Pick by Light for High Variant Diversity and Small Batch Sizes

As a supplier to the pharmaceutical industry and laboratories in the field of biotechnology, Reed Electronics AG is subject to particularly high-quality demands. The requirements are often highly individual and varied. The areas of sensor technology and biotechnology are continuously expanding, with a main focus on core products. These core products include devices for connecting and disconnecting thermoplastic tubes used in biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes.

Customer requirements often demand special solutions. With a large number of variants and small batch sizes, new and innovative solutions must be continuously developed. Work processes, tools, and materials vary depending on the task. An assembly workstation must be optimally configured to adapt to these constantly changing requirements. Long setup times and inefficient workflows would hinder production and increase throughput time. Every new assembly workstation must meet all the principles of lean production.

In a Lean workshop at Phoenix Mecano in Stein am Rhein, a cohesive concept was developed in just one day, in collaboration with employees from Reed Electronics AG’s assembly department. This was not merely conceptualized on paper but was tested through cardboard engineering in a specially designed Lean-Live workshop seminar room.

Here, the future assembly workstation was temporarily set up using cardboard boxes, allowing potential weak points to be identified and eliminated immediately. During the implementation of the solutions developed in the workshop, an assembly workstation was created where all necessary tools and materials are strategically placed around the employee. The benefits are immense: everything is within arm's reach, eliminating long work paths and maximizing efficiency.

The SETAGO Pick by Light worker guidance system was also integrated to ensure error-free assembly, even with a large number of variants and small batch sizes. By fully incorporating lean production principles, productivity was significantly increased, with SETAGO Pick by Light playing a major role in enhancing process reliability. Not only did the Lean Live Workshop in Stein am Rhein inspire both employees and decision-makers at Reed Electronics AG, but an impressive demonstration of a collaborative robot at Reed Electronics AG’s premises in Schachen also left a lasting impression. It is already clear that the two companies will continue to collaborate successfully in the future, staying at the forefront of innovation and technology.