Antolin Liban (Grupo Antolin) s.r.o.

Company Profile

Antolin Libáň, a division of the global automotive supplier Antolin International Inc., manufactures plastic parts for vehicle interiors. Based in more than 29 countries and employing more than 125 thousand people worldwide, Antolin is a global leader in its industry and regarded highly by auto makers such as Skoda, Audi, BMW, and Citroen as a parts supplier. The product portfolio includes door panels, instrument panels, arm rests, and hundreds more.

Initial Situation

The planning process for the entire enterprise used to revolve around SAP. Dealing with the incapability of the system to be able to plan complex production processes for years, management decides to arrange a new production scheduling tool. The Asprova APS production planning and scheduling system is selected to serve as a visualization tool, though almost immediately, it is designated as then main planning and assessment hub – even for the other two production sites in the Czech Republic. Roll-out commences swiftly, as Asprova is fully available in Czech.

Project Challenges and Risks

Asprova maps close to 100% of all production assets. Once an interface is created to establish connection between Asprova and the SAP ERP system, data can be collected from multiple fronts in multiple forms. This provides the basics for harmonization of manufacturing processes, based on circumstances and requirements at hand. Today, the optimal scenario has been achieved by operating the SAP ERP system, a MES, and Asprova seamlessly.

Solution

The initial implementation phase includes process analysis and optimization, after which a planning model is created and tested using real data. Asprova is then connected to the SAP ERP system. It goes without saying that highly accurate data is required in all of these steps. To achieve high-quality data, special reports are created, which enable for quick and effective modification thereof. Furthermore, Asprova is connected to the MES, to create an all-round scheduling solution that is capable of providing instant information feedback.

Aimtec is a certified Asprova partner for the region and provides software implementation assistance and utility support. In a combined effort with Antolin specialists, Asprova is implemented and tailored according to the entire manufacturing system.

Every morning, data from SAP is imported into Asprova to create a highly detailed production plan for the next two to three days: Pressing processes that supply parts “just in sequence” for assembly processes are planned. Critical pressing processes are planned next and then, finally, pressing processes with overcapacity. Capacity forecasts for the next couple of weeks, as well as schedules for operators and adjustors, are scheduled, too, after which it is exported back to the SAP ERP system and then distributed to terminals of the MES at individual machines. Operatores are able to view job queues at all times. (The MES downloads information of particular manufacturing batches and initiates manufacturing steps automatically. Results are displayed as a Gantt-Chart on LCD screens and used for further planning.)

Loading data (inventory stock levels, call-offs, production data) from SAP into Asprova takes approximately five minutes. The scheduling run itself takes around ten minutes, while loading data from SAP in the morning takes around 25 minutes.

Solution Specifics

Changes to Internal Processes

Manufacturing steps follow lot sizes issued in SAP and Asprova.

Automated Schedule Output

The production schedule is forged in Asprova and confirmed by the planner before it is exported to SAP. This responsibility is the standard procedure of the planner. All other processes are entirely automated.

Easy Error Correction

Errors can be corrected in Asprova, as opposed to SAP, before being transmitted to other systems.

Easy Production Scenario Simulation

It is possible to run simulations using imported production data. No cahgnes are made in SAP before the schedule is released, which allows for “what if-analysis” of various scenarios.

Visit Antolin