Manufacturing value-chain innovation at Siemens Dresser-Rand
DUISBURG, Germany -- Hydrocarbon Processing Technical Editor Bob Andrew visited the 2,400-strong workforce in Duisburg, Germany, touring their fabrication facility with General Manager for Duisburg Operations Dr. Marcus Bruecher. Their site also has 200 interns, which in itself, represents an investment in the future.
Under his leadership, the site has steadily streamlined their logistics and manufacturing work processes. This has impacted every aspect of their business: partnering with inland port exporters in operating their automated warehouse, relocating machining lines, investing in modern 5-axis machines. They also have aligned the services business on the same site to support new orders in the event a manufactured part needs to be repaired or remade. On the shop floor worker communications are now digitally based, with graphic displays in each work area showing status and issues for their activities.
Next, the HP editor met with Daniel Wentzel, Head of Digitization and Support, for a dialog about their plans and ambitions for integrating digital 3D CAE/CAM into the larger work flows. They have excellent experience with software that manages the machining, are now exploring other tools to better manage tagging and external interfaces with suppliers and with customers. It was interesting to discuss both the similarities and differences faced by Manufacturing Technology and Operational Technology, also of the common cybersecurity issues faced by shared Information Technology even in a managed private cloud.
It is coming up on two years since Siemens acquired Dresser-Rand, so part of Duisburg site’s exploration going forward is integrating their plans for improvement with platforms that Siemens themselves offer. This will be a give-and-take dialog: this site has many excellent ideas to share that work well, and have already demonstrated significant reduction in fabrication time, and better inventory management.
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