Industry
High-tech and electronics: digital projection and imaging devices.
Customer story · High-tech and electronics
Barco: 14 variants per workstation, one standard way to build.
Barco orchestrates production with SAP ERP and SAP Manufacturing Execution. Arkite adds the operator layer: step-by-step guidance for every variant, smart tool control and work step feedback to SAP ME.
Last updated
At a glance
Project summary
Process
Complex manual assembly with up to 14 product variants per workstation.
Setup
Arkite 3D sensor and projector above each workstation.
Integration
SAP ERP, SAP ME, smart tools, barcode scanning.
The challenge
Complex assembly with a steep learning curve
Barco, founded in 1934 in Poperinge, Belgium, develops networked visualization solutions for the entertainment, enterprise and healthcare markets. Its assembly processes are complex, and up to 14 product variants can be built at the same workstation.
That variety created a steep learning curve. Operators needed extensive training to become fully operational, temporary staff were hard to integrate, and even experienced operators produced a significant amount of scrap and rework.
Barco already orchestrated the shop floor with SAP ERP Production Planning and SAP Manufacturing Execution. The systems decided what to build and when. The pressure to assemble faster and with higher quality still rested on the operator.
The solution
Guidance, error prevention and standard work at every station
Barco installed an Arkite 3D sensor and a projector above each workstation. At the start of an order, the operator selects which of the 14 variants to build. Arkite then projects variant-specific instructions onto the workbench and highlights the area where the next action takes place.
Operators no longer need to memorize the full process or keep track of the variant in their head. Every operator receives the same instructions in the same order, so the product is always assembled the same way, independent of who builds it.
- Variant-specific, step-by-step projected instructions
- Colored error projection when a task is done at the wrong time or place
- Smart tools such as electric screwdrivers disabled outside the correct step
- Torque and tool feedback used to validate each tightening
Implementation
How Arkite and SAP ME work together
- 01
Scan the part
Before a part is used, the operator scans its barcode.
- 02
Check the bill of materials
SAP ME checks whether the part belongs to the bill of materials for the selected variant. After approval, assembly continues.
- 03
Guide and validate
Arkite guides each step. Smart tools communicate over OPC, are only enabled in the correct sequence and report back whether the expected torque was reached.
- 04
Report completion
Each completed work step is reported back to SAP ME. SAP ME monitors stock and triggers procurement in SAP ERP as safety stock is approached.
- 05
Monitor
Shop floor managers see the real-time status of each assembly and the history of each operator's process in SAP ME.
Results
What Barco achieved
Training time reduced by more than 50%
Operator guidance cut the training time by more than half, and temporary staff can now be integrated in production.
Less scrap and rework
Forward-looking error warnings and smart tool interlocks drastically reduced scrap and rework in manual assembly.
Standardized, transparent assembly
Every product is built the same way, and each stage and operator is traceable through SAP ME.
Thanks to the smooth integration, I can track each stage and worker along the entire assembly process, while my workers get interactive guidance. I would be more than happy to recommend it, it definitely increased transparency on the shop floor.
Next step: variant-specific work steps from SAP ME
In the documented implementation, one product with multiple variants is built per workspace. The next step is to assemble multiple products, each with multiple variants, at a single workspace by any operator, with SAP ME sending guidance work steps tailored to the combination of product, variant and operator.
Connect your MES to the operator
See how Arkite turns MES orders into guided, validated execution at the workstation.