Versalis Automotive Digital Marking: Understanding and addressing key industry challenges
Discover how Lectra is meeting industry needs by optimizing leather production processes and reducing associated costs in the automotive seat and interior manufacturing industry.
Introduction
Recent feedback from tanners and tier-1 suppliers of premium car seats and interiors underscores the critical need for precise hide marking. It is essential for maintaining quality standards and optimizing production processes.
Versalis Automotive Digital Marking is gaining popularity in the industry for improving hide-marking accuracy and increasing material savings with advanced data-driven capabilities. Its success as a market-driven solution is rooted in Lectra's commitment to listening to customer needs.
Embracing digital marking for greater accuracy and agility
Digital marking technology, such as that offered by Versalis Automotive Digital Marking, empowers manufacturers to achieve higher levels of hide marking accuracy and process agility, crucial for meeting the rigorous demands of performance, quality, and cost optimization in leather car seats and interiors manufacturing. By transitioning from traditional methods, manufacturers streamline operations, enhance efficiency, reduce errors, and quickly adapt to market changes. This ensures competitiveness and supports sustainable growth within the industry, aligning with the market trend for data-driven solutions and Cutting Room 4.0.
A compelling example of collaboration with industry leaders who prioritize advancing manufacturing processes is demonstrated by our recent success story with a renowned family-based manufacturing group specializing in automotive components and interiors for premium vehicles. Their proactive engagement and valuable feedback during a test of Versalis Automotive Digital Marking led to a significant achievement—up to a 2% increase in yield—highlighting their commitment to innovation, quality, and sustainability.
Improved process agility, hide quality, and marking accuracy are key benefits of Versalis Automotive Digital Marking. The simplicity of the marking process, which involves an easy right-to-left hand movement, allows for efficient and precise operations. With the capability for two operators to work simultaneously, valuable time is saved. Additionally, eliminating the need to clean hides during or after cutting and quality reviews further enhances efficiency, making digital marking indispensable for the industry.
Improving product quality and creating a positive work environment
For many of our customers, adopting digital marking with Versalis Automotive Digital Marking not only streamlines production processes but also ensures high product quality and the ability to pursue Sustainability and CSR goals with confidence. This technology reduces environmental impact and enhances workplace safety by eliminating the need for chemical cleaning products, as digital marking requires no cleaning.
They have noticed that our technology significantly reduces parts rejection rates, leading to lower hide consumption while preserving the leather's superior quality. This meets Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) demands for top-tier hide quality and achieves material savings of up to 1.5% of the leather surface to be cut. In addition to these benefits, the reduction in hide consumption contributes to greater sustainability in leather production practices.
Enhancing process and saving time with streamlined data collection
Digitalization has revolutionized leather production, and Versalis Automotive Digital Marking has played a key role in enhancing our customers' manufacturing processes. By providing robust traceability for defects during marking follow-up, our system ensures precise classification of parts as "ok" or "to be discarded," greatly simplifying their workflow.
Our customers now have access to real-time data, offering crucial insights needed for continuous improvement. Data collection enables them to streamline operations, minimize waste, and achieve rapid ROI. By integrating marking station data with cutting equipment, our customers have significantly enhanced their analytical capabilities. The seamless data transfer builds a comprehensive database, boosting productivity and reducing costs.
They recognize the importance of data access for continuous improvement, enabling them to respond effectively to operational challenges. Additionally, our system's flexibility in managing small defects further enhances production quality and consistency, making it an indispensable tool in modern leather manufacturing.
Conclusion
The consensus from Lectra customers is that Versalis Automotive Digital Marking is a smart, connected solution that integrates digital marking functionality, replacing traditional chalk marking to maximize hide savings and lower operational costs. Its industry-wide success showcases the impact of listening to customer needs and delivering solutions that surpass expectations in car seats and interiors manufacturing. Watch our video to see how Versalis Automotive Digital Marking can enhance your leather manufacturing efficiency and quality.