Technology plays a key role in modern engineering. In this post, Pre-Met explores how technology helps the company optimise its products and services in the following areas:
• Design and production efficiency and cost savings
• Predictive maintenance
• Technology empowers the workforce
• Tooling and quality control
• Supply chain and prototyping
• Continuous improvement, The Kaizen Way
Design and Production Efficiency and Cost Savings
Technology allows Pre-Met to optimise material use, reduce waste, and lower the environmental impact. It helps the company to refine the design of intricate stamping tools to drive down cost savings and maximise resources. In addition, Pre-Met can calculate the most efficient layouts for stamping runs with significant cost savings.
Using technology, Pre-Met can leverage historical data and material characteristics to produce optimised designs. This improves precision, reduces waste to a minimum, and boosts the overall efficiency of production.
Predictive Maintenance
Pre-Met carries out predictive maintenance algorithms that provide proactive equipment maintenance. The factory utitilises sensors that provide real-time data to help identify potential failures and carry out planned maintenance. This reduces the need for costly interruptions by spotting maintenance issues before they go wrong. Therefore, the cost of maintenance is lowered and also reduces downtime in Pre-Met’s metal stamping and metal pressing operations.
Technology Empowers The Workforce
In the media, there is a significant focus on how technology is likely to take away jobs in the future. However, advances in sheet metal fabrication technology allow workers to achieve greater efficiency, precision, and productivity,
“...does not replace human workers; rather, it augments their capabilities. By automating repetitive tasks and leveraging AI-powered insights, manufacturers empower their workforce to focus on more complex, value-added activities.” Source: Mridul Krishna Dey, 16 April, 2024.
Equally, technology training initiatives are improving the skills and technical knowledge of the workforce.
Tooling and Quality Control
Advanced technology has also been beneficial to tooling and die design. It has streamlined tooling quality in processing design elements and production variables. Also, it is possible to make tools more durable and precise. Using simulations, Pre-Met improves the process, reduce costs, and guarantee high-quality finishes.
Quality control is carried out in real time and ensures product consistency. Pre-Met has the technology to monitor the metal stamping cycle and spot flagging deviations to stop defects from occurring.
Supply Chain and Prototyping
Pre-Met maximises technology by utilising it to provide efficient supply chain management as it is able to predict demand shifts, as well as anticipate disruptions. This means the company can streamline sourcing and meet its delivery deadlines. Equally, Pre-Met’s existing technology speeds up prototyping using virtual simulations to anticipate component performance under various conditions.
Harnessing technology, Pre-Met can continuously analyse data, refine processes and make recommendations over time. This contributes to industry best practices, improving efficiency and reducing defects.
