Press Release

MES-supported “Operator Guidance” for Inspection and Assembly Processes

Customised Process Control with ZEISS GUARDUS

9 June 2020

Ulm/Oberkochen GERMANY, 9th June 2020, Industrial Quality Solutions

With its interactive process control, the new ZEISS GUARDUS module “Operator Guidance” provides secure processes in the assembly as well as the efficient support of the operators of the plant. The “Manufacturing Execution System” (MES) guides its users step by step through all the tasks, the necessary information such as assembly instructions for each operation as well as accompanying documents, bills of materials and pictures being proactively provided on individual screen forms. Moreover, the corresponding inspections and functions will be accurately prepared for the secure quality and production data collection.

“In addition to the active process control, the database-supported management of all the accompanying assembly documents considerably reduces the surrounding administrative burden”, says Simone Cronjäger, CEO of Carl ZEISS MES Solutions GmbH. With ZEISS GUARDUS, the creation, release and distribution of the digital documents and language versions take place literally at the click of a button. Obsolete or missing paper files as well as the risk of process disturbances related to them are now a thing of the past. “In many production companies, the assembly instructions are still created with enormous effort, regardless of whether they are Word, Excel or PDF documents”, says Cronjäger. Furthermore, the translation and distribution into various languages in order to standardise the defined quality level at all the sites also require effort. As if this were not enough: “The changes made on products and processes additionally push the costs and error rate higher. The new ZEISS GUARDUS module completely eliminates all these deficiencies”, continues Cronjäger.

The basis of the new interactive “Operator Guidance” is the holistic MES know-how with regard to all the process, product and quality relevant data such as various master data and combination matrices as well as information from adjacent technical systems such as the “Enterprise Resource Planning” (ERP) for order data, bills of materials etc. or Document Management (DMS) for applicable documents, drawings, product pictures, etc.

Operator Guidance in Assembly and Inspection Processes

Operator Guidance in Assembly and Inspection Processes

Intuitive Interfaces Directly at the Workplace

In order to ensure that each process takes place in a rapid and reliable way in the assembly, ZEISS GUARDUS provides the inspection and assembly instructions online through intuitive interfaces at the workplace. The Manufacturing Execution System makes this possible by generating the related assembly order for each manufacturing order in a completely dynamic way. The unplanned actions, such as cancellation, interruption or repetition of actions, are also taken into consideration.

“Due to this process flexibility, our new MES module can comply even with the most exigent requirements from the sectors of medical technology and aerospace engineering. All the rules on how data have to be handled, which are defined by the regulated environment, can be put into practice with the paperless documentation of ZEISS GUARDUS ‘Operator Guidance’”, says Cronjäger. During the individual work operations, not only the assembly of components are documented in a structured way, but also the inspection and test results are stored in a detailed way. The target is the creation of the “Electronic Device History Records” according to the law as well as the seamless traceability. Replenished with functions for the audit trail and the electronic signature, the module can meet the highest demands of paperless manufacturing.

Operator Guidance in Assembly and Inspection Processes

Operator Guidance in Assembly and Inspection Processes

PRESS CONTACT Bernd Balle ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions

About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling 8.8 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology and Consumer Markets (status: 30 September 2022).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world's leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The company's significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS' technology and market leadership. ZEISS invests 13 percent of its revenue in research and development – this high level of expenditure has a long tradition at ZEISS and is also an investment in the future.

With over 40,000 employees, ZEISS is active globally in almost 50 countries with around 30 production sites, 60 sales and service companies and 27 research and development facilities (status: 31 March 2023). Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.

Further information at www.zeiss.com

ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions

ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions is a leading manufacturer of multidimensional metrology solutions. These include coordinate measuring machines, optical and multisensor systems, microscopy systems for industrial quality assurance as well as metrology software for the automotive, aircraft, mechanical engineering, plastics and medical technology industries. Innovative technologies such as 3D X-ray metrology for quality inspection round off the portfolio. In addition, ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions offers a broad global spectrum of customer services with ZEISS Quality Excellence Centers close to its customers. The company is headquartered in Oberkochen. Production and development sites outside Germany are located in Minneapolis in the USA, Shanghai (China) and Bangalore (India). ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions is part of the Industrial Quality & Research segment.

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