ERP software avoids duplication

ERP software automatically develops documentation, from quotation to order right through to delivery note and invoice, and avoids an older system's duplication said a tooling manufacturer.

Within the nacelle of a wind turbine there are sets of bearings in the drive-train that allow the transfer of the rotation of the blades via a gearbox back to the generator There is also a large bearing fitted at the base of each blade where it is attached to the hub

These allow the pitch of the blade to be trimmed according to wind conditions, to maximise energy extraction and stop any torque overload during high winds.

Such has been the uptake in this renewable source of energy that globally there is a shortage of the large diameter special bearings required.

As a supplier to the companies that manufacture these bearings, Sheffield, UK-based Pen Cutting Tools is constantly under pressure to deliver.

Established in 1963, the company's managing director, John Shaw, explained: "Many of the bearing suppliers are investing heavily to support renewable energy projects, with wind and wave power generation being the most favourable at present.

There is currently a world shortage of the large bearings typically used in wind turbine equipment.

These bearings can go up to a staggering 4m in diameter and there is currently a three-year wait for any large diameter bearings".

To keep pace with demands Pen Cutting Tools has expanded its own production facilities building on from traditional milling, turning and grinding the company now has high-speed milling, 5-axis wire erosion and die sinking machines.

All of these processes are used to finish parts from engineering plastics, tungsten carbide, diamond and hardened steel.

And, it's not just the capital equipment that has seen investment to improve productivity.

* ERP avoids duplicity - one of the company's key purchases, said Shaw, has been its Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) manufacturing software bought from Seiki Systems.

Shaw said that the Seiki Systems ERP system replaced a 15 year old manufacturing system.

Shaw explained: "We had a new IT hardware system installed with a networked server followed by the Seiki Systems software." Apparently, Pen Cutting Tools was one of the first companies in the UK to install the Seiki Systems ERP software.

A full training package was provided to help the company get up to speed as quickly as possible.

According to Shaw the amount of time saved in the front office by the software is incredible.

He said: "From the data I input, the software automatically develops documentation in a logical way, from quotation to order right through to delivery note and invoice.

It avoids the duplication that was taking place with our old system, keeping the whole process as streamlined as possible".

As the company runs mainly small batches, the quoting process can be a bottle-neck for the 25-strong company, with 22 of the staff working in production on the shopfloor.

However, the search facility within the software allows similar jobs to be found and essential information, such as margins, hours booked and so on, viewed before any new quotes are provided.

Shaw added: "Searching the many jobs that have been loaded on the system, within a couple of minutes I can get a good feel for the process time required for a job.

Then I only need to update the material price.

It requires far less running around to track down the information".

He continued: "The margin figure was set up for us by Seiki Systems.

After we told them how we worked it out, they duplicated that in the system.

It helps to highlight any jobs that were taken on at too low a price and allows you to quote more accurately the next time".

* Quick turnround - although accurately costing the wide variety of tooling required to produce tightly tolerance bearings is vital to the company's profitability, a quick turnaround is also important.

The lead time from design to production of a bearing used to take four to five months.

The target now is to do it in eight to 10 weeks, including prototyping and tooling for production.

This is not easy when the material specified can have a three to five week lead time.

To avoid any material-specific delays, consignment stocks of wear parts and consumable tooling is held at the customer or by Pen Cutting Tools.

This is charged when the stock is used and has helped the company win a number of contracts - running as a Kanban system for solid carbide shoes, hot forging tools and so on.

A significant amount of raw materials is also held.

Shaw said that he was aware that the company did not use every aspect of the ERP software but he said it's very flexible and the elements which are used provide more than enough benefits.

He exampled: "I can now track our turnover as invoices are issued, on an hourly basis if I want, this is something we have never been able to do".

Shaw continued: "Previously it would have been an end of week updated figure.

The dynamic data allows us to alter what we are doing to stay on top of the business.

It also keeps historical data so that we can track peaks and troughs to help us address issues that occur throughout the year".

* Scheduling - Pen Cutting Tools will be looking at Seiki Systems scheduling system soon to help manage the machine loading on the shopfloor.

And, if it is as flexible as the ERP software and able to fall in-line with how the company has to work with its customers it may well be the next investment the company makes.

Shaw concluded: "From our point of view it has been an excellent investment, support has been first class.

Seiki Systems makes sure we run smoothly and any issues we have with the system are address remotely, which saves time.".


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