Major Auto Manufacturer Saves $250,000 with Cybernet
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MOBIS NORTH AMERICA, LLC.
- Industry: Industrial
- Product: iOne H24
- HQ: Toledo, OH
Mobis is a company under the umbrella of the Hyundai Motor Group. They have several locations throughout the US, which are typically adjacent to a Hyundai manufacturing plants. Mobis typically manufactures specific modules for Hyundai, but in some locations they run a full assembly line. At these locations they construct the frame, engine, suspension, wheels, tires, and other components for vehicles before sending it off for body and interior work.
Challenge
Mobis uses RFID technology to identify vehicles as they move down the production line. When a vehicle gets to a certain station, an RFID reader identifies the make and model of the car and then brings up a list of components that need to be installed at that station. The operator then uses a barcode scanner to make sure the correct parts are selected before installation. In order to error proof the line, Mobis needed computers that had integrated RFID technology, had a responsive touch screen display and the necessary ports to integrate a barcode scanner. Mobis was redesigning the factory floor from the ground up, and initially had planned to install a central UPS that would connect to all computers at a cost of nearly $250,000.
The reason why Mobis was looking for a new hardware provider during the redesign was the first few manufacturers they purchased computers from had unreliable products. Mobis had constant problems with failing touch screens that weren’t industrial grade, monitor glass that fractured easily, and technical support that would take nearly a year and a half for finishing service requests. In some cases the specific operating systems that came pre-installed on different computers didn’t work well with their operations either. Other computers had expensive replacement parts that wouldn’t justify repair (or even ownership). The company was burning funds and productivity was suffering.
Solution
The Mobis IT team located Cybernet through a recommendation and were attracted to the features of the Cybernet iOne H24 all in one computer. The high-quality construction of the Cybernet iOne H24 meant their industrial-grade touch screens and internal components would last longer than the previous computers. Mobis also found Cybernet’s turn-around time for service requests was much quicker in comparison to the previous companies they were researching. The integrated RFID was a wonderful feature because they did not desire working with external RFID peripherals. The touchglass on the Cybernet iOne H24 also worked flawlessly right out of the box. But perhaps the biggest advantage that Cybernet provided was the internal UPS for each individual unit. This eliminated the need for a central UPS, saving the company close to a quarter of a million dollars right out of the gate.
Results
Mobis is now restructuring their entire shop floor and configuring all of their computer stations with Cybernet iOne H24s to make sure that every assembly line operator has their own computer. All the fielded Cybernet computers have had no problems in their shop after a year of deployment. One computer had problems working out of the box, and Cybernet’s sales and production staff worked quickly to resolve that problem—a much faster response time than competitors’ service time that Mobis is extremely pleased with. In addition to using the RFID feature for better quality control on the production line, they are also using the RFID for operator login, ensuring that the right user is at the right station at all times. The internal UPS for each unit has proved to be useful as well. Mobis produces several hundred cars a day, so being able to shave a few seconds off of production time at each station can add up to huge savings. The features of the Cybernet iOne H24 allows them to do that.
I feel better sending [a tech support email] out to the rep that knows our environment, our setup, and how we do things. Being able to get in contact with them, who then can pass it onto the quickest people to take care of that, I think is the best thing.
- Andy Gibbons, IT Director
MOBIS NORTH AMERICA, LLC.