Digital Process Controller Secures Gold Award

Weiler Abrasives' Digital Process Controller Wins Regional Golden Innovation Award

MARIBOR, Slovenia — June 6, 2024 — Weiler Abrasives, a leading provider of abrasives, power brushes, and maintenance products for surface conditioning, is excited to announce that it has been awarded the Regional Golden Innovation Award presented by the Celje Chamber of Commerce and Industry for its pioneering Digital Process Controller.

This award recognizes our significant contribution to enhancing the quality control of grinding and cutting wheels through innovative digital solutions. Our team has developed a mobile machine that autonomously improves the quality assurance process while contributing to sustainability.

Traditionally, process control in the forming department involved 30 control points, requiring one employee per shift to use classical tools to execute a complex process. This method left room for human error. Now, with the introduction of our autonomous moving platform combined with a computer and measuring tools, we have created a sophisticated measuring and controlling system.

Advanced Capabilities of the Digital Process Controller

The Digital Process Controller offers advanced capabilities, including autonomous driving, precise measurement execution, and complete process management. It retrieves and utilizes real-time production data, systematically gathers relevant information, and makes this data instantly available upon completing the control process.

Key Advantages of the Innovative Controller

The key advantages of this innovative machine include its universality, making it applicable for all wheels ranging from ᶲ115 to ᶲ406 mm and up to 8 mm in thickness. It enhances energy efficiency through timely process responses and automatically calibrates measurement equipment when relocating to different measuring sites. The system also provides guided visual validation of product characteristics and conducts simultaneous measurements of mass, imbalance, and thickness. Additionally, it verifies the adequacy of work orders and tracks process deviations through analytical monitoring.

Detailed Process Steps

The process begins with the automatic receipt of the measurement order, prompting the machine to depart from the base station. Upon arrival at the measurement site, the device calibrates itself using a standard to ensure it is ready to test the wheel's balance. The next step involves scanning the work order, the worker who produced the product, and the label on the wheel. While the visual inspection of the wheels is performed by an employee, the machine takes over for the precise measurement. Once the measurements are completed, the device proceeds to the next measurement site, ensuring seamless and efficient quality control.

The Award-Winning Team

"We are deeply honored to receive the Regional Golden Innovation Award," said Mitja Klanjšek, Head of the Process Engineering & Automation Department at Weiler Abrasives. "I am very pleased to accept the Golden Innovation Award for the Weiler Abrasives team. With this innovation, we have improved the production process of our grinding and cutting wheels, ensured their high quality, and enabled better and more reliable work for our colleagues. Thank you to everyone who dedicated their efforts to this project. Together, we have proven that digitalization has a bright future, also in the abrasives industry."

This project was executed by our Slovenian team, including experts from the Process Engineering & Automation Department, IT Department, Quality Management, Maintenance Department, and Production. Innovations aimed at internal process improvements have a significant impact on the value our products bring to customers by ensuring the highest quality. At Weiler Abrasives, we create solutions for Weiler Abrasives that produce a ripple effect, benefiting our customers through superior quality and performance.