Digitalization of quality inspections in production at STIHL Tirol.
About Stihl
STIHL Tirol is a manufacturer of garden tools in the metal industry. Battery-powered products such as lawn mowers, robotic lawn mowers, ride-on mowers, motor hoes and garden shredders are produced at the Langkampfen site. With 770 employees, the company achieved a turnover of 715.8 million euros in 2021.
Step by step, Testify was implemented and rolled out in the company.
STIHL Tirol started by digitizing and processing the “paper checklists” for the belt run test with the help of the Testify checklist tool.
The first use case “belt run test” was tested with the run testers in a test phase for three months. After the software proved its worth, the use of Testify was expanded at STIHL Tirol. The next step was to digitally map and display the belt release lists for production.
Over 2 million checks have already been carried out with Testify. Now that Testify has proved so successful at the site in Tyrol, the software is also being used to measure performance at STIHL China.
Initial situation before digitization.
- Non-standardized way of working: There was no predefined standard for the audits. Some employees documented the audits in Excel, others in Word, etc.
- Media disruptions: As digital cameras were used, the photos were not directly linked to the tests. If you wanted to view them afterwards, this involved a lot of searching.
- No transparent assurance of the checks: With non-standardized, paper-based checks, it is difficult to understand whether the checks have been carried out in full.
- Potential for assembly errors: Without digital production instructions, there was a risk of parts being assembled incorrectly. This would lead to higher scrap and rework costs.
How Testify was able to drive digitalization in the company.
Structured way of working with digital checklists.
Before Testify was introduced, checks had to be carried out manually. Now, thanks to digital checklists, there are simpler and more precise control options.
Capture photos directly in context.
Inspections are documented via tablet and photos can be stored directly in the appropriate context (e.g. in the defect report). Codes can also be easily scanned in.
More transparency.
Thanks to the use of cloud-based software, data can be viewed anytime and anywhere at the touch of a button.
Digital instructions
There are now digital production and test instructions on the assembly line. With the help of Testify, foremen can now simply scan a code and see how the part looks when hung correctly.
Testify as a digital companion on the assembly line.
Testify is used for tests directly along the assembly line. Starting with the foremen’s belt approvals, the process continues with the belt run inspectors. They work through their checklists with Testify.
The new structured working method ensures that the correct working papers are recorded on the conveyor belt.
- When the assembly line is changed over, the production department creates the belt release and simultaneously checks whether the correct production documents are available at the stations using a data matrix code.
- During random inspections on the assembly line, the walk-through inspection also works through its digital checklists point by point.
- The final testing of the finished devices before they are delivered to the customer is also documented in Testify.
- Testify is also gradually being used for other tasks. For example, torque tests and dimensional tests with action limits and tolerance limits.
Better communication and collaboration across departments.
Data recorded in Testify via tablets in a structured manner is used for various daily, weekly and monthly reports. The monthly reports and evaluations for the management can also be quickly analyzed via reporting dashboards.
With just a few clicks, you can see how many defects there were, what the main causes are, whether 5S audits were carried out correctly and much more. The screwdriving and measurement data is also evaluated using the “Statistical results analysis”. At store floor meetings, the reports, evaluations/key figures and anomalies are discussed as necessary.
The safety audit on the assembly line used to take up to two days. You had to make notes on site, take photos, assign them later and write and format the report in electronic form – up to 12 times a year.
Today, this documentation is completed in just two hours on average with Testify.
STIHL relies on these functions in particular
Digital shortage management
If a defect occurs, it is recorded directly in Testify and a defect report is created. Once the defect has been recorded, it is immediately forwarded to the person responsible.
Forwarding defect reports to the relevant departments improves the flow of information and supports cooperation between production and quality assurance.
Regular dummy tests
Other checks that take place on an ongoing basis are the so-called “dummy tests”. This involves checking the test stations by sending dummies (note: this is what STIHL Tirol calls faulty devices) to the test station to see whether all faults are detected.
The dummy tests are recurring tests that have to be carried out by production employees at different intervals – some daily, others weekly.
Since the dummy tests have been processed and recorded in Testify, it has become much easier to track whether all tests have been carried out. The management can also view the execution status at any time.
5S Audit
Cleanliness tours are also carried out with Testify. Quality Management uses Testify for 5S audits in the production and administration areas.
Before using Testify, the 5S audits were carried out using an Excel template. The checks are now mapped in Testify. The advantages are not only evident in the simpler handling, but also in the fact that the audits can now be evaluated much more quickly.
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Digitalization of quality inspections in production at STIHL Tirol.
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