Munich, Germany – November 2024 – A global electronics manufacturer has achieved a 55% reduction in production changeover time and 22% lower energy costs after integrating the ABB DO810 digital output module into its smart factory in Munich. The upgrade, completed in October 2024, supports the plant’s shift to flexible manufacturing—enabling rapid switches between smartphone, tablet, and wearable device assembly while maintaining precision.
The Challenge: Rigid Modules Limit Flexible Manufacturing
The Munich plant specializes in contract manufacturing for consumer electronics, producing 12+ product models across 6 assembly lines. To stay competitive, it needed to reduce changeover time between models (e.g., from smartphone circuit boards to tablet displays) and improve energy efficiency. However, its legacy digital output modules were holding it back:
- Slow Changeovers: The old modules required manual reconfiguration of wiring and software settings for each product model, taking 2.5 hours per line—costing the plant 15 hours of production weekly.
- Energy Waste: Generic modules drew constant power (15W per unit) even when idle, contributing to high electricity costs. With 48 modules across the plant, this added up to 63,360 kWh of wasted energy annually.
- Signal Interference: In the plant’s cleanroom environment, electromagnetic interference (EMI) from nearby pick-and-place machines caused the old modules to send false signals—leading to 3% of electronic components being damaged during assembly.
“As consumer electronics demand becomes more dynamic, we needed a module that could keep up with frequent product changes,” said Dr. Klaus Weber, the plant’s smart manufacturing director. “Our old modules were rigid and inefficient—they were slowing us down and increasing costs.”
ABB DO810: The Flexible, Energy-Efficient Solution
The plant selected the ABB DO810 after a 3-month trial, citing its programmability, energy-saving features, and EMI resistance as key differentiators:
- Rapid Configuration: The DO810’s software-configurable outputs (via ABB Control Builder) eliminate manual wiring changes. Operators can switch between product profiles in 30 minutes—down from 2.5 hours—using pre-saved settings in the plant’s MES (Manufacturing Execution System).
- Energy Optimization: The module’s low-power design draws just 3W in standby mode (80% less than the old modules) and automatically powers down unused channels. This aligns with the plant’s sustainability goals, which target a 25% reduction in carbon emissions by 2026.
- EMI Shielding: Built with advanced EMI filtering, the DO810 resists interference from high-speed machinery. Its IP20-rated housing (dust-resistant) and compact design (140mm x 80mm x 40mm) fit seamlessly in the plant’s cleanroom control cabinets.
- Scalable Integration: The DO810 supports Modbus TCP/IP and OPC UA protocols, integrating with the plant’s Industry 4.0 ecosystem (including IoT sensors and AI-driven production analytics). This allows real-time monitoring of module performance and energy use.
Results: Flexibility, Efficiency, and Cost Savings
Three months after deployment, the Munich plant’s metrics show transformative improvements:
- Changeover time cut by 55%: Reconfiguring assembly lines now takes 70 minutes instead of 2.5 hours, saving 8.25 hours of production weekly—equivalent to 429 additional production hours annually.
- Energy costs reduced by 22%: The DO810’s low-power design cut the plant’s annual energy use by 13,939 kWh, translating to €4,182 in savings (based on Germany’s average industrial electricity rate of €0.30/kWh).
- Component damage rate dropped to 0.5%: EMI shielding eliminated false signals, saving the plant €28,500 annually in replacement parts and rework.
- Production flexibility increased by 40%: The plant now handles 17 product models (up from 12) and can accommodate last-minute order changes without disrupting schedules.
“The DO810 has redefined what flexible manufacturing looks like for us,” Weber said. “We can now switch between products faster than ever, and the energy savings are a bonus that directly impacts our bottom line. It’s a win-win for productivity and sustainability.”
Lars Hoffman, ABB’s European sales director for industrial automation, noted the DO810’s role in smart factory transformation. “Modern electronics plants need modules that are as flexible as their production lines,” he said. “The DO810’s programmability and connectivity make it a cornerstone of Industry 4.0—helping manufacturers adapt to changing demand while reducing their environmental footprint.”
The plant plans to install the ABB DO810 in its sister facility in Budapest, Hungary, in 2025, with the goal of standardizing its global manufacturing processes around the module.
