remotely, allowing direct intervention in the processes.

By making it possible to control and plan production processes centrally with a single solution and to identify and visualise deviations between planned data and actual production in real time, QONDAC offers its customers a smart entry into digital production. Their customers now work even more productively, machines are easier to keep up to date, work programmes are switched faster when needed thanks to central integration into production planning, and machines are maintained in a more targeted and efficient way. Managing globally distributed production and production sites with poor infrastructure becomes simpler.

For 150 years, Dürkopp Adler AG has stood for high-quality industrial sewing machines and enjoys worldwide recognition for them. The company's history reflects the pioneering spirit of the Bielefeld-based business, which always keeps an eye on current trends and optimises its products. Its goal is to perfect the automation of its customers' production processes and to guarantee them the greatest possible flexibility in their applications.

Textile machines such as sewing machines are usually set up within a machine pool for specific steps in the production process, but they cannot be analysed and monitored individually. Weak points in individual work steps go undetected. Digitalisation of production workflows is usually absent as well. Bottlenecks or reasons for underproduction can generally only be determined with great effort – if at all. The use of outdated work schedules and a high level of effort in order planning, particularly when re-prioritising, are common challenges.