At Sensr, we believe that no one can better assess and solve workplace problems than employees themselves. With that in mind, we are supporting Electrolux in building and rolling out an innovative cloud platform.
With EMC², the home appliance manufacturer provides its operators, process experts, managers, … with the necessary tools to build scalable solutions that can be deployed across various sites. The platform is now fully operational, and several use cases have already been successfully rolled out. A large portion of these applications focuses on performance measurement, and who better to tell you more about these applications than our data experts at Sensr?
1. Faster defect detection thanks to end-of-line testing
During production, Electrolux devices undergo numerous quality checks. For refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, and more, inspections ensure that the electronics are functioning, insulation is up to standard, and doors close properly. These quality checks are performed at Electrolux’s various production sites worldwide, and for a wide range of appliances. In the past, the results of these checks were scattered across different systems and machines at each site. Thanks to the EMC² platform, that data is now centralized. This is extremely valuable because one production site can now learn from another, and differences in the output of similar machines are detected more quickly.
“Thanks to the EMC² platform, all data is now centralized,
allowing one production site to learn from another.”
The next step is to link the reports from the quality checks with data from the ESMI data lake. The ESMI (Electrolux Standard Machine Interface) is an internal data standard that Electrolux uses to collect and centralize information from various production processes. This includes steps taken by machines and their configurations. By linking the quality control data with this production data, Electrolux gains better insights into which settings lead to certain issues and defects. This allows them to optimize their production processes, ensuring the quality of their products and reducing waste from defective products. This is crucial, as waste reduction is a key pillar of Electrolux’s sustainability strategy.
2. Reduced emissions and energy costs thanks to furnace optimization
Another useful application, building on the ESMI warehouse, is furnace optimization. To give some context: a large portion of the products Electrolux manufactures, such as ovens, receive a ceramic coating. This coating is applied in a massive gas furnace (about 300 m³!) that heats up to 800°C. Electrolux operates around 30 of these furnaces, which are collectively responsible for a significant portion of internal emissions. With these emissions in mind, Electrolux sought a way to use the furnaces as efficiently as possible. The room for improvement lay in the timing of when the furnaces are turned on.
These furnaces need time to reach the required temperature, and this warm-up period fluctuates based on factors such as the ambient temperature. So, our experts developed an algorithm that determines the ideal start time for the furnace and switches it on at the optimal moment. Whereas the furnaces were previously activated according to a fixed schedule, they are now turned on when the operator receives an email with a more precise start time. The next step is to introduce a new algorithm that directly controls the furnace.
While the actual savings depend on the current gas price, we’ve already achieved significant savings—both financially and in terms of CO₂ emissions—simply by correctly timing the preheating of the furnaces.
3. Accurate reporting thanks to OEE reporting
At Electrolux, the efficiency of each production site is measured using the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) score. This score provides insights into how much of the time production lines are running, at what speed, and how many defects occur. Data for this is collected by each individual machine and read by a central platform, where the information is consolidated.
However advanced the technology may be, machines can still transmit incorrect data, or there may be some nuances that cause the data to be misinterpreted. That’s why the human factor is indispensable in this process—the concept of “the human in the loop” plays a crucial role. The collected data is shared via an application with the operator, who can double-check, refine, or adjust the data if necessary. This dual-check system significantly increases the reliability of the reporting, as both machine and human oversee the process. The combined data is then displayed in clear dashboards, providing a transparent view of production efficiency.
“It’s the employees of Electrolux,
working alongside advanced digitalization,
who ensure continuous improvement of the production process.”
Two key takeaways: first, this example shows that the human role remains essential in the synergy between technology and human expertise. It’s the employees of Electrolux who, together with advanced