Lignal, a specialist in intelligent and sustainable coating solutions, faced production optimization challenges like those of its customers. Seeking a holistic solution, the company turned to smart2i, an industry intelligence solution by Hymmen.

Dirk Conrad, Head of Application Technology at Hesse Lignal, shared that ensuring a continuous and trouble-free production flow is a critical objective for manufacturers.

Successful process management and quality monitoring are essential, yet companies encounter multiple challenges, including surface complexity due to product diversity, gradual expansion of production lines, lack of data transparency, shortage of skilled workers, and the increasing need for sustainable production practices. Until now, there had been no comprehensive approach to addressing these challenges simultaneously.

Pilot project

To tackle these issues, Lignal launched a pilot project to test Hymmen’s smart2i industrial software solution. Speaking at the company’s in-house Tech-Together trade fair late last year, Dirk expressed enthusiasm about the system’s impact: “Transparency in production significantly increases product quality and the overall result!”

smart2i enables the digital transformation of production processes by automatically recording all machine-generated data, eliminating error-prone manual data collection.

Key parameters such as temperatures, pressures, and quantities are logged digitally, allowing production managers to analyse failures in real time and implement preventative measures. The results have been impressive: reduced rejection rates and the prevention of new quality issues in production.

Key features

Dirk highlighted several standout features of smart2i, including customizable dashboards, integration of all data sources into a single system, combination of machine and quality data, and accessibility from PC, tablet, or smartphone.

At the project’s outset, a significant amount of production data was already mapped and integrated into smart2i. Additional sensors were added to complete the system, seamlessly incorporating missing components such as UV power, UV dose, LAB values, gloss level, and coating thickness.

Machines and sensors were connected via the smart2i-connect gateway, enabling second-by-second analysis of recorded data. This capability simplifies both process calibration and ongoing production monitoring.

Test results

Hesse Lignal has extensively tested smart2i in its technology centre, applying it to various customer processes. The benefits include increased production efficiency, waste reduction, a decrease in the reject rate by up to 12%, and user-friendly operation with data visualization at the push of a button.

smart2i effectively addresses all the initial challenges. It provides measurable insights into surface complexity through multiple integrated sensors, facilitates seamless integration of new production lines, and ensures transparent data processing for all stakeholders — from managing directors to machine operators.

Moreover, automating production control helps mitigate the skilled labour shortage, while the system’s transparency supports sustainable production efforts.

With its holistic approach, smart2i has proven to be a game-changer for production optimization, offering manufacturers a powerful tool to enhance efficiency, sustainability, and quality control.

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