New Vector Range of Automated Cutting Solutions

Coindu drives production with Lectra’s new-generation VectorAutoMX9 automated cutting solution

Founded near Porto, Portugal in 1988, Coindu is a supplier of leather and fabric seat covers and accessories for major global automobile brands such as Peugeot, Saab, Chrysler, Audi, Ford, Opel, Jaguar, Mercedes and Volvo. With two facilities in Portugal and one in Romania, Coindu employs 1,400 people and recorded €85 million in 2005 sales.
Coindu purchased its first Lectra cutting room equipment in 1995, and has continued to demonstrate its confidence in Lectra through a series of investments over the ensuing years. “Customer demands in our industry are very specific concerning quality, production flexibility and cost savings,” says Artur Leal, Coindu’s Maintenance Manager. “We have long been satisfied with Lectra’s cutting solutions, which have always enabled us to satisfy the demands of our customers.”
Coindu is equipped with Lectra’s Kaledo and Formaris product development solutions, Diamino marker-making solutions, Brio spreaders, and Lectra’s VectorAuto7000 and VectorAuto MP9 automated cutting solutions.
In the summer of 2006, Coindu began working with the VectorAutoMX9, Lectra’s newest-generation automated cutter for the automotive industry. “We are always on the look out for the latest cutting technologies, and so we jumped at the opportunity to work with the VectorAutoMX9,” Artur Leal continued.

The VectorAutoMX9: power and intelligence

The new VectorAutoMX9 builds upon the success of previous Vector generations, in particular the VectorAuto MP9, the automotive market’s leading automated mass production cutting solution. With its ability to cut compressed material spreads up to nine centimetres thick, the VectorAutoMX9 has boosted productivity and reduced costs at Coindu’s Portugal plant.
“We are now cutting about 15% more fabric on a daily basis thanks to the improved speed and productivity of the new machine,” said Artur Leal, “and we’ve also realized significant cost savings on consumables such as paper, plastic, blades, bands, etc.; for example, for 100 hours of operation time with our other cutters, we spend about €1,000 on consumables and spare parts, whereas with the new machine, we spend about €500. Each of our cutting machines cuts about 40,000 meters of fabric per month (vinyl, foam, textile, carpets...), so the savings add up quickly.”
The productivity of the VectorAutoMX9 has enabled Coindu to save in other ways as well. “Previously, we were doing three shifts per day in the cutting room,” said Artur Leal. “But the VectorAutoMX9 has enabled us to meet our production needs in only two shifts, which yields significant electricity and labor cost savings.”
Like other automotive equipment manufacturers, Coindu has a strong need for technology that provides reliable performance, as the cost of breakdowns runs to thousands of euros per hour. The VectorAutoMX9 addresses this challenge with new “smart services” for managing the machine’s day-to-day performance.
“The machine enables us to perform real-time diagnostic tests and analyses on the cutting head, the X and Y movements of the machine, the conveyor – all while the machine is in the process of cutting,” said Artur Leal. “Automatic monitoring of the machine’s sensors, detectors and motors allows us to identify potential system failures before they become a problem. All these things taken together have greatly improved the efficiency of our cutting operations.”
The system’s piloting software also automatically generates performance and activity reports which feed the company’s information system and serve as a base of cutting room audits.
Optimizing the operator’s time is an increasingly important aspect of Coindu’s operations. “The improved menu interactions of the VectorAutoMX9 allow the operator to jump from one menu to another while the machine is cutting,” added Artur Leal. “He can zoom in on specific zones of the cutting plan to check its progress, spot potential problems, and resolve them before they interrupt the operation. This improves the efficiency of the operator’s time and reduces pockets of ‘down time’ that can occur between various tasks.”
The performance and intelligence of the VectorAutoMX9 provides a revolutionary response to the demands of manufacturers like Coindu for a powerful, reliable solution in a market context in which delays are harshly penalized.