Optimized throughput provides additional competitive advantage

Produce a wide variety of parts in limited quantities, yet be able to present unlikely lead times. Sounds contradictory? Yet it is the reality with which Metaalcenter Driessen deservedly won the 'Smart Manufacturing Award' last year. A reward for the permanent pursuit of new and optimized processes and production possibilities, in which deflashing specialist Q-Fin was allowed to play a prominent role.

Antal Driessen is business manager at Metaalcenter Driessen in Weert (NL), and explains the company's core activities: "As a supplier of machined steel and non-ferrous metals, we mainly reach the typical OEM customers, to whom we supply both loose parts and pre-assembled pieces. We can also do so in multiple levels of finishing, such as powder coated, anodized, galvanized, or chrome-plated." In figures, Driessen processes approximately 70% steel, 20% stainless steel, and 10% aluminum. 

Metaalcenter Driessen has now been active in the industry for 28 years, where logistical efficiency in particular proved to be the key to success. 

Antal Driessen: "All of our products are scanned as standard, which allows us to maintain full transparency in terms of the throughput, and possible bottlenecks become immediately visible. This kind of traceability means that every product is not only traced internally; it can be followed until it is delivered to the customer. We know from the beginning to the end of the process where the piece is, and even whether it is packed, loaded or unloaded."

Sixty percent time savings

For Driessen, lead times represent both a quality and a business indicator with a very large weighting factor. Thus, an average of over 60% of time was gained, and this by making the most of the QRM.

Says Driessen, "This has had a gigantic impact on the overall operation of our company: after all, you have equivalent fewer pieces on the shop floor, less inventory is needed, and most importantly, you get more overview in your business." 

The company can now fill those time savings with more orders without creating a single bottleneck within the entire production line. "Bottlenecks have the nasty property of moving around all the time. For that reason, I only accept the bottleneck that is in front of the door, because it can be eliminated by using additional transporters, so you still get the products to the customer," Driessen said.

The Q-Fin factor

Metaalcenter Driessen has been working with Q-Fin for about seven years. The starting point was the company's determination to deliver its sheet metal products to the customer with the best quality and therefore finished. In order to provide maximum support for the Q-Fin deflashing line, a responsible person was appointed within the company. In this way, maintenance and service of the deflashing line are optimally monitored and quality assurance is guaranteed. Driessen currently has seven Q-Fin machines, including three deburring machines, in widths of 200, 600 and 1200mm, two wet-acting extractors for safe extraction of the released grinding dust, and two SkipJoints for removing microjoints. 

Driessen: "The added value of Q-Fin within our story lies mainly in the high degree of finishing, the ease of operation, and the adjustability of the machines, while the operation itself has no obstructive effect on the flow of our product. After all, this finishing phase is a relatively simple operation with great impact. In fact, since the introduction of the Q-Fin deburring, we can deliver a much better product quality."