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Mecafi
- MES
- Aerospace
- Dematerialization
- Industry
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Interview with Grégory Huyart,
Special Processes Sector Manager at Mecafi
"MES has transformed our workshop leaders into real team builders"
Produces 70,000 pieces per year
An increased need for traceability
Complete digitization of production monitoring
OBJECTIVES
- Reliability of a large production volume
- Digitize all production monitoring
- Adapt the MES to the specifics of the company's processes
Mecafi
Mecafi, a Nextam Group company, specializes in high-speed machining of engine parts. During the production of the LEAP engine, which equips, among others, the Airbus A320 Neo or the Boeing 737 Max, Safran entrusted Mecafi with a large part of the production of the aluminum stator blades of these new-generation engines.
To ensure the traceability of the production of these parts, Mecafi has deployed CIMAG MES Production.
Back on the implementation of the software with the testimonial of Grégory Huyart, head of the special processes sector and MES referrer within Mecafi.
New Production Unit, New Requirements
Faced with the great success of the LEAP engine generation, the order book quickly became overloaded. Safran and Mecafi then agreed in 2015 on the construction of a new production unit dedicated to the manufacturing of rectifier blades for LEAP motors.
“We faced a big challenge: switching to a new type of product, with very large volumes to manufacture. The new site allowed us to receive the material at the same place and carry out all processing operations (around twenty) until the finished product was obtained.
“With the production speed (more than 60,000 parts to be manufactured at the top of the curve), the requirements of control and traceability are the most important. The questioning of our production and monitoring methods has proved to be decisive in the success of this manufacturing. Faced with the volume of production, our batch operation was not optimal. We started the project in One Piece Flow and for that, we needed a suitable tool.”
It therefore appeared essential for Mecafi to acquire an MES capable of optimizing the manufacturing and traceability processes for their new production unit.
The Automation Serves Mankind
“From the matrix analysis of MES competitors that were able to meet our needs, it emerged that CIMAG Production was the one that best met our specifications. The decisive factors were financials, vis-a-vis the specific developments to be carried out, the customer references that Alpha-3i and IMCO presented in aeronautics, and the possibility of visiting the production sites already equipped with the software.
“Our MES approach was above all to secure operators: to have a data acquisition tool that allows us to put quality locks. When a non-conforming part is declared, or when a part has not been removed, production stops automatically.”
Optimized Management Thanks to Computerization
“Traceability of the WO (Work Order) is maximized with computerization. The operator scans a paper document which will be transmitted directly to his control screen. We
“remove all risks of manual entry. All production record and all machine process are made available to employees and are archived.
“We went from a WO of about twenty sheets to a simple A4 sheet. This represents a savings of a 500 foot high ream of paper!
“Workshop managers no longer have to worry about paperwork, they can make themselves much more available to their teams to become real team-builders. The operator, on the other hand, no longer needs to go and look for a paper to see when an inspection must be carried out; the tool simplifies his life by directly telling him all the steps to follow.”
Maximum Visibility of the Entire Production
“The MES was implemented in packages. The tool installed at Mecafi required specific developments: a unitary WO and functionalities for sending programs with adapted control frequencies. The elements of development by Alpha-3i and IMCO Software were tested offline, then integrated into an operation. Once the first operating loop was developed, deployment to all machining operations took place in one week.
“The MES solution has made it possible to optimize the work of our employees. Information is captured in real time and immediately transferred. The workshop managers have visibility at all times of the entire shop floor. It’s every producer’s dream!”
BENEFITS
- Maximum visibility of production for workshop managers
- The digitization of the WO, which saves paper
- Better coordination between operators and workshop managers