Gorenje Orodjarna, d.o.o., a subsidiary of Hisense Europe, is a leading toolmaking company in Slovenia with over 70 years of experience. Specializing in precision-engineered tools for sheet metal processing, plastic injection molding, thermoforming, and styrofoam packaging, Gorenje serves industries across Europe and worldwide. With a strong commitment to quality and innovation, the company continuously seeks to enhance its manufacturing operations through cutting-edge technology and strategic collaborations.
Transforming Toolmaking with R3GROUP
As part of the R3GROUP initiative, Gorenje is implementing advanced digitalization and reconfigurable manufacturing strategies to address key industry challenges. The primary goals of this pilot project include:
- Enhancing production line reconfigurability to minimize disruptions and optimize workflow efficiency.
- Developing collaborative environments for co-design and co-development, allowing real-time impact assessments of design modifications.
- Implementing data-driven models, such as springback models, to streamline design iterations and improve tool performance.
- Integrating supply chain awareness to quantify disruptions, optimize scheduling, and enhance production resilience.
- Deploying sensorized tooling to monitor tool wear, predict maintenance needs, and reduce unplanned downtime.
- Introducing modular tooling design algorithms to scale production efficiently and facilitate rapid reconfigurations.
Gorenje is optimising production with AI-Powered Decision-Making tools developed within the R3GROUP scope
The introduction of new orders often requires significant effort from multiple departments, leading to production bottlenecks and inefficiencies. Gorenje aims to tackle these challenges through advancements such as fast simulations with Autoform, which enhance simulation accuracy and speed to provide customers with precise feasibility assessments and optimize tooling designs. Additionally, macro planning capabilities are being improved to enhance visibility across departments by integrating design, R&D, assembly, and testing processes into a unified planning system. Another critical development is the digitalization and monitoring of tooling through the implementation of sensors to track tool wear, enabling predictive maintenance and preventing costly breakdowns. Furthermore, the development of a supply chain digital twin (SC DT) will help model complex supply chain networks to assess risks, enhance resilience, and mitigate disruptions.
By implementing R3GROUP solutions developed by LMS (Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems and Automation), Gorenje expects to achieve significant improvements in operational efficiency, cost reduction, and adaptability. Key benefits include:
- Reduced downtime and ramp-up time when introducing new designs.
- Enhanced production line flexibility, leading to faster and more efficient reconfigurations.
- Improved tooling reliability and maintenance planning, minimizing unexpected failures and costly interruptions.
- Optimized supply chain management, mitigating risks related to material shortages, cost fluctuations, and geopolitical factors.
- Time and cost savings, ensuring a more competitive and sustainable manufacturing process.
With the R3GROUP initiative, Gorenje is setting new benchmarks in toolmaking by embracing digital transformation and smart manufacturing principles. By leveraging advanced simulations, real-time monitoring, and integrated planning, the company is poised to enhance its market competitiveness while delivering superior solutions to its customers. This pilot use case serves as a testament to Gorenje’s commitment to innovation, efficiency, and sustainability in modern manufacturing.