Initial situation and objective
• Up until this point , skilled workers had assembled terminal strips directly in the control cabinet .
• The assembly of the terminal strips was based on printed production documents .
• The terminal block assembly process needed to be made more efficient and more ergonomic for the skilled workers .
Procedure
• The individual process steps for producing the terminal strips were recorded in a value stream analysis .
• With the help of cardboard engineering , a prototype production line including software-supported worker assistance was set up with the focus on ergonomic and fast assembly .
• Based on this prototype , the workstation system and the worker assistance software for the creation of terminal strips were developed further in close collaboration .
Results of process optimization
Increased productivity Worker assistance noticeably speeds up production processes , as the terminal strips can now be produced decoupled from the rest of the control cabinet .
Reduced production times By centralizing terminal strip assembly , it has now also been possible to considerably reduce search , run , and idle times .
Simple process flow The workstation solution that was developed , including worker assistance software , provides quick and easy guidance through the entire terminal strip creation process .
Improved ergonomics The ergonomically optimized workstation eases the workload of employees in many ways , e . g ., through short reaching distances .
Phoenix Contact 11