Providing sound solutions

Automotive Insulations Limited

Paul Walker, Managing Director

Who are Autins Group plc?

• We are specialists in materials and components for noise and heat management.

• We offer a complete solution to acoustic, thermal and NVH problems.

• We invest in technology and research to make things:

• lighter

• quieter

• thermally efficient.

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• From a small business in Rugby to a multi-company European group with worldwide business partnerships.

• Approximately 230 staff across the Group.

• Group turnover in the region of £21m and rising.

• Company mantra across all businesses is to provide solutions.

• Innovation has been fundamental to finding those solutions for our customers.

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Who are Autins Group plc?

The Autins Group Vision

To become Europe’s premium acoustic and thermal insulation materials and components manufacturer.

We will provide sustainable growth through:

• Product and process innovation

• Gross margin improvement

• Committed and continuous improvement

• Supplier of choice

• Skilled, motivated and engaged workforce.

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What were our key challenges?

• Ageing equipment, some machines nearly 20 years old.

• Processes operator-led, very little uptake of new technologies.

• Rapid growth provided limited opportunities for review.

• Difficult to collect/review machine performance data.

• Management Information Systems not as efficient as could be.

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Working with WMG

• Internship programme

• 3 successful internships

• One intern retained as staff member

• Postgraduate Award - “Innovative Business Leadership”

• Innovative collaboration on specific projects

• Material research support

• Use of testing equipment and facilities

• Lean Six Sigma Assessment and Review

• Technology implementation e.g. Smart Factories, Industry 4.0

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Our Industry 4.0 Journey

• Implementation Plan scoped and created for live machine data capture.

• Standardisation and serialisation of barcoding

• Software and technical proof of concept phase

• Final deployment of IT technologies

• WMG collaborated with IT partner to adopt latest thinking and technologies into a company customised solution

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“Smart Factory” – Machine Monitoring

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Lean Improvements with WMG

• Recent project led by WMG alongside Manufacturing Engineering interns

• Comprehensive assessment of our Rugby manufacturing processes

• Significant lean improvement opportunities were identified:

• layout changes for machines

• reduction in tool changeover times

• ‘poka yoke’ systems for crucial operations

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Lean Improvements with WMG

“Once again, WMG have done a great job in understanding our requirements and coming up with a set of recommendations that could

help us save over £70,000 and improve usage of our equipment”.

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Innovation and product development

• Significant investment in last 5 years

• Development and adaptation of new production machinery

• Material research to enhance product performance

• Enhancing our capabilities to meet customer needs

• Addition of companies to the group with different but complementary capabilities

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