Johnson Controls Redesigns Its Production Strategy with Lectra

• Automation & Control - Automation & Process Control Systems
• Functional Applications - Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES)

• Automotive

• Process Manufacturing

• Manufacturing System Automation
• Predictive Maintenance
• Process Control & Optimization

• System Integration
• Training

For over 80 years, Johnson Controls has led the automotive trim cover industry by providing seating systems that differentiate vehicles and offer customers what they want most—style, comfort, and safety. However, as the trend in automotive interior personalization became more mainstream, the innovative automotive supplier recognized that producing the same volume of car sets as they had in the past while managing the proliferation of options for interiors—different fabrics, styles, and features—would be impossible with the die press system they had been using. Long changeover times, the cost of changing die boards midway through a program, and the inability to change the pattern in a die severely limited Johnson Controls’ production flexibility. In addition, high levels of fabric waste caused by the large buffer between pieces and end loss due to the fixed length of the die board, increased production costs. To improve its competitive position in a changing market and win new business required finding a solution that would allow them to deliver a wider variety of options, meet tight production schedules and reduce fabric costs. Johnson Controls’ executive team decided to undertake a highly strategic project to transform their fabric-cutting value chain by replacing all the die presses in their European plants with automated computer numerical control (CNC) cutting equipment.

Johnson Controls is a global diversified technology and industrial leader serving customers in more than 150 countries. The company’s 170,000 employees create quality products, services and solutions to optimize energy and operational efficiencies of buildings; lead-acid automotive batteries and advanced batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles; and interior systems for automobiles. Johnson Controls’ commitment to sustainability dates back to its roots in 1885, with the invention of the first electric room thermostat. Through its growth strategies and by increasing market share, Johnson Controls is committed to delivering value to shareholders and making its customers successful.

Johnson Controls evaluated multiple technology providers for the cutting room transformation project but Lectra was the only candidate that combined the leading-edge technology, cutting room expertise, and global support services to effectively deliver a project of this breadth. As early adopters of VectorAuto MX9®, Johnson Controls was already familiar with the performance and productivity of Lectra’s high-ply, automotive fabric cutting equipment. Breakthrough technology integrated into the MX9 enabled the company to cut more plies of material faster and with a consistently high level of quality. Its high-performance cutting head and Eclipse technology, which provides the ability to cut during conveyor advance, guaranteed even higher throughput. Features such as a built-in blade deviation controller, automatic blade path correction, and optimized cutting of tangent pieces ensured precision cutting and repeatability. To meet the goal of obtaining the highest level of performance, Johnson Controls decided to also equip their cutting rooms with VectorAuto iX9®, Lectra’s latest top-of-the-line fabric cutting solution, upon its launch in 2012. The iX9 expands upon the capabilities of the MX9; its high-performance cutting head and the ability to cut during conveyer advance guarantee even higher throughput. Lean-compliant poka yoke and visual management systems, such as automatic drill diameter identification and video-assisted spread position control, further maximize production output and efficiency.

• Johnson Controls now has a more agile cutting platform that helps them to maintain their position as a market leader and supports their worldwide business growth strategy.
• The ability to create longer, more efficient nestings and cut with minimal space between pieces gives the company an edge in preserving margins, while providing competitive pricing to customers and meeting the automotive industry’s exacting quality standards.
• Equipping Johnson Controls’ Cut & Sew plants exclusively with VectorAuto MP9, MX9 and now iX9 for high ply fabric cutting solutions, facilitates process optimization across all sites, an essential element of the company’s competitive strategy.

• Johnson Controls currently has more than 180 Vectors installed in plants around the world.