Vanguard Selects Plataine's TPO WoodOptimizer™, Scheduler & Shop-floor Applications to Automate and Optimize Frame Production Processes
High Point, NC (PRWEB) May 19, 2014 -- Vanguard Furniture completes the deployment of Plataine’s WoodOptimizer™, Production Scheduler and Shop-floor solutions for automatic & optimized manufacturing in two of its five manufacturing plants at the Conover, NC.
With deployment of TPO, Vanguard management sees double-digit material savings and is able to significantly reduce their waste. Kevin Holshouser, Vice President of Operations at Vanguard, describes the benefits: "TPO helped us change the way we were operating, from design, through the nesting & cutting stages, up to the finished product. We no longer use 'static' nests but nest according to the actual inventory and thus avoid overcuts. The half sheets of plywood that we used to scrap are now being utilized, resulting in 12% material savings. With routine manual tasks now automated, we have freed up a CAD person that previously nested plywood to assist with new frames' product design. TPO’s dynamic and automated workflows helped us shift to JIT manufacturing, which helped increase machine throughput. Today's process is streamlined; work orders come from WoodOptimizer™ and are optimally scheduled by Production Scheduler with real-time view of the production floor."
Plataine's Total Production Optimization (TPO) WoodOptimizer™ enables upholstery manufacturers to quickly respond to market changes and remain viable in an increasingly competitive global environment that includes customers’ demands for made-to-order, just-in-time products at competitive prices. WoodOptimizer’s RollingNest™ automatically optimizes the placement of pieces from one or more orders on multiple sheets of plywood, resulting in material yields that are consistently higher than any other solution. By generating efficient tool paths, WoodOptimizer also improves the productivity of CNC routers and contributes to an overall automated and optimized production process. WoodOptimizer is offered Software-as-a-Service - SaaS - a fundamentally faster and more cost-effective alternative to ‘traditional’ (on premises) software installations. The SaaS model offers minimal upfront costs, faster time to value and ongoing payments that are closely coupled with the value received.
Plataine’s TPO Production Scheduler & Shopfloor applications compliment WoodOptimizer™ by optimally and automatically assigning work to the appropriate work centers and machines, delivering nests and cut-paths directly to the routers while providing manufacturing information to station operators, through user-friendly touch-screen terminals and real time progress reports.
"We are excited to be part of Vanguard's path for optimized production efficiency and higher quality control, and confident that TPO's dynamic and holistic approach will allow Vanguard's management to concentrate more on growth and to meet their customers’ needs through process automation," said Clay Bolick, Plataine's VP of Operations, North America.
About Vanguard Furniture
Vanguard Furniture, a family held company, employs over 350 associates and is currently operating out of three manufacturing buildings in Hickory, North Carolina, and a 4,000 square foot showroom in High Point, North Carolina. A fashion-driven company whose primary mission is to be a successful home furnishings leader in style, value and service with a vision to ultimately enrich lives through custom-crafted furniture. Vanguard's furniture is designed to fit the personal and creative style of home, and their collections offer distinct and varied choices in design, textures, visual interest and personalized trims, tailoring and finishes.
Vanguard's associates have embraced the methodology of Lean Manufacturing and look for continuous improvement - eliminating waste that customer is unwilling to pay for. As a founding member of the Sustainable Furniture Council, Vanguard's green initiatives include recycling 95% of all post manufacturing waste.
About Plataine
Plataine Inc. is a leading provider of production optimization software solutions for manufacturers of composite-material, wood, textile, foam and metal products. Plataine’s production optimization solutions enable manufacturers to be more competitive by increasing material utilization, improving productivity and shortening manufacturing cycles to ensure on-time delivery of products to customers. Plataine’s solutions are used by hundreds of manufacturers worldwide, including Ashley Furniture, Basset Furniture, Century Furniture, Ethan Allen, Flexsteel, Haworth, Interstate Foam & Supply, Lazar Furniture, Steelcase and more.
For more information, visit http://www.plataine.com or contact your local Plataine office.
Mrs. Avital Dotan, Plataine Technologies, http://www.plataine.com/home-aerospace, +972 3-7691109, [email protected]
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