How QA Supervisor with TN8 Improves Quality and Maintenance
Smart Integrated Assembly is a concept that aims to optimize the production process by using digital tools and data analysis. One of the benefits of Smart Connected Assembly is that it enables more effective quality and maintenance audits of the tools and joints involved in the assembly. In this article, we will explain how Smart Integrated Assembly achieves this goal by using synergies between QA Supervisor and ToolsNet 8.
Maintenance scheduled according to the actual tool cycles
Traditionally, the interval between one audit and another is normally scheduled based on time. However, this may not reflect the actual usage and wear of the tools. A tool that is used more frequently or on more demanding joints may require more frequent maintenance than a tool that is used less often or on less critical joints.
An important step in the Smart Integrated Assembly direction is the inspection of tools based on the actual cycles performed. The maintenance will be more effective as dynamically evaluated based on the actual number of tightening operations performed. This way, the tools can be maintained at the optimal condition and avoid unexpected failures or malfunctions.
Bad trends of data collected in production trigger quality audits
Quality audits are regularly planned according to the tool characteristics and joint criticality. However, unexpected events can always happen and affect the quality of the joints. For example, a change in the material, temperature, or lubrication of the joint can cause variations in the torque or angle of the tightening operation. These variations can lead to under-tightening or over-tightening of the joint, which can compromise the safety and performance of the product. Thanks to ToolsNet 8, some of these events can be intercepted and corrected in time. ToolsNet 8 is monitoring the production process and applying statistical process control (SPC) to the data collected from the tools. SPC is a method that uses statistical techniques to analyze the variation in the process and detect any deviations from the normal range. If ToolsNet 8 detects an SPC violation, it shares the SPC NOK (not OK) with QA Supervisor in real time, triggering immediately additional inspections on the specific application for verification.
Joint report combining production and quality audits data
The Joint report is an analysis that includes all the steps related to a specific bolt, from the analysis done collecting the results during the production, to the results coming from the test of the tool with QA equipment on the actual bolt or using the joint simulation, to the joint audit performed with an STwrench. The bolt report provides a comprehensive overview of the quality of the joint and the performance of the tool. The value for the customer is having a complete report of all the aspects of the full manufacturing chain. The bolt report can help the customer to identify and solve any issues that may affect the quality of the product, such as faulty tools, incorrect settings, or defective joints. The bolt report can also help the customer to optimize the production process by reducing waste, rework, and downtime.
To find out more about how synergies between QA Supervisor and TN8 improves quality and maintenance, contact us yet today!