Lorenz – Industry 4.0 meter manufacturing with 4AVO, 4APS and 4BDE on SAP Business One

Location: 89601 Schelklingen, Germany · Industry: Electronics, electrical engineering, industrial electronics, manufacturing · Products: Water meters, measuring capsules, electronic meters, radio modules and metering system technology · ERP: SAP Business One · Website: https://www.lorenz-meters.de · S4P modules: 4AVO, 4APS, 4BDE

Initial situation

Lorenz GmbH & Co. KG, with around 200 employees, required efficient work preparation, optimised fine planning and transparent shop-floor data collection in its manufacturing of water meters, electronic meters and radio modules. The goal was end-to-end and traceable production control based on the ERP system SAP Business One. The production of smart water meters in an Industry 4.0 manufacturing system demands close integration of planning, assembly and quality assurance.

Challenge

As a manufacturer of smart water meters with high volumes and variant diversity, the company required reliable planning and feedback from its Industry 4.0 production system. Manual processes were time-consuming and did not deliver timely data on current production progress. A particular challenge was the transition from conventional assembly to a cyber-physical system in which work preparation, fine planning and shop-floor data collection interlock seamlessly and are integrated with SAP Business One.

Solution

Together with partner Software Factory, Lorenz converted its conventional assembly to an Industry 4.0-capable system. With 4AVO for work preparation and order management, 4APS for fine planning and 4BDE for shop-floor data collection, Lorenz GmbH & Co. KG controls its manufacturing end-to-end. All modules are connected to the existing ERP system SAP Business One, so that order and master data are synchronised automatically. At the assembly terminal, order feedback and quality data are captured and automatically returned to SAP Business One.

Results and benefits

Manufacturing now has a transparent and current data basis. Work plans, fine planning and order status are traceable at all times, planning quality has improved and manual effort has been significantly reduced. The Industry 4.0 assembly system enables complete traceability of meter components, improves quality assurance and provides a solid data basis for continuous improvement in meter production.