As a pioneer in the field of Industry 4.0 and digitalization, Flex in Althofen focuses on quality, customer orientation and fast agility. Numerous innovations have been implemented for well-known customers.
Well-known customers trust in the know-how of Flex Althofen. Around 1,000 employees develop and produce intelligent products for a networked world at this high-tech location of the global group.
But what does that mean? A diverse range of products from tiny GPS modules to state-of-the-art insulin pumps to a tumor hood. Core competencies include the manufacture of electronic modules and complete devices for customers in medical technology, the automotive industry and industrial technology.
LISA - the new colleague in Althofen
Flex is committed to continuous improvement in all areas of the company. Thus, new solutions were also worked on in the production area.
The result was LISA, a new and particularly popular employee, as Managing Director Martin Reiner reports with a smile: "We gave our Lisa a name and a face."
LISA - which is short for Line Stop Assistant - is a virtual assistance system that relieves employees on the production line and minimizes errors by stopping the production line when quality problems are detected. This is displayed with an avatar on a monitor in the production hall.
The customer spectrum is extensive, for automotive customers but also in medical technology very high quality requirements must be met. To ensure this and minimize product changeover times, Flex in Althofen developed this line stop assistant to reduce changeover errors. Changeover time was reduced by 10 percent and quality-related downtime by more than 56 percent.
Lighthouse - A beacon for Austria
In 2021, this commitment was rewarded with inclusion in the "Global Lighthouse Network" by the World Economic Forum and the management consultancy McKinsey. The regional site in Althofen is thus one of only around 130 Industry 4.0 pioneers worldwide with this distinction - and the only factory in Austria. The exclusive global network of lighthouses only includes companies that are global leaders in the use of Industry 4.0 technologies and the implementation of intelligent and sustainable solutions, including exclusively big players such as BMW, Bosch or LG Electronics.
The site in Althofen combines a long tradition of reliable manufacturing with global know-how and state-of-the-art production processes. Robot technologies, automation technology and the Internet of Things - the focus is on technological progress and making employees' everyday work easier.
Pulse - the omniscient brain of the supply chain
Flex has achieved a milestone with the launch of Flex Pulse. This digital supply chain system provides real-time, end-to-end insight into the global group's entire supply chain. As a result, customer satisfaction has increased by 25 percent and supply chain efficiency by 13 percent.
With integrated material management and automation, the provision of just-in-time components and thus the reduction of inventory on the production lines could be implemented, which in turn frees up space for additional production areas.
Working with various customers, it includes handling the entire supply chain for incoming materials, including price negotiation, parts purchasing and lead time management. In manufacturing, real-time capabilities are offered in the form of a new production line with flexibility and transparency for the customer, allowing for quick adaptation to last-minute changes in the production schedule.
"I am very pleased that our site has been recognized as an Industrie 4.0 Lighthouse for our digital processes. This confirms our path of continuous improvement, further development of digitalization, and focus on business quality. But I am most proud of our employees, because it is only through their commitment and strong team spirit that such great successes are possible," says Martin Reiner.
