With its product CONNECT|M, Marbach has a digital solution on the market with which manual die-cutting processes can be replaced by digital ones.
Packwell Schwepnitz has recently started using the CONNECT|M “Tool Management” module together with an optional work preparation station. They are very satisfied with CONNECT|M, which ensures greater process efficiency.
Technician Hans-Jürgen Eckart has been with Packwell since 2002 and is responsible for cutting-die management, which involves purchasing tools in the work preparation area. He says, “As a modern packaging company, Packwell have focused heavily on the topic of digitalization in recent years. We first became aware of the Marbach CONNECT|M solution on their online Experience Hub. Having visited Marbach, it was clear that this solution offers good starting points for us. Particularly the module Tool Management was interesting for us. We wanted a system that would digitally map our workflows for tool reorders and make them more efficient. In our previous processes, everything was done manually. We see great potential for optimisation in the digitalization of processes. Based on our requirements for such a system, we came up with the idea of combining the CONNECT|M Tool Management module from Marbach with a separate, central workstation and operating it offline. Together with Marbach, we developed this idea step by step.”
The result was a new, digital workflow that helped Packwell Schwepnitz to significantly optimise the areas of tool repairs and reorders. The new process ensures that each individual tool is checked directly after it has been used on the die-cutting machine. Following this inspection, a decision is made whether the tool can be stored directly or whether tool optimisation or reordering is necessary. Each tool is marked accordingly and documented with a photo. If reworking or reordering is necessary, the desired optimisations on the tool are stored digitally and can be considered directly when reordering. This means that every tool is perfectly optimised to suit the individual requirements and conditions on site.
Eckart continues, “We have been using the Marbach system since 1st January, and can already report successes after this short time: Thanks to the digital documentation, communication with the tool manufacturer is now much quicker and easier than before. If a tool needs to be reordered, an e-mail will automatically be sent to the work preparation department containing all the important data for a tool order in a structured format – including a photo and optimisation notes. This new process saves us more than 50% of the time for each individual tool reorder compared to the previous manual process. In addition, the structured data transfer means we have a tool quality that optimally meets our requirements. This is because the new, digitalized process ensures that every tool stored is perfectly prepared for the next order. We therefore benefit from shorter set-up times and less downtime when the next tool is used, as well as high die-cutting quality. Another advantage for us: initial evaluations shows that since using CONNECT|M, we have had to regrind far fewer nicks on the tool set-up in the die-cutting machine than before. This saves us even more machine downtime, as the nicks have to be inserted while the machine is not running. We can now use the time saved efficiently for the production of our packaging.”
Eckart concludes, “But this is just the beginning for us. CONNECT|M has further functionalities that we are not yet fully utilising. Over the next few months, we will continue to establish CONNECT|M and introduce additional functionalities such as real-time access to tool CAD data, digital delivery and invoice editing and additional automation functions. This will allow us to benefit even more from CONNECT|M.”
