Case Studies

The CADDIS device is the leader in measuring machine uptime, improving efficiency and generating the data your business needs to provide you the profit you expect.

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Centro Inc. Case Study

Austin Plotz, CI Engineering Technician

Centro Inc. is a rotational molding leader in design and engineering

A case study on CNC integration with Caddis Systems.

Centro contacted Caddis Systems in 2021 to help them gain more visibility into their overall equipment utilization and actual runtime. Centro also wanted to find a better method to track the runtime metrics other than the manual operator documentation, which had previously been used. Centro had looked at other options for machine monitoring but made the decision to move forward with Caddis because of its intuitive dashboard navigation, low startup costs and timely support.

The Caddis install support team helped Centro identify the appropriate signal that was indicative of the machine running and cycling. They came on site to walk the production floor, investigate the machines that Caddis were to be deployed on and help train the staff on how to navigate the dashboard.

Since deploying Caddis Systems across multiple machines at numerous locations, Centro has improved overall runtime, provided them with a clearer understanding of capacity and help them make better decisions before purchasing new CNC’s and other equipment. Caddis is a 24/7 cloud-based platform that is allowing Centro to take the next steps towards creating a Manufacturing 4.0 production environment.

“Caddis has allowed our operators and supervisors to effectively manage their machines and departments in a very short amount of time. We have tried other machine monitoring applications and Caddis is by far the easiest to navigate and utilize. I look forward to integrating Caddis throughout our entire facility.”

Anton Anderson Manufacturing Test Engineer, Siemens

Machine Monitoring Boosts Output on Vertical and Horizontal Machines

By Dylan Schultz, Software Sales & Support

Increased Utilization leads to Increased Profits at LeClaire Manufacturing

The problem LeClaire was facing was low machine utilization rates, which at first were pretty much unknown. As with so many companies in manufacturing, when production is working and customers are happy, it isn’t always apparent that there’s room for improvement – you don’t know what you don’t know.

Adding to challenge is the wide variety of machines that LeClaire was utilizing in both the horizontal and vertical departments. They needed a machine monitoring solution that not only would integrate with a Doosan but also with Haas, Makino, Okuma and others.

After looking at numerous machine monitoring options, the best solution came in the form of a durable sealed piece of hardware that enclosed the necessary digital circuitry, which could then seamlessly integrate onto any type of machine and provide all the necessary runtime data needed.

After implementing CADDIS machine monitoring over a three year period, LeClaire we saw an overall increase in production hours of 38,245. That’s an increase of production dollars in the amount of $5,764,650.

CLIENT
LeClaire Manufacturing
PRIMARY INDUSTRY SERVED
Agriculture, Transportation, Medical, Marine, Railroad, Military
PRIMARY EQUIPMENT
Hydraulic Mold Machines
DOMESTIC PRODUCTION FACILITY
Bettendorf, IA

“We weren’t fully aware of how many resources were underutilized and how much more we could achieve.”

Ralph ZimmermanCo-President, LeClaire Manufacturing

CLIENT
M.A. Ford
PRIMARY INDUSTRY SERVED
Aerospace, Automotive, Medical
PRIMARY EQUIPMENT
High-Performance Cutting Tools
DOMESTIC PRODUCTION FACILITY
Davenport, IA

M.A. FORD improve their utilization, OEE, and production management

A case study on how CADDIS Systems helped M.A. Ford improve their utilization, OEE, and production management.

What was the challenge M.A. Ford was looking to solve by integrating CADDIS?

M.A. Ford did not have any machine monitoring software so we were left with approximating cycle times, efficiency, machine downtime, and the ability to monitor live data for what machines were currently running at any given time.

How did CADDIS Systems help M.A. Ford overcome the challenges you were facing?

With CADDIS, we are able to easily capture important information about each machine, and even entire departments to review data pertaining to production that helps us make better decisions moving forward. Before CADDIS, many man-hours were wasted manually tracking approximate machine uptime and downtime.

What machines have you installed the CADDIS on?

M.A. Ford has CADDIS devices installed on several different platforms of 5 axis CNC grinding machines, OD grinders, lathes, and others. These brands include ANCA, Rollomatic, Walter, Shigiya, Saacke, and DMG Mori.

Why did M.A. Ford choose to move forward with CADDIS Systems instead of another machine monitoring system?

M.A. Ford was initially working with a different machine monitoring software and was about to pull the trigger on launching their devices throughout our shop. Once we saw what CADDIS had to offer, we immediately made the switch over to them. This decision was easy because of a few reasons.

Cost. CADDIS offers competitive data and capabilities at a better rate than almost every machine monitoring software we have looked into.

Location. CADDIS is a US company with its headquarters only a few miles away from MA Ford.

Development. We were very pleased with everything CADDIS has to offer to immediately integrate into our products; but what we were more excited about, were the plans for future development. CADDIS was willing and able to work with M.A. Ford to implement new features, make additional changes, and continuously improve their product so we can get the most out of their devices and software.

“M.A. Ford has been able to make important decisions with confidence knowing exactly how our machines are running and what they are capable of, thanks to CADDIS.”

