APC Software:
Adjust your machine tools

The implementation of Ellistat APC in our manufacturing facility has enabled us to make the transition to Industry 4.0 and to smoothly reorganize our production workshop. The «APC» module is very user-friendly and easy to use, which allowed us to deploy the solution quickly. Today, six months after deploying the software in our workshops, we are seeing a reduction in production scrap and a reduction in costs associated with machine adjustments. For the first parts processed with Ellistat, we went from a PPK < 1 to a PPK ≈ 1.4, and we are now able to adjust our machines in just one part. The software has won over everyone working with the APC; in their words: «Even though Ellistat has changed the way we set up and control our machines, it’s nice not to have the stress of making mistakes when calculating offsets, whether during setup or tool changes. What’s more, we’re really seeing the benefits in terms of quality and ease of use on the shop floor.».

Equipping our workshops with Automated Process Control via Ellistat has radically changed the way we set up and operate our machines. We can now develop a new, more dynamic and efficient culture of variability control, with tangible results in terms of quality and productivity. Production staff gain real working comfort, and we can easily envisage greater complexity - the possibilities are enormous!

At our Melisey facility, the APC is integrated with LISI’s MES, and corrections are transferred directly to the multi-spindle machines. Implementation was quick, and the software is intuitive. It has impressed the LISI team with its ability to make the manufacturing process autonomous. Previously, setup required multiple iterations that consumed several parts to achieve the required level of precision. Now, a single part is sufficient. The time saved on setup by using APC amounts to approximately 75%. In January 2021, the scrap rate dropped from 3.5% to less than 0.1%. In fact, the algorithm automatically corrects the machine tool in near real time as soon as it deviates, resulting in a reduction in the scrap rate of approximately 95 %. In early 2021, the APC solution was deployed on about twenty CNC machines of different brands and generations. Deployment is quick and requires minimal hardware and investment.

All you have to do is measure the part and enter the data into the APC, which automatically applies all the corrections in a single step. This makes the employees’ work much easier. Before APC, if the deviation remained within tolerance, the setter had two options: re-center the dimension or leave it as is within acceptable limits. With APC, the dimension is always centered. We have achieved our quality goals and improved our productivity, as setup time has been reduced by approximately 50% and the company’s overall scrap rate has been reduced by about 30%.

With the implementation of APC on our fleet of multispindle lathes, we have achieved very impressive gains on several fronts: reduced machine downtime, improved OEE, and a significant decrease in the scrap rate. In addition, we have reduced our scrap rate from 4% to 1.5%, and we can extend the intervals between inspections because the software ensures stable machine performance.