Davy PILLET is Vincent TOURAINE's guest on the TV set of BFM Business to present the solution APC - Automated Process Control of Ellistat:
Enabling manufacturers to optimize their manufacturing processes through statistical data analysis is the area of expertise of Davy PILLET founder of ELLISTAT. Set up in 2017 in Annecy, the company now has around twenty employees.
What is Industry 4.0?
To approach Industry 4.0, it's essential to look back at the previous revolution: Industry 3.0. Industry 3.0 marked the introduction of robots into industrial processes, automating tasks that had previously been performed manually by operators. The 4th industrial revolution in which we find ourselves today is characterized by the interconnection of systems (see article on interconnectivity in industry). Systems communicate seamlessly with each other, and are able to make autonomous decisions without human intervention, thanks to artificial intelligence and Machine Learning algorithms.
How does APC work?
APC stands for Automated Process Control or SPC 4.0. This concept is aimed at companies in the machining sector. With Ellistat, machine tools are able to correct themselves and create a closed loop. To take a more concrete example, we can easily draw a parallel with the automotive industry: just as autonomous cars are becoming more and more widespread, at Ellistat we are the automatic piloting of machine tools with our APC software.
What makes the APC solution stand out from the crowd?
We deliver significant savings to companies, averaging €20,000 per year per machine. Depending on the type of production and the size of production runs, we can act in different ways:
- For small production runs, the APC will improve set-up. We set up the machine tool in a single piece, thus increasing machine uptime.
- For large production runs, we drastically reduce the scrap rate, dividing it by 10. For example, a scrap rate of 2% can be reduced to 0.2% with the implementation of Automated Process Control, which represents a real change of scale in terms of productivity.
Who is the APC solution for?
Our APC solution is designed to suit all company sizes, from SMEs to large industrial groups, in the machining field.
- For SMEs, where systems are often less connected, we supply the necessary corrections directly to operators. This reduces dependence on specialized technical skills, which is particularly crucial in a context of shortage of skilled labor (especially in the Arve Valley region of France). By implementing APC on the shop floor, we boost operators' efficiency by simplifying operations, unifying the way they correct the machine and freeing up their time.
- For larger groups with more substantial resources, we offer the possibility of fully automating production lines. At one of our customers, for example, we have a line that runs for a week without any human intervention. It's almost science fiction!
