Kenard Engineering - Manufacturing Systems

We recognise the importance of operating a synchronised IT environment; linking the shop floor directly to the business activities in order to execute the manufacturing process more effectively and efficiently.

The manufacturing process is optimised using integrated manufacturing systems that start in the planning office utilising core software solutions which include Pro Engineer, Alpha Cam, Vericut, Seiki Graphical Scheduler, in conjunction with the Kenard developed award winning KIDS - Kenard Information and Data Collection System (ERP).

VisualFAIR® software is used to effectively manage the First Article Inspection process to ensure that the manufacture and testing of products is in accordance with approved quality assurance, procedures and test schedules. The software is designed to enhance the manufacturing process by eliminating waste, reducing lead times and the total cost of manufacture.

Kenard Engineering utilises the KIDS information system to provide all the necessary data, to enable machines to be efficiently utilised and new jobs to be set and produced with minimal delay.

The Seiki Scheduler interrogates the KIDS database, acquiring information on all the work required by customers. The route plans and time allocation are fed to the scheduling software which then allocates jobs to each work centre according to scheduling rules, current workloads and available capacity. The system provides a high level of visibility and control as it monitors the progress of the machine tools as each item is completed. The Scheduler displays in real time the work allocation for each resource including part numbers, individual operations, due dates and forecast finish dates, providing an accurate picture of the current state of production on which to base key planning decisions.

We utilise a complete shop floor system to electronically distribute and collect all manufacturing process data in order to achieve greater production efficiency and resource utilisation. Terminals by each machine create a paperless manufacturing environment by providing the operators with all the information they require for each CNC operation. The operator can simply click on the next job on his or her work queue to access Route Cards, production drawings, digital photographs and written documents. The software ensures that only up to date manufacturing data is used.

All the machine tools are monitored to provide comprehensive performance analysis. The system runs 24 hours a day with no intervention, feeding and retrieving information to and from the shop floor. This information is then distributed throughout the organisation upon which improvement strategies are based and business growth and investment decisions are made.

Information from the machine tools and the scheduler is fed back into the company database providing not only comprehensive traceable history of all the processes carried out but also customers can receive accurate data on the progress of their orders.