This is the mindset that makes Körber stand out. It anticipates future developments and addresses them early on in order to provide customers with the right added value. Boosting efficiency in production: Above all, Körber is creating a work environment in which employees can fully develop their creativity and commitment for the benefit of the customers.
Avoiding errors, reducing costs
About 180 employees work in Joinville. The factory halls are large and bright. Daylight streams through the skylights. Gilberto Arndt, the assembly process coordinator, points to two hydraulic cylinders that are used to lift the enormous paper feed rollers. “We developed them together with a Brazilian supplier,” he says. About 60 percent of the components installed here were produced in Brazil — most of them by manufacturers located around Joinville, Brazil’s fourth-largest industrial center. That results in cost savings of 25 to 40 percent per component and avoids delays due to customs. “We’re always on the lookout for ways to become more efficient,” says Arndt.
Digital Tissue is part of the digital offensive of Körber, which is taking it in the direction of the smart factory. In Joinville, many digitization projects are in the preparation stage or have already begun. They also include the Material Tracking System and Skynet, which are designed to ensure that each work material is lying in exactly the right place. These systems also make it possible to check the production status of every machine in real time, so that additional components for the assembly process can be ordered promptly. At their work stations, the assembly workers can see on their tablets which components have already been delivered, and can plan their work accordingly. In the past, they spent 15 percent of their working time searching for information. This time has now been freed up for production.