Success Story:
Klingele relies on openpack and the Digital Factory
Klingele is making further progress in terms of digitalisation: the company is digitally mapping its corrugated cardboard plant in Hilpoltstein with the new Digital Factory on the openpack platform. Digital mapping of the value chain is an important part of the Klingele Group’s digitalisation strategy. This is because it gives the company greater clarity and transparency over the production process in the long term. In addition, possible sources of error and potential for improvement are identified more quickly.
Klingele learnt about openpack and its digital offerings in summer 2020 and was immediately impressed. The company recognised the platform’s potential for the corrugated board industry and decided to become one of the pilot customers. The vision and concept were convincing. Plant manager Bernhard Harrer says: ‘We liked the first products and the partnership-based and trusting cooperation “at eye level” as well as the opportunity to contribute our ideas and suggestions to the development at any time.’
Clear visualisation and overview
The newly developed Digital Factory has recently gone live at the Hilpoltstein corrugated board plant. The openpack team ensured that the machine data is automatically transferred to the connected platform. The platform brings them together in one central location. All machine data and documents are easily accessible and clearly visualised. The Digital Factory provides Klingele employees with a digital 3D image of the plant from a bird’s eye view and a live view of production. This opens up new possibilities in the area of monitoring and controlling. Using specially defined key figures and current production data, it is possible to analyse and evaluate production processes in a targeted manner – and this results in higher productivity.
Central interface, more productivity
Instead of many individual interfaces in the plant, there is now a central interface from openpack for all manufacturers and the connection of additional solutions. ‘This has eliminated data silos and increased the transparency of our processes,’ says Bernhard Harrer, plant manager at Klingele’s Hilpoltstein corrugated cardboard plant.
Oliver Harlas, Electrical Maintenance Manager at Klingele, expects further positive effects: ‘Greater transparency will help us to identify sources of error and potential for improvement more quickly in future. Ultimately, this will lead to increased productivity and flexibility in service provision.’
The next steps
In addition to the Digital Factory, openpack is currently establishing a marketplace as the industry’s central procurement platform. Klingele has firmly planned to use the marketplace to optimise the purchasing process for all operational requirements (e.g. spare parts, auxiliary and operating materials, C-parts, etc.). The first orders have already been placed and are facilitating and accelerating the purchasing process. Climate protection is a key topic on Klingele’s agenda for the future: the company’s concept is to be made even more sustainable with additional openpack expertise and technologies, and the company is looking forward to this challenge.
Oliver Harlas comments: ‘If we continue to work together on the progress we have already made, we will soon have a platform that will be very helpful for many areas of the company and has the potential to improve many processes.’
‘We are focused on long-term relationships with customers and partners – and with openpack we have met a team that will take us forward and create the opportunity to increase the profitability and productivity of our plant,’ says plant manager Bernhard Harrer. ‘The systems developed by openpack and the associated digital mapping of the value chain are an important building block in Klingele’s digitalisation strategy.’
‘With openpack, we have met a team that will take us forward and create opportunities to increase the profitability and productivity of our plant.’
