From a simple traffic light system to a cloud-based solution

Metabo optimises its packaging workstations with WeASSIST from WERMA

The German company based in Nürtingen (Baden-Württemberg) was founded almost 100 years ago when Albrecht Schnizler built the first hand-held drilling machine. The name Metabo was derived from the German name of this metal drilling machine. Today, this traditional company employs around 2,000 employees and is a leader not only in the field of manufacturing technology, but also in the optimisation of work processes. To this end, Metabo relies on intelligent solutions to detect process problems before they occur and to optimise processes on an ongoing basis.

A look at opportunities for improvement

Tobias Weißhaar has been working at Metabo since 2010 and has already completed his apprenticeship as an industrial mechanic here. ‘After my training, I worked supplying assembly colleagues with missing material,’ says Weißhaar. ‘This gave me a good idea of the work and logistical processes. The young man was soon appointed deputy head of the assembly team, but decided to go back to school.

After successfully passing his master’s examination, an interesting new position awaited him at Metabo. As coordinator of the assembly team, he not only ensures that everything runs smoothly, but is also responsible for various projects to increase efficiency and optimise processes. ‘Since I had worked in assembly, I already knew where problems can occur in the process. This is the basis for me now to tackle each individual process step in a targeted manner in order to optimise it in the long term’.

A solution had to be found for the long waiting times.

Metabo employs more than 180 people in assembly. Tobias Weißhaar is responsible for the battery series production. Here the machines, including accessories, are mass-produced, packaged and labelled for shipment to the end customer according to individual customer wishes. ‘At the 11 packaging workstations, the basic machine is mass-produced with the corresponding accessories,’ explains Weißhaar. ‘For this purpose, the employees receive the necessary material directly from the logisticians on site.

This is precisely where the team coordinator quickly spotted considerable potential for optimisation: ‘We have assembly and packaging workstations with the best equipment and fantastic, motivated staff, but I noticed that there were always long waiting times and downtimes when material or replenishment was needed. It was clear to Weißhaar: ‘A solution had to be found, and fast.

A broomstick as a pragmatic transitional solution

The astute young employee immediately set to work looking for ways to optimise this process and reduce downtime. ‘My basic idea was for the employee to signal directly from his workstation if he needed help, replenishment or material’.

So a simple and pragmatic solution was found: ‘We glued a green card on one side and a red card on the other to a broomstick without hesitation. In this way, the employees could easily signal with the help of the traffic light principle whether everything was going well (green) or whether they had a problem or needed help (red)’.

Metabo as a major user

‘We were already familiar with WERMA, we have been using the products of this signal device manufacturer for a long time. Of course, we immediately agreed when we were offered the opportunity to test a system solution in detail on our premises’, explains Tobias Weißhaar, adding: “We could say that WeASSIST is the perfect solution for our requirements”.

Fascinated from the start

From then on, it was all very quick: ‘We said go ahead and only two days later the package arrived with everything we needed to get it up and running. As an out-of-the-box solution, the hardware and software are ready to go quickly and WeASSIST can be easily integrated into the existing structure as an upgrade solution. Thanks to the cloud solution, you have a complete overview anytime, anywhere and on any device. ‘I can immediately see at a glance where help is needed at the workplace on my smartphone, laptop or shift manager’s PC,’ says Weißhaar.

The company started with four of the 11 workstations in the area of battery series production. This first implementation was so successful that three further workstations have now been equipped with WeASSIST. ‘The WERMA solution has fulfilled all our expectations’, says Weißhaar. “I was fascinated from the very first minute, and I am still fascinated”. He adds: ‘I hope that we can continue to use the system in other Metabo departments and areas.

Process optimisation in a minute

WeASSIST is the innovative cross-industry plug-and-play solution for the complete and permanent monitoring of all production and logistics processes: cloud-based, easy to install, quick to retrofit and expandable. Whether on machines or systems, in shipping logistics or at manual workstations, WeASSIST from WERMA provides transparency digitally and in real time. This helps to identify problems before they arise and to optimise processes on an ongoing basis.

Weißhaar comments: ‘It’s just great that the system consists of software and hardware. You receive a single package and you’re up and running immediately. The technician is particularly pleased with the fact that the cloud-based solution can be installed easily and without a great deal of effort. He adds with a smile: ‘WERMA is not exaggerating when they advertise it with the slogan ’Process optimisation in a minute. I couldn’t believe how quickly WeASSIST was implemented.