Efficiency boost for special vehicle construction: Putzmeister optimises production logistics with IoT solution from SmartMakers

The international machine manufacturer Putzmeister has successfully digitised its production processes in special vehicle construction with the help of the IoT tracking solution thingsHub from SmartMakers. By using real-time location systems, the company gains complete transparency about the location and availability of its carrier vehicles in assembly. The result: significantly reduced search times, less idle time and noticeably increased process stability.

The problem: high search costs due to lack of overview

"We had no transparency about where our carrier vehicles were located on the premises. This led to delays in production and unnecessary effort," explains Jannik Wörn, Operations Excellence Engineer at Putzmeister. The challenge was to know at all times where the truck chassis for the concrete pumps were located and when they would be available for the next job. This is because delays at this point have a direct impact on downstream assembly processes. The decision to introduce a tracking system was finally made after an inventory check, during which manually searching for chassis on the extensive factory premises took a considerable amount of time. ‘The inventory was a disaster. We urgently needed a system that would help us keep track of things in the future.’

The solution: IoT-supported real-time tracking technology from SmartMakers

The IoT platform thingsHub now enables continuous monitoring of all carrier vehicles. Each is equipped with a tracker that regularly transmits position data. This is automatically visualised on a digital map and provides the production team with reliable information about the location and status of each vehicle.

‘Since using thingsHub, we have been able to reliably ensure availability and make our processes much more stable,’ Wörn continues. The ability to identify bottlenecks at short notice and take early countermeasures has proven particularly valuable in final assembly. Internal communication has also improved, as information is now objectively available and no longer dependent on individual feedback.

The results speak for themselves: according to its own calculations, Putzmeister saves around 1,200 working hours per year by reducing the amount of time spent searching. The investment in the system has therefore paid for itself after just a few months. Inventories also became much easier after the introduction and were completed in a fraction of the time previously required.

Greater efficiency, higher flexibility, lower costs

The thingsHub platform developed by SmartMakers is specifically designed for industrial applications. It offers high scalability, an intuitive user interface and comprehensive options for later use in other applications. Another advantage is that the system works without the need to set up a large infrastructure and can be operated without connection to existing IT infrastructures. This makes the solution ideal for rapid implementation during ongoing operations.

For Putzmeister, the project is a first step on the road to intelligent, data-driven production. ‘The solution provides us with a solid data basis for future automation measures,’ says Wörn. The integration of tool and forklift tracking as well as the recording of load carriers with order-related materials are already in the planning stage. A connection to the existing ERP system is also being considered.