Prio-T: Successful Application of ICT on the Shop Floor in Tool and Die Industry

In recent years the digitization opened new potentials to optimize manufacturing processes by effectively linking digital technologies with employees. Today manufacturing companies throughout all industries are facing the challenge to realize those potentials. It requires a successful implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in order to maintain the competitiveness of companies. Especially manufacturing companies with small and medium sized batches, as from the tool and die industry, are confronted with substantial difficulties to apply new technologies effectively. High quantity of parts per tool, low repetition rates as well as ever interfering rush orders result in a low transparency on the shop floor as well as a time-consumable planning and adjusting of planning. In order to face the coherent lack of transparency and the ineffectiveness in planning in the tool and die industry the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production Engineering WZL of RWTH Aachen University has developed the digitized "Interactive Prioritization Table - Prio-T". Connecting the companies' planning system, with its resources and its machine operators in real time, the Prio-T displays the work in progress and optimizes transparency without complicating the day to day work. This leads to a reduction of idle times, a better involvement of employees and ultimately an optimization of the productivity by the efficient use of ICT on the shop floor.