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Customer story: fit for the future with Connected Manufacturing and Connected Metrology
The Hoffmann Group is revolutionising machine manufacturer Ortmanns using digital tools
Ortmanns is a machine manufacturer based in the “copper city” of Stolberg in the German Rhineland. It has always had a clear vision and has continuously invested in the future. Digitalisation was already high on the agenda back when the company was founded at the end of the 1980s. Company boss Frank Ortmanns remembers that time: “Whilst our customers were still coming to us with hand-written pieces of paper, we were already working with an early type of ERP system that we had programmed ourselves.” The driving force at the time was Ortmanns’ father. However, his son also realised the potential of digitalisation early on – in an era when other market players of a similar size were still using Excel sheets and had plainly not yet recognised the signs of the time.
The perfect Connected Manufacturing concept
A go-getter like Ortmanns, who is passionate about his work and loves improving things day by day, is very receptive to digital tools. So, at the end of 2019, the business gladly accepted an invitation from Gödde (a partner company of the Hoffmann Group) to become a pilot customer for the innovative Connected Manufacturing tool.
“Digitalisation solutions for companies of our size don’t really exist. And when you can’t invest 100,000 euros like the big companies can, then you’ve basically missed out. So it was ideal when Gödde presented the Connected Manufacturing concept to me.”
However, it took some time before the digital Connected Manufacturing solution was actually implemented. The Hoffmann Group, Gödde and Ortmanns first had to find their feet as a creative group, and the inevitable teething problems with new installations also had to be overcome. Ortmanns says: “We were initially faced with two pages full of error messages that we had to work through. In the two years that followed, a productive and creative process unfolded, which is now basically complete. Of course, we’re now talking about a totally different level of performance and I’m now delighted with the system.”
A popular solution, even among older employees
The first measurable benefits are already clear to see. It starts with the fact that the employees no longer need to search for their tools. The savings are currently five to six percent – a relatively low figure which, according to Ortmanns, “is because, in contrast to other market players, we also had a digital tool management system.” The next step now is to expand the interface so that the company can transfer programs from the ERP system directly into the CM solution. It will then be possible to send drawings or documents showing clamping set-ups as well. “We were a real driving force behind this connection,” says Ortmanns proudly, “and when it’s up and running it’ll be really fantastic.”
The employees, young and old alike, are also impressed by the possibilities of the Hoffmann Group’s innovative tools: “Our oldest employee, who is now 65 years old, also recognised the potential of Connected Manufacturing and he was immediately fired up with enthusiasm for the system. So it’s definitely gone down well.”
This is just one of many reasons why Frank Ortmanns has no hesitation in recommending the CM solution, including to other market players: “You’d be mad to miss out by not installing it, as I know how CM is set to evolve further. In two years’ time at the latest, there’ll be no choice but to use the digital tools from the Hoffmann Group. The competitive advantage you gain from them will be huge.”
Major benefits for “small” companies
The plan is to do away with the paper route cards that the company still uses soon. This will enable the employees to conserve more resources in their work because they can create drawings on the tablet attached directly above the machine control panel. It will also pave the way for much more efficient production because it will no longer be necessary to stock as many holders. According to Ortmanns, the intelligent Connected Metrology measuring equipment management solution means “I can plan my production better. And I need to stock fewer items of measuring equipment because I can organise the calibration times much more effectively.”
Last but not least, Frank Ortmanns is particularly pleased with the close collaboration with Gödde, which already spans some 20 years. One name in particular comes to mind here – Christoph Peschke: “From our perspective, he’s a reliable point of contact. Even though he isn’t a direct user of Connected Manufacturing, he knows everything about the system: you could almost say he’s helped to develop it. The collaboration is ideal and we’re always on the same wavelength when it comes to the topics we discuss.”
The collaboration with the Hoffmann Group has also really hit its stride over the past few months. The Munich-based company therefore has an important USP and can offer companies, particularly small ones, “unbelievable added value. CM has already made our lives so much easier. For me, it’s definitely become much more pleasant to manage the production outside because a lot of work has been taken off my shoulders.”
Maschinenbau Ortmanns
Maschinenbau Ortmanns was founded in 1989 and is firmly established in the fields of mechanical engineering, the food and hydraulics industry and the automotive sector. The company has sworn by state-of-the-art digital organisation systems since it was founded. This is complemented by years of experience, first-rate expertise and, above all, continuity, as it has long-standing partnerships with its suppliers that have grown over many years. Whether it’s tailor-made solutions for turning and milling parts or complete machining from a single source, whether it’s CAD/CAM programming or the production of assemblies – Ortmanns is at home in all these areas with its digital, visionary and efficient offering.