"Our goal is to remain the market leader in paint production"
At Dulux Australia, processes and production are particularly efficient and transparent thanks to digitalization.
-
Colorful and individual: Thanks to digitalization, Dulux Australia can produce paint according to specific customer requirements. © Siemens
Kevin Worrell, project manager at Dulux Australia, is committed to automating and digitalizing mass color production. As the best-known paint manufacturer, Dulux offers its customers a huge range of possibilities. With growing customer demands and increasing competition, digital technologies and efficient automation solutions that can produce in small and very large quantities are in demand. Together with Siemens Solution Partner Mescada, Dulux Australia digitalized the entire production process both horizontally and vertically. This makes production up to batch size 1 particularly efficient and transparent.
From 75,000 interventions to zero
Using a concept study and the virtual reality platform Simit from Siemens, downtimes were accurately predicted and individual devices, such as pumps, were provided with relevant maintenance documentation or data sheets. Even before commissioning, the virtual simulation predicts exactly where problems will occur or how maintenance processes can be optimized. This not only saves time, but above all, money. "We were able to reduce the number of manual interventions from around 75,000 per year to practically zero. This increases the precise repeatability of our recipes," explains Kevin Worrell
-
By using simulation and paperless production, Dulux benefits from 25 percent more energy savings than originally planned and from 50 percent faster commissioning in its new Merrifield plant. © Siemens
Paperless and efficient
In addition to virtual simulation, Dulux focused on efficient documentation as a key element of its optimization measures. The keyword is "paperless": Thanks to the Siemens software Simatic IT eBR, originally developed for the pharmaceutical industry and for strict quality controls, all standards and regulations are complied with in the manufacture of paints. "All process steps and the handling of the raw materials are precisely recorded and monitored during production," explains Michael Freyny, Head of the Digital Factory and Process Industries and Drives Divisions at Siemens Australia.
One partner from start to finish — and beyond
As an experienced development partner, Siemens Solution Partner Mescada supported Dulux Australia throughout the entire project with sound IT expertise, extensive industry knowledge and the highest quality standards. Thanks to their extensive experience in the fields of digital enterprise and automation, the processes from strategy to implementation ran smoothly and cooperatively.
