This video case study highlights Bobcat North America's digital transformation in quality control using InnovMetric's PolyWorks|Inspector Gauging and PolyWorks|DataLoop software solutions. Faced with limitations of outdated legacy software that hindered data capture, access, and communication, Bobcat sought a robust metrology platform. The implementation of PolyWorks provided an intuitive user interface with 3D measurement guidance, empowering shop floor operators and enabling proactive decision-making. The integration of DataLoop centralized and democratized access to measurement data across the organization. This strategic shift resulted in a reported exponential increase in measurement tasks (over 200% more measurements, reaching thousands per month) and significantly improved process quality, collaboration, and confidence in quality improvements.
Summarizing Digital Gauging at Bobcat with PolyWorks|Inspector & PolyWorks|DataLoop
0:07 Digital Transformation Focus: The video emphasizes that digital transformation in quality starts with effective data acquisition, storage, and access, not just flashy displays, aligning with Industry 4.0 principles.
0:42 Bobcat's Quality Vision & Challenges: Bobcat aims for stable processes to produce high-quality parts but faced significant challenges with outdated software, leading to unrepeatable processes, programming limitations, inability to capture and convey critical data, and a lack of confidence in improvement efforts.
1:44 Rigorous Software Selection: Bobcat undertook a comprehensive nine-month evaluation across seven software solutions and three factories, utilizing 60 criteria and involving 10 evaluators, ultimately selecting PolyWorks | Inspector Gauging due to its user-friendliness.
2:33 PolyWorks|Inspector Gauging Use: The software facilitates measurements of physical features on parts (e.g., length, diameters) using various gauging tools like micrometers.
2:51 Ease of Use & Accessibility: A key benefit is that PolyWorks does not require learning new programming languages (like Python scripting) for inspection projects, allowing users with minimal experience to quickly create and complete inspection tasks.
3:13 Enhanced User Interface & Guidance: The user interface significantly improved, allowing operators to visualize and manipulate CAD models, see highlighted dimensions, and view images demonstrating how to physically use tools, enabling them to work at unfamiliar workstations with confidence.
4:15 Empowered Shop Floor Decisions: Displaying control charts directly on the shop floor allows operators to make instantaneous, proactive decisions and process changes, feeling more empowered in their roles.
4:50 Exponential Increase in Measurements: Bobcat reported over 200% more measurements taken across the factory, attributed to operators' increased comfort and use of the program.
5:03 Centralized Data with DataLoop: The PolyWorks|DataLoop product integrated with Inspector solves previous data storage issues by centralizing all point cloud and metrology data in a high-speed database, enabling access to solve global issues with just a few clicks.
5:21 Data for Process Stability: Having accessible measurement data is crucial for understanding process movement and stability, tying together tooling, fixturing, and machining center performance. This led to an exponential increase to several thousands of measurements per month.
5:58 Strong Partnership with InnovMetric: Bobcat maintains its relationship with InnovMetric not just for the products, but for the strong support and commitment of their people to solving customer problems.