42Q, a provider of cloud manufacturing execution systems, says Sanmina has reached a milestone of connecting more than 25,000 pieces of manufacturing equipment to the 42Q internet of things cloud solution.
Sanmina Corporation uses 42Q for real-time manufacturing visibility, process and quality control across their operations and as the backbone for “instant IoT” and manufacturing automation initiatives.
The organization currently has 42Q deployed in more than 50 factories in 15 countries worldwide, including full integration with highly complex surface mount production and “lights out” fully automated production lines.
Srivats Ramaswami, CTO, 42Q, says: “Sanmina developed and used an advanced on-premise MES for many years, but this system had high hardware and maintenance costs.
“They needed a solution to connect all of their facilities and equipment for management and control in real time.
“The company made a strategic decision to adopt a cloud based MES that can be used by Sanmina and its customers.
“With 42Q, Sanmina now has real-time factory and supply chain visibility, providing executives with the data they need to make smart decisions.”
Industry 4.0 and the IIoT initiatives are central to digital factory transformation and provide a framework for linking production, automation and analytics.
The convergence of low-cost storage and sensors, powerful artificial intelligence and analytics, widespread adoption of software as a service and the cloud, promises an intelligent interaction of the real and virtual worlds – with huge impact for global supply chains and manufacturing.
However, many are asking if these initiatives are real, gaining traction, or just hype.
Furthermore, people often ask what the value or return on investment is of these initiatives, and if they are being embraced and advanced by leading companies.
The results achieved with more than 25,000 pieces of equipment connected to the cloud is proof that the combination of the cloud, IIoT and 42Q significantly improve global supply chain visibility, real time production control and operating efficiency.
Making more than 200 million top level assemblies for hundreds of customers in 2016, Sanmina reconfigures production lines daily and manages a large number of engineering and scheduling changes each week.
Over a period of 20 years, Sanmina developed an advanced on-premise MES to manage its factories and meet customer demands for agility and quality.
Five years ago, Sanmina recognized the potential of a true cloud MES solution, and its impact on real time global supply chain and factory management.
With 42Q, Sanmina Corporation has a system that synchronizes their production, warehouse and quality processes for over 50 factories and a global multi-tiered supply chain.
The system creates a virtual representation, or “digital twin” of their operations, providing unmatched real-time visibility into all aspects of its business.
For example, in hundreds of production lines around the world, work in process, production rates and yields are monitored by 42Q in real-time.
Real-time text alerts are sent to production staff automatically when key business indicators fall below a programmed threshold.
For some production lines, raw material levels are continuously monitored by 42Q, and guided vehicles deliver components from automated warehouses to replenish workstations.
Alerts are automatically sent to production staff to be at that workstation when the guided vehicle arrives.
Manesh Patel, CIO, Sanmina, says: “Leveraging 42Q’s cloud-based MES platform to connect automated production lines, supply chain systems, and the plant floor has led to dramatic improvements in our business operations. Teams now make decisions more quickly, based upon real-time data.
“With more than 25,000 devices connected around the world, our manufacturing teams are automatically notified of any production parameters running below target.
“Quality personnel have confidence in production lines that use forced routings and components that are scanned and verified.
“42Q can also verify the electronic training records for production staff when they badge scan or log into their workstation.”
42Q delivers a cloud-based MES solution which operates between an enterprise resource planning system and the manufacturing equipment in a factory, enabling simpler and more cost effective implementation of a smart factory and Industry 4.0.
