In the ramp-up phase of a new assembly line, start-up problems such as high reject rates or unstable cycle times are not uncommon. Their causes need to be identified and eliminated quickly. PIA used the piaOptimum software application to support the ramp-up phase of a production line for electric motors at automotive supplier ZF's Schweinfurt site. With the help of the tool, sources of error were identified in a targeted manner and the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) was significantly increased.

Particularly in complex lines with many stations, including robot cells, automatic stations, and manual stations, the processes between man and machine must first be carefully coordinated. However, it is often difficult to identify the exact sources of interference. piaOptimum helps to make these visible thanks to comprehensive data acquisition, analysis, and processing.

An interdisciplinary team of PIA experts and specialists from ZF scrutinized the entire line with piaOptimum. Michael Juwan, Global Expert PIA4.0 at PIA Automation Austria, describes the procedure: "With piaOptimum, which records the most important data from the line and prepares it transparently and comprehensibly, errors were clearly identified. We then evaluated them: Where are there problems and bottlenecks? When and why do they occur? What losses do they cause? This made it easier to prioritize them, assign them to the right team, and work on them." piaOptimum can record every ancillary process at a station in great detail down to sub-cycle level and detect fluctuations and anomalies.