Mario Levi Increases Production, Agility With Lectra

PARIS — October 20, 2015 — Over the past four years, Mario Levi has experienced a steady increase in the acquisition of new contracts and customers. However, the productivity levels of their die press system were not sufficient to keep pace with the increase in demand. The team was therefore looking for a solution that would enable them to boost productivity, improve material use and accelerate time to market, while being flexible enough to handle growing demand from an expanding market.

“The die press system we were using required constant monitoring, because dies can break or become warped. This is a major problem because it leads to longer processes, and therefore it takes longer to fulfill orders. It was essential for us to take a different approach in order to meet market demand,” explains Gianfranco Tinini, Manager of one of Mario Levi’s cutting plants.

Harness The Power Of Automation
Based on previous experiences and industry expertise, Lectra was Mario Levi’s first choice once they decided to equip their mass-production plants with automated cutting technology. Lele Ogliaro, Mario Levi’s Director, especially appreciated Lectra’s holistic approach.

“Working with Lectra is very stimulating. They help you to improve your process and improve generally. They also make sure to leave the company in the condition to be self-sufficient. I never felt afraid that I would be left high and dry halfway through.”

Integrating Versalis® into the production process introduced a major change from the die press system Mario Levi had been using. Lectra experts collaborated with the executive team from Mario Levi to organize its processes around the new solution.

The Lectra team worked with Mario Levi to understand their operations, analyze their processes, and identify where improvements could be made.

Reaping The Benefits Of Change
With the Versalis in place, Mario Levi is now able to efficiently and quickly manage the variety of products, and especially, the complex production processes that are becoming more commonplace as market demands for flexibility and leather seating increase. “Implementing automatic cutting with Lectra has allowed us to increase our response times and production flexibility,” adds Lele Ogliaro. “We have seen an increase in productivity and hide yield, of up to 20% and 3-4%, respectively.”

“With Versalis, we have reduced order processing times by 20%,” states Gianfranco Tinini. “Our production now runs smoothly, which is critical for us.”

As it becomes more difficult to find personnel with the unique skills and experience to evaluate hide characteristics, Versalis also enables Mario Levi to ensure the consistent quality of its products. “The knowledge that is usually possessed by people is built into Versalis. It is the best you can get in interpreting leather,” says Gianfranco Tinini.

Keeping Performance On Track
Versalis’ integrated software suite and productivity analysis reports have become essential elements in the company’s continuous improvement initiatives, allowing them to monitor hide consumption, evaluate system performance and compare productivity with set objectives.

“Using the monitors, we can systematically evaluate hide yield and get immediate feedback on performance expectations,” explains Gianfranco. “With the Leather Reporting software, we can also assess performance in terms of quantity, the level of machine use, the time worked and the products made. As a result, we can make comparisons and discuss with the operators, with a focus on continuous improvement.”

Mario Levi has begun a Lean Manufacturing consulting project with Lectra, which will allow the company to further optimize their processes.

“We are sowing the seeds of success domestically and abroad. I hope to equip our sites with lots of new innovative technology that everyone will be excited about,” concludes Guido Levi, Chairman, Mario Levi.

Posted October 26, 2015

Source: Lectra
 

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