Overview

Schattdecor – Digital data center brings transparency

Heterogeneous IT landscapes, manual data collection and multiple system breaks do not fit in with the aspirations of Industry 4.0, so leading surface specialist Schattdecor decided to map its processes digitally and transparently. Schattdecor has been using the Manufacturing Execution System top MES since 2014 and benefits from consistent real-time data that increases efficiency and quality.

Schattdecor is probably only known to a few people by name. Yet its products are omnipresent: on laminate flooring, worktops and desktops, on kitchen fronts and cupboards – many millions of people come into contact with the decors from the Bavarian surface specialist every day. Schattdecor is a hidden champion in the truest sense of the word. Founded in 1985 in Thansau near Rosenheim, the company now develops and produces its printed, impregnated and finished decor papers at 15 locations worldwide.

The rise from a small decor printing company to global market leader was also made possible by two principles: recognizing design trends at an early stage and manufacturing products to the highest quality standards. For example, decors for laminate flooring must have the colors and textures of natural-looking surfaces and at the same time be extremely abrasion-resistant and lightfast. The promise of quality to demanding customers can only be fulfilled by systematically checking the production steps and the finished decors.

Insights with a time delay

In the past, however, quality assurance was a time-consuming business. In Schattdecor’s impregnation plants, for example, the decor paper runs through hundreds of meters of equipment with numerous measuring points. The paper is unwound from huge rolls and passed through several resin dipping tanks and dried in a multi-stage process. It is then cut into sheets and stacked on pallets. It is important for quality that the appearance and various chemical and physical properties are monitored throughout the entire process.

Previously, the workers on the store floor recorded the values manually at the machines and entered them on paper forms. A separate specialist department then had the task of manually transferring all production data to SAP ERP. “The time required was immense,” recalls Jens Wolfrum, IT project engineer at Schattdecor. “We collected process times, weights, quality data and other data in order to evaluate the order internally and for the customer. But we were only able to use this data for ourselves after a time delay – as long as our colleagues’ handwriting was legible.”

Transparency instead of system failure

The time-consuming administration of the processes was disproportionate to the benefits achieved by Schattdecor. “And the system breaks made the data more prone to errors,” says project manager Wolfrum. There was also a lack of transparency in order to benefit from the information obtained across system and departmental boundaries. Jens Wolfrum: “If problems occurred somewhere in production – for example, if a quality value was not met – the cause could only be researched retrospectively and with great effort.”

In addition, heterogeneous IT landscapes were used at the locations. In some cases, a combination of Excel and Access was used to plan production or monitor consumption – and neither solution was fully integrated into the ERP. When Schattdecor took over an impregnation plant in Brazil in 2013, it wanted to break new ground. The Brazilian plant already had a production data acquisition (PDA) system in place. However, the PDC also lacked a connection to the SAP ERP. A consistent and sustainable strategy was not in sight without the implementation of an MES.

Smooth implementation

For Schattdecor, there was an additional aspect: “In order to manufacture some of our products efficiently, it is important to optimize waste. So we looked to see which of the suppliers had experience in this and who could offer both from a single source.” The project team held concept workshops and had the various solutions presented to them. Jens Wolfrum: “The interface-free SAP integration, the flexible PDA and finally the expertise in the paper processing industry ultimately led to the decision in favor of top MES.”

The implementation of the new solution was based on a division of labour: ABAB programmers from Schattdecor made adjustments in SAP ERP – top flow took care of the desired customizations in top MES. “To ensure a smooth transition for our employees on the store floor, we wanted to partially adopt the look and feel of the old PDA. This worked out well and an optional touch screen capability makes the solution future-proof,” says Jens Wolfrum. “Several of top flow’s strengths became apparent during the realization and implementation: Industry knowledge, flexibility and contact persons who are always available.”

Quality gains with reliable data

With the introduction of top MES, Schattdecor has now achieved transparency across all production processes: Order data can be viewed live and regardless of location – materials can be recorded and their consumption tracked in real time. Jens Wolfrum sees a decisive advantage: “We now have a central system that bundles, visualizes and monitors all important quality values.” A test plan specifies fixed process parameters and target values for chemical/physical properties. If the tolerance range is exceeded, the system sends automated messages so that employees can intervene. As top MES also evaluates trends, proactive action can now also be taken. In this way, the surface specialist minimizes rejects and downtimes.

Schattdecor’s quality management also benefits from the consistent documentation of all values: If certain physical specifications are tied to the customer order, the system can monitor compliance and print out the corresponding test certificates straight away. Where previously calculations and comparisons were made to detect typing errors or inconsistencies, Schattdecor now relies on the plausibility check stored in the rules and regulations. “We save an enormous amount of time, always have reliable and consistent information, and the visualization provides the workers with an overview and feedback on all quality data,” says the project manager.

The Schattdecor team is particularly pleased with a development that was not necessarily planned thanks to top MES: “With MES and production data acquisition, we have largely standardized our processes. This makes our various plants much easier to compare and has also significantly improved communication between the plants.”

“top MES makes our processes transparent. This enables us to continuously increase the efficiency of our work and the quality of our products. That’s why we have long been working on further MES projects with top flow.”

Jens Wolfrum, IT project engineer at Schattdecor

 

Success Story top MES – Schattdecor AG



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Overview