Husky unveils new technology to cut delivery times, costs

Husky Injection Molding Systems Ltd. has implemented a new digital Industry 4.0-style system at its factory in Dudelange, Luxembourge, that it says will dramatically cut both delivery times and costs on ordering and manufacturing.

Called the next-generation operating model (NGOM), the technology is designed to streamline hardware ordering and manufacturing from a practice that historically takes several weeks down to a few hours. “For the first time ever, customized stack components can be configured through a web interface and are then manufactured in a state-of-the-art laboratory through a completely automated process,” the Bolton, Ont.-based company said in a statement. “In addition, because the virtual and physical environments work together within a closed loop, the system is able to continuously improve on the products and services delivered. Information is fed back into the system so [our] subject matter experts can regularly improve upon quality and speed.”

Husky implemented the technology in its Dudelange factory with support from the Luxembourg government. Siemens was also involved in developing the NGOM molding solution, Husky said.

Kicked off in early 2017, Husky first began working with the Luxembourg Government’s Ministry of the Economy and Luxinnovation to support research and development of an end-to-end digital environment proof of concept. As the program has gained momentum, Husky is training a larger NGOM team, which is supported by the Luxembourg Digital Skills Bridge Program. “Throughout this same year, [we] also worked with Siemens on software development and overall process flow,” Husky said. “NGOM began taking orders from pilot lines in 2018 and is now fully operational, producing parts for customers in real-time, with ongoing validation and closed loop to industrialize the solution. The system can connect to different Husky locations in both Luxembourg and Canada.”

“The world is experiencing an accelerated pace of digitalization and it is influencing every aspect of our lives. Husky recognizes this shift and we have been actively working to embrace digitalization for some time,” John Galt, Husky’s president and CEO, said in the statement. “The NGOM program revolutionizes the way we do business, offering enhanced capabilities designed to deliver solutions with unmatched speed and flexibility, reduced overall cost, and a heightened, more accessible experience. Having an end-to-end fully digitalized architecture allows us to leverage our global capability and quickly scale to new opportunities, so that we can enable our customers to be more competitive and effectively respond to continuously changing consumer buying trends.”