AI-Driven Production Scheduling for 25% Faster Flow
Optimizing oven usage in a high-mix manufacturing environment without AI-driven production scheduling isn’t easy — especially when scheduling decisions depend on operator intuition instead of real-time insights.
Discover how Atlas Copco partnered with 24Flow to transform Z-Coat oven planning through AI-driven scheduling, real-time feedback, and a gamified operator experience.
About Atlas Copco
Atlas Copco Group is a global leader in industrial technology, founded in Sweden in 1873. The company develops equipment, services, and solutions that boost productivity and innovation across manufacturing.
Active in Belgium since 1955, Atlas Copco has supported local industry for more than 60 years. With strong, differentiated products across compressors and industrial gases, vacuum solutions, power equipment, and industrial tools and assembly solutions, the company serves a wide range of customer segments and creates value for customers, employees, shareholders, and society.
Challenges
Before implementing 24Flow, Atlas Copco faced several issues impacting efficiency and consistency:
Manual planning
Operators scheduled oven batches based on intuition, leading to inconsistent decisions and fluctuating performance.
Artificial bottlenecks
Ovens were often reserved too early or left unused, wasting time and energy.
Limited visibility
Without real-time feedback, operators struggled to make optimal decisions.
Poor shift alignment
Lack of central logic caused variation in decision-making across shifts.
Solutions
- Smart Oven Scheduler: A dynamic oven scheduler was deployed in the Z-Coat area, automatically suggesting the best grouping of incoming and waiting orders to maximize oven utilization and reduce idle time.
- Gamified Operator Experience: Operators keep full autonomy, but the system encourages optimal choices:
- Orders waiting too long are highlighted.
- Suggested batch combinations reduce oven time and energy waste.
- A real-time score dashboard compares operator performance against the AI “solver.”
- Beating the solver becomes harder as performance improves — creating a positive feedback loop.
- Transparent & Operator-Friendly: A simple interface, clear score logic, and immediate feedback ensured high engagement across shifts.
- Validated Through Simulation: All scheduling gains were confirmed using an Evoma simulation model, strengthening credibility and alignment across suppliers.
Impact
25% reduction in oven time
Achieved through optimized grouping and validated by Evoma simulation.
15% improvement in OEE
Result of multiple combined initiatives, with the scheduler playing a key role.
15% reduction in WIP wait time
Faster stacking decisions and fewer waiting orders before batching.
Higher operator engagement
Gamification boosted consistency across shifts and improved decision-making.
Flanders Make supported 6 leading companies (Vandewiele, Picanol, Atlas Copco, CNH, Crop’s and Sabca) in fully sustainably digitizing their high-mix-low-volume production over a period of 5 years through the accelerator program with 6 end-to-end digital pilot production lines for digital transformation. These leading companies and Flanders Make, together with the Flemish authorities (Department of Work, Economy, Science, Innovation & Social Economy – WEWIS, and Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship – VLAIO) worked out a new co-development platform. Based on a pilot line approach, selected SMEs (Accelerator R&D suppliers) could validate their R&D in real production environments and obtain relevant testimonials to scale-up their innovative solutions. The results are an inspiration for other production companies to also take the necessary steps to safeguard local production. This program (contract number VV021/08) is supported by the Flemish Resilience Recovery Plan.
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ABOUT US
24Flow is a modular manufacturing platform that empowers make-to-order manufacturers to reduce lead times and increase visibility & traceability. Inspired by lean and QRM, 24Flow controls the flow of production orders which increases visibility and results in shorter lead times, improved delivery reliability and a reduction of work-in-progress and inventory.
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