Manufacturing Automation Challenges

Current Pain Points

• Heavy losses due to manual data entry in the casting process.
• Goods worth 70 Lakhs to 1 Crore are being lost due to incorrect reporting.
• Workers are pouring material based on guesswork, lacking accurate calculations.
• Impossible numbers like 700–706 are being reported for tapping temperatures.
• A loss of 10–15 Lakhs has already occurred in previous projects.

Proposed Automation Solutions

• Need for a Computer Vision solution on the conveyor belt.
• Automatic counting at every stage—from casting to painting.
• Tracking across sand removal, grinding, and polishing processes.

AI & Data Integration

• Demo of a WhatsApp-based ERP system.
• Complete automation from customer order to final delivery.
• Real-time notifications and status updates.
• Automatic generation of daily reports for managers.
• Online data entry initiated using Google Sheets; AI to generate instant reports and insights.
• Integrating production and inventory management.
• Real-time analytics utilizing Google data.
• Automatic leak detection and material quality monitoring.
• Automated alerts for the vendor feedback system.
• Reporting system for data-driven decision making.

Inventory Management & Sensor Rollout

• Sensor-based solutions: Installing scales for weight-based tracking.
• Sensors have been deployed across 10 sites.
• ERP integration for real-time data access.
• Automatic conversion into the ERP system from mobile-based data entry.

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Marketing Strategy & Business Expansion Strategy

Go-to-Market

• Email marketing campaign: Sending emails every 20 days, targeting 1,000 people.
• B2C market entry plan: Currently there are 1,000 guards, out of which 500–600 are actual users.
• Online portal and website development is currently underway.
• Preparing data for participation in auto shows and component shows.

Cost Control & Supply Chain

• Implementing a Costco-style inventory management system.
• Stock management focused during the last 3 days of the month.
• Keeping only 3 days of stock at each branch/location, while the rest is held in the central warehouse.
• Optimizing material procurement and packaging.

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Machining & Manufacturing Process Overview

CNC Machining Operations

• CNC machining operations include drilling, surface coating, and finishing.
• Machined parts are prepared for direct assembly.
• Automated processing is used for calculations and drilling precision holes.
• Operations are carried out according to a specific size number (e.g., 50) after the piece is fitted.

Heat Treatment & Induction Hardening

• Induction hardening enhances and improves the core properties of the metal.
• It significantly improves working capacity and durability.
• This process is especially essential for sharp tools like knives/blades.
• The processing involves multiple cycles to achieve the desired hardness.

Quality Control & Inspection

• A dedicated inspection section is in place for quality checks.
• A stock monitoring system is implemented for every department.
• The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) remains identical and uniform across all stores/warehouses.

Facility Sections

• The facility consists of three main sections: Casting, Machining, and Forging.
• There is a specific finish requirement after every single operation.
• The final cut and finishing are executed strictly according to customer requirements.
• A complete end-to-end workflow is established from the foundry to the machining stage.

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Next Steps

Parth Khanna

• Come up with a solution for real-time data entry for inventory management, the major issue costing crores. This is active bleeding - needs a solution most urgently.
• Create a list of the top 10 priority areas and determine the implementation sequence. Keep in mind the client's interest in B2C sales.
• Align on the high level vision for the Sharp Chucks 4.0.

Everyone

• Schedule a detailed planning meeting for a) Inventory Management Proposal and b) Sharp Chucks 4.0 vision as well as next steps.