French optical cable plant in Calais first involved in the new fast track project
“Factory 4.0 is a transformational opportunity, allowing us to streamline the way we work and support a sustainable use of resources,” stated CCO Andrea Pirondini
MILAN, ITALY – Prysmian Group, world leader in the energy and telecom cable systems industry, announced the launch of its first Factory 4.0 pilot project in its optical cable plant in Calais, France. The project, named ‘Fast Track’, represents a step forward in the implementation of the Prysmian Group’s Fast Forward Operations programme aimed at creating smarter plants leveraging on the interaction between digital knowledge and human expertise. The Fast Track project will be realised thanks to the partnership with Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, world leader in 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up, and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions.
The partnership with Dassault Systèmes allows Prysmian to leverage on best-in-class applications for digital manufacturing operations management intended for the deployment of advanced IoT technologies, and Big Data analytics. Beside streamlining work processes and applying a more sustainable use of resources, Prysmian will bring more value to its work, and ultimately to its customers and stakeholders. The implementation of the pilot project in Calais will allow Prysmian to develop wider plans with the objective of progressively deploying Factory 4.0 solutions in all of its 82 plants worldwide. The Fast Track approach ensures full traceability of all manufacturing activities and materials, while managing events that could affect production processes and providing all relevant real-time information needed to identify root causes and possible solutions.
“Speed and information availability are core elements of Fast Track. This project aims to guarantee the full reliability of the manufacturing processes in terms of volumes, quality and timing, through a major leap forward in terms of production execution, and along the whole materials management chain,” explained Andrea Pirondini, Prysmian Group COO. “Manufacturing is the soul of our company and plants are our heart. We were born to produce. And our world-leading reputation is the result of a truly customer-centric approach based on our reliability. A key part of our steady success lies therefore in ceaselessly improving processes and efficiency, the quality of our products, and the capabilities of our employees, so as to deliver the highest value to customers.”
“We are creating a system that collects all the information available for each cable solution — from materials and production chains, to production times and quality tests,” stated Stefano Brandinali, Prysmian Group Global CIO. “The Fast Track project, and all other similar initiatives, could be used to schedule machine maintenance, making our plants safer and more efficient, and any deviation visible at an early stage. We are changing our approach to problems and critical issues, preventing them from occurring rather than just reacting to them. Technology will be key in this, particularly the use of the Internet of Things amongst others.”
Guido Porro, Managing Director EuroMed, Dassault Systèmes also commented:“Our 3DEXPERIENCE platform is a crucial asset for evolving companies, as it can successfully take them into the Industry 4.0 era. Thanks to our platform, in a very short time, we created for Prysmian a digital ecosystem that makes it possible to use smart, connected products to manufacture and maintain items in a far more detailed and intelligent manner, and to strategically use information to become more productive and creative. We are very proud to be recognised as a strategic partner of a forward-looking market leader such as Prysmian.”