Siko is a global manufacturer of measurement and drive technology in the mechanical engineering and industrial sectors with five subsidiaries and around 230 employees. The company, which has been based in Buchenbach since 1963, decided to build a new building in Bad Krozingen, 30 kilometers away, in 2018. The official ground-breaking ceremony took place there in March 2019. In future, Siko will manufacture its electronic products on around 5,000 square meters. Mechanical production will continue to take place in Buchenbach.

A modern sales and administration center is being built at the new site. For the production area of the new building, Siko was looking for a partner who could supply ergonomically optimized assembly and special workstations. With its modular and individually adjustable work tables, Item offered the perfect solution. "Among other things, the proximity to the Item sales center in Freiburg was decisive for Siko," explains Lorenzo Tosoni, sales representative for system technology at Item. "We were in close contact throughout the entire project phase - an absolute necessity given the size of the project." By the time the new building is completed, Item will have delivered at least 100 workstation systems and various SystemMobiles.

Existing work tables could hardly be changed
Siko's measuring devices and systems consist of many individual components that are assembled into modules and finally into end products in several assembly operations. The existing work tables in the production hall at the Buchenbach site came from different manufacturers and could not be flexibly adapted to different requirements. It was also difficult to keep different profiles in stock. "We wanted to commit to one manufacturer in order to optimize our warehousing," says the Head of Lean Management at Siko. "With Item, we can produce standard tables quickly and efficiently, make flexible adjustments, integrate accessories and also configure individual systems."

Superstructures and long assembly lines
The joint project started at the end of 2016 with cardboard engineering. "We used a cardboard model to recreate our assembly line," says the lean expert at Siko. "In the spirit of lean production, we wanted to develop low-waste work and material flow systems and implemented new ideas and proposed solutions directly on the model as a team." After the design phase, a prototype was created with direct support from Item. To create an assembly, the employee takes individual parts from various containers. With the help of superstructures at existing workstations, the material was to be brought to the employee's gripping area for production.

"Originally, the material was in the back of the assembly workers," reports the Siko employee. "That was neither ergonomic nor efficient." Siko was looking for a solution to separate logistics from value creation. In addition, the entire production process needed to be optimized. The problem: if the two to three meter long workbenches are arranged in a row, the employee has to cover a long distance while carrying out the individual work steps. Once they have completed their assembly at the end of the row of tables, they have to return to the beginning of the row.

Siko also uses narrower special tables for testing and packaging processes. © Siko

U-Shape leads to optimized work processes
Siko decided to switch completely to Item work tables at the new site. Once the number and size of the containers had been determined, Item designed the size and structure of the work tables and configured other components such as roller conveyors. "After the design by Item, we checked whether all our requirements were met. The 3D representation was particularly helpful," says the person responsible at Siko. In addition to the work tables based on standardized dimensions, Siko also uses narrower special tables. These tables are available for testing and packaging processes, while the standard tables are used for pre-assembly and main assembly.

The measuring device manufacturer uses various special components from Item for the standard tables. For example, material feeds are implemented in the form of roller conveyors. The work tables are set up in a U-shape in the production areas. This arrangement results in ergonomically optimized work processes. The employee only needs to walk a short distance for the complete work process from assembly to packaging of the products. "The rational arrangement of the tables offers considerable advantages for the employees," reports the lean expert. "We also saved a lot of space by reducing material stocks and the material flow-oriented arrangement."

Individual settings and maximum ergonomics
In addition to the production areas, Siko also uses the Item workstation systems in production-related areas, for example in the workshop and in the technicians' offices. The desks are height-adjustable and can therefore be perfectly adapted to the individual height of the employees. The ideal height is saved and can be recalled at any time. All desks in a U-Shape move simultaneously to the programmed height thanks to the integrated synchronized control. When employees change, the ideal setting can be recalled within a very short time. The employee therefore always has optimum ergonomic working conditions.

The SystemMobiles L and U are an addition to the workstations for transporting materials. Employees from logistics use them to transport the components for assembly from the incoming goods department and from the warehouse to the respective workstation. Small components that are used less frequently in a U-line, but are still required for special variants, are stored in other SystemMobiles. This enables the employee to change over the workstation as quickly as possible and independently. In this way, Siko ensures that, in addition to ergonomics, special variants can also be built within a short space of time.

Siko is a variant manufacturer. Many different components must be available at the workstation. A flexible arrangement of tables with different dimensions is essential for the efficient production of measuring devices and systems, which is why the company benefits from the many possible combinations of item components. These are compatible with each other and can be attached flexibly. This means that the standard tables can be changed quickly and with minimal effort, even for small batch sizes. Siko stocks some profiles and accessories, such as keyboard holders, hooks or magnets, in the respective workshops at both locations. If additional components are required, Item delivers them within 24 hours. "This allows us to change our production at short notice and adapt to changing requirements," explains the lean expert. "The catalog with the numerous products that Item provides on its website is also an advantage."

Lean philosophy
From the start of the project to the first delivery of the U-Shapes, Siko repeatedly made adjustments and was in close contact with Item to ensure maximum ergonomics and efficiency. The biggest challenge was to manage the large project volume within the given timeframe. "Although so many people were involved in the project, the process ran smoothly," emphasizes the Head of Lean Management. "An example of perfect implementation of the lean philosophy." as