Adam SidlingerProduction Engineer Manager, M.A. Ford

Case Study Of LeClaire Manufacturing Hydraulic Units

By Chris Moore, Vice President, LCM2M

The Challenges LeClaire Manufacturing Was Trying To Solve By Implementing Caddis Systems

Using the type K thermocouple port that is found on all Caddis devices, LeClaire was able to capture the temperature of the hydraulic fluid at a frequency of every machine cycle.

The built-in alarm functionality of the Caddis system allowed LeClaire to set temperature thresholds that when violated, text messages and emails would be immediately be sent out to maintenance personnel.

Additionally, the built-in outputs of the Caddis device allowed for real-world indicators (strobe light/sirens) to be tripped when the same temperature thresholds were violated so anybody near the machinery, regardless if they were subscribed to the text/email alarms, would be alerted to the abnormal condition.

The immediate notification to this abnormal condition provided the appropriate personnel with the information needed to take preventative action prior to excessive machine wear or catastrophic failure.

CLIENT
LeClaire Manufacturing
PRIMARY INDUSTRY SERVED
Agriculture, Transportation, Medical, Marine, Railroad, Military
PRIMARY EQUIPMENT
Hydraulic Mold Machines
DOMESTIC PRODUCTION FACILITY
Bettendorf, IA

How Did Caddis Systems Solve The Problem Of Excessive Oil Temperature

Monitoring the oil temperature of the hydraulic system to prevent machine downtime and reduce capital expenditures on new hydraulic pumps.

Real-time temperature monitoring of the working fluid found in a closed-loop hydraulic system. The excessive working fluid temperature has been associated with premature pump failure, cylinder seal failures, machine repeatability issues, and excessive unplanned production downtime.

Why Did LeClaire Manufacturing Choose CADDIS Systems Over The Competition?

Actionable metrics focused on driving improvement
Simplicity of installation
Flexibility of system to integrate with any and all types/brands of machinery
Metrics easily deciphered and easy to share with all levels of an organization
Flexible pricing options allowing for system to be deployed in stages
Superior customer support

RESULTS: Over a one-year time frame, the results clearly speak for themselves

Caddis Machine Monitoring Triggers Immediate Intervention to Avoid Massive Repair and Downtime

Mike Zimmerman, Vice President

No Need For A Meltdown or a ‘freeze up’, as the case would have been for LeClaire Manufacturing

when a critical furnace failed within its aluminum die casting operations. These workhorse furnaces run almost continuously in foundry operations providing performance, energy savings and reliability . . . until they don’t. Sometimes those reliable pieces of equipment develop mechanical or electrical problems that go unnoticed, but a failure alarm did not.

If not addressed, what would have happened next is nothing short of a disaster. After a furnace failure, the unit shuts off and the front of furnace bath freezes, causing a cascading effect of failures.

It didn’t happen. All these subsequent catastrophic failures were avoided thanks to the continuous and reliable CADDIS System.

“We were really able to contain the failure right away and avoid what would have very rapidly become a next-level costly issue”

Mike ZimmermanVice President, CADDIS Systems

COMPANY PROFILE

CUSTOMER PROFILE

Troy Zimmerman, Operations Manager of Aluminum Casting Foundry & Machine Shop

LeClaire Manufacturing is single-source sand and permanent mold aluminum casting company. We offer a streamlined, vertically integrated process that eliminates the middleman — and the markup — and lets you source your entire project through a single shop, LeClaire Manufacturing. From molds and patterns to leak testers and machining fixtures, we make them all in-house and subsequently produce the sand castings, permanent mold castings, CNC machining, and ship parts to print to our customers. Bring us your ideas, projects, and even transfer tooling — and let us solve your aluminum casting challenges.

Case Study: Shot-Blast Dept.

CADDIS Systems improves machine utilization and increases output, improves consistency, manages cycle times to improve efficiency while maintaining quality requirements.

Caddis offers great value when compared to similar systems on the market. The approachable price point allows users to scale the system as the need grows. The total initial investment is based on the user’s defined needs and units required to meet those needs.

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“Utilizing Caddis to monitor excessive operating temperatures up-front has saved us tens of thousands of dollars in replacement hydraulic pumps, and drastically decreased machine downtime, which translates into more savings. Thanks for delivering a wonderful product!”

– Troy Zimmerman, Operations Manager, LeClaire Manufacturing

Results:

Data was gathered from March 4, 2023 – June 3, 2023.

Weekly Utilization increased by 7.5% for all five machines from the baseline data. This increase in utilization was equal to 15 additional product hours each week, with a weekly value of $597 in potential profit generation. For the time period that was analysed, the total profit generation equaled $8,352.15 or $29,828.92 annualized.

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In as little as thirty minutes, we can show you how to secure hundreds, even thousands of hours in gained productivity. And that’s just the start. Caddis machine monitoring is an easy and permanent solution. Quick setup, durability and an intuitive dashboard that provides a constant stream of data for interpretation and decision making. Caddis, next level efficiency.

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