PCI Recognized with 2019 MAPP Innovation Award

About PCI’s Lights Out Manufacturing Facility – Bunsen Drive

Lights-out manufacturing describes processes, innovative machinery, and technology implemented in facilities to carry out tasks that would normally require a human presence. Essentially, the production facility can run “lights-out” – or without significant assistance from human labor, lights, heat, and other costly business factors. Lights-out manufacturing processes also allow companies to keep facilities operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week without the need for multiple workforce shifts.

PCI’s Bunsen Drive facility has operated on a fully automated “lights-out” basis since opening in 2011. The decision to build the Bunsen Drive facility was driven by the PCI team’s desire to reduce overhead while still maintaining production. The company’s first attempt at running lights-out processes took place at the flagship Morse Drive facility, but it was soon found this move would not achieve the desired efficiencies.

“It was decided that if we were going to do lights-out manufacturing, we were going to do it right,” said Hundersmarck. “Therefore, we designed the Bunsen Drive facility under strict space limitations – ensuring we got the most efficiency out of every square foot.”

After operating for four years at peak production capabilities, 2016 marked a significant year for the Bunsen Drive facility when a 23,000-square-foot expansion was completed, doubling the expected number of cells from 20 to 40.

The PCI team believes incorporating lights-out processes is the future of manufacturing and the Bunsen Drive facility is truly one of a kind. The United States Government issued PCI a patent to validate the processes taking place within the facility. Every detail, from the lighting to the part conveyance system, has been meticulously planned. This attention to even the smallest details is what sets this facility apart from others around the world. Additionally, infrastructure expansions have paved the way for additional production presses to be added in the future.

Hundersmarck added, “What sets PCI apart from other injection molders is that we are one of the only companies to have a facility like this. To our knowledge, no other facility combines this degree of automated activity while maintaining a high production rate and low overhead.

PCI’s 2019 MAPP Innovation Award Submission

The unique approach PCI took when completing its 2019 MAPP Innovation Award submission likely played a major role in the recognition received. Instead of highlighting the function of a specific workstation, PCI broadened the focus and showcased the innovation and efficiency of the entire facility. Showcasing how space is used, the technology implemented to operate the facility in a lights-out manner, and the unique operational features were among the many attributes that set the Bunsen Drive facility apart.

Hundersmarck remarked, “The details built into our facility would be very hard to replicate, which we believe made the submission stand out to the voters. They could see the innovation incorporated into the facility and recognized the work we put in to get it that way.”

PCI’s Bunsen Drive Lights-Out Technology

PCI’s Bunsen Drive facility is a great example of the significant transformation happening in the way products are made. The digitization of manufacturing, often called Industry 4.0, represents the fourth revolution in manufacturing. Computers were introduced in Industry 3.0, and now as Industry 4.0 advances, computers are not just used in production facilities—they communicate with each other to make decisions that don’t require critical human involvement.

Within PCI’s Bunsen Drive facility, video cameras monitor the automated production so skilled engineers can observe what’s happening in the plant from the headquarters building, or anywhere using an iPad app. If something goes wrong with production, the machines detect the issue and shut themselves down.

With precision guidance, molding presses ranging from 35 to 500 tons have the ability to perform specific repetitive actions without variation and adapt to different part types using intelligence-based features. Additionally, acquiring a five-ton crane now allows the facility to house larger machines.

Other standout technology features include the use of a coordinate measuring machine (CMM)—a device that measures the physical geometric characteristics of an object, and in PCI’s manufacturing application—plastic parts. The device is often used in manufacturing to qualify or inspect a part against the design intent. PCI has also invested over $1.2 million with RJG eDart® to boost molding and operational capabilities. RJG eDart process control systems are used on all of PCI’s injection molding presses. This system has helped reduce scrap rates and processing time, while allowing technicians to actively monitor job performance and process variation.