Rehau Automotive to deploy Siemens software across all 15 plants

Rehau Automotive, the German automotive supplier and polymer specialist, is to deploy Siemens software products to replace several legacy systems in its engineering, manufacturing and quality management programmes.

With this, Rehau becomes one of the first automotive suppliers to implement a company-wide manufacturing execution system (MES) and quality management system (QMS) integrated into a product lifecycle management (PLM) system for product and process digitalization and closed loop manufacturing.

Rehau will replace all of its legacy software systems in 15 plants worldwide with the full scope of Siemens’ Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM) portfolio in order to maintain a competitive edge for the on-coming fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0.

“This is the lighthouse project for Rehau Automotive and is unique in our company’s history,” said Helmut Ansorge, member of the Rehau Automotive executive board. “Over the last decade, we developed homegrown, individual solutions for every site. The complexity of these legacy systems made it difficult for us to keep growing and maintain our competitive edge."

"This new integrated software system will give us the ability to standardise all processes and logistics in a lean way in order to develop and deliver the highest quality products across a network of 15 plants. Siemens’ highly integrated portfolio, deep industry experience and market leadership will be a real differentiator for us. They are exactly the right partner to help us achieve digitalisation and automation across our entire engineering and manufacturing processes,” added Ansorge.

Siemens says it created a special template for the Rehau integrated solution that leverages its full MOM portfolio, including Simatic IT UADM (MES solution), IBS QMS Professional software. The solution also includes Simatic IT Preactor APS, the leading advanced planning and scheduling system for manufacturing, as well as Simatic WinCC, the Siemens standard SCADA / HMI solution which is seamlessly connected to the shop floor. The solution is then closely integrated into Siemens’ Teamcenter software, the globally popular digital lifecycle management solution, as well as into the ERP system in use at Rehau.

This allows for all engineering changes to be immediately available on the shopfloor, and for engineering to be integrated into the nonconformance management system through the Active Workspace Client for Teamcenter. It also saves time and improves quality by providing engineers with direct, contextualised access to reported deviations and the as-built documentation.

“By eliminating the major part of its legacy solutions, Rehau made a bold move that could set them apart in their industry,” said Urban August, senior vice-president and managing director, Germany, Siemens PLM Software. “Industry 4.0 is a pressing topic for a lot of discrete manufacturers. This is especially true for automotive suppliers who deliver just in time or sometimes even just in sequence. Lean and reliable processes throughout manufacturing are an absolute must. Our comprehensive software portfolio and the deep integration we can provide can help companies like Rehau keep ahead of the competition in their respective markets.”