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Our mission is to transform Strojmetal and its individual operations into a "21st-century factory." "In forging, which is relatively complex to automate due to the nature of production, this is quite uncommon," explains Dominik Stupka, ICE's Project Manager.
"Initially, we started our relationship with Strojmetal as one of the subcontractors, supplying automation solutions, whether machines or perhaps extensions to existing technologies," Stupka explains the origin of the relationship between the two companies.
Our domain is integrating units within automation. We have solutions for connecting machines that previously couldn't communicate, thus assisting in automating even older technologies. "We integrate individual units into one mutually communicating system," says Stupka. This goes hand in hand with strengthening areas of data collection and production digitisation.
We offer such services to a number of customers. In the case of Strojmetal, however, we are going a step further. Gradually, we are becoming a supplier of entire production units. The goal is to design production according to how Strojmetal contracts orders with its customers.
"We enter the entire process already at the moment when such an agreement is nearing completion. We start planning the given production line, the manufacturing process, we can evaluate various options, we address how the production will fit into the plant and what its energy requirements might be," describes Stupka. Such an analysis even before the contract is finalised helps with pricing and protects Strojmetal from unexpected complications (not only in terms of expenses) during the actual implementation of the order.
When everything goes well, a complete digital twin is created before the line's implementation, and production simulations, including cycles, are conducted. At this stage, there is room to adjust various specific elements and solutions even before the actual realization of the line and ordering its components from suppliers begins.
"Modern technologies for building manufacturing plants help in making decisions about business relationships with customers and suppliers," emphasizes Stupka. Only a digitally designed line, where engineers verify other contexts, such as sufficient storage space for products and input materials, proceeds to realisation.
We have been cooperating with Strojmetal for about ten years. In recent years, in addition to designing the entire line and supplying its individual parts, we increasingly manage the entire implementation of the line, including the purchase of specific machines from other suppliers.
At this stage, our project team, which we have gradually built, comes into play. Our Project Managers, such as Jan Kučera, who became a pioneer in this position during the preparation of the forging line for Strojmetal Bruntál, then essentially act directly on behalf of Strojmetal towards suppliers.
We request the necessary components and equipment, subsequently manage the implementation of the lines and their commissioning. We use so-called agile management methods, which are otherwise uncommon in such large industrial plants. This allows us to execute projects faster and more efficiently. Our project managers have greater authority on-site, which speeds up decision-making and eliminates unnecessary approval processes.
This activity can also extend to other MTX Group companies, and in the future, we can similarly manage projects, for example, in Povrly or Břidličná. "This symbiosis is gradually expanding as we grow. Originally, a smaller company could not guarantee the supply of industrial units worth hundreds of millions of crowns due to its turnover, but growth allows us to expand these guarantees," explains Stupka. In addition to project activities, maintenance, especially in the area of software, digitisation, and the supply of individual parts, we can gradually carry out the complete construction of equipment for Strojmetal.
* You can find the original text in the MTX Group Magazine 2024, pages 78-83 https://www.ice.cz/storage/app/media/Blog/mtx-magazine-2024-str-79-83-strojmetal-a-ice.pdf
