ZOLLER | MAGAZINE 2019

50 Z.magazine 2019 F I EL D REPORT S IM AU TOMAT I ON Special Machinery Operator Heilbad Heiligenstadt SIM Automation GmbH has manufactured special-purpose machines for 60 years, focusing on developing and manufacturing customer-specific and customized complete solutions. The company’s services include process development, project management, and constructing turnkey ready assembly systems, handling, testing, and inspection systems, and complete production lines using highly modern production and testing technology and SIM’s proprietary feeding and sorting technology. Reliably providing and mounting even the smallest components with high speed and precision poses technical challenges only a few system manufacturers can consistently handle. Over 240 highly-qualified and motivated employees at the Heilbad Heiligenstadt location keep the company’s customers satisfied. www.sim-automation.de SIMPLE OPERATIONS ARE A BENEFIT WITH THE SHORTAGE OF SKILLED WORKERS The simple operation of the ZOLLER tool management system made it easy to introduce. All of the employees are on board with the change, but it is especially impressive how quickly young employees and interns at SIM learned how to operate the system. Norman Hempe, Head of Quality Assurance and Operative Change Manager, has been happy with the transition: “I could train a holiday worker who had been there for two weeks so well in one afternoon that he could complete tasks using the ZOLLER system with no further training – even measure tools and handle and manage set-up sheets. He didn’t need to be a professional machinist. In my opinion it’s so simple to operate because the ZOLLER system reviews compliance with the tolerances saved in the system during measuring, ensuring a reliable process. You almost can’t mess it up.” In the past, these tasks were reserved for the most experienced employees, as they were the only ones able to repeatably and accurately complete them. Today the application is simple and can be operated by any authorized employee. ACHIEVING MORE THROUGH COMMON GOALS When SIM was introducing tool management and developing the interfaces, one major benefit was that they didn’t have to start with requirement specifications and manuals and define all the interfaces themselves. Instead, ZOLLER was able to use its past experience with different systems to present solutions right away. SIM was then able to adopt these directly, with very few exceptions. What does SIM plan to do next? The company wants to implement an RFID chip solution with ZOLLER to make login easier. They want to re- place the login window on the screen, which requires the user to select their name and type a password, with an RFID chip login. This RFID chip solution can now control user rights for every employee, allowing the system to monitor and ensure certain tasks can only be carried out by authorized employees. Visibly satisfied with optimized production processes: Michael Trebing, SIM Production Area Manager (r.), and Norman Hempe, SIM Mechanical Production (l.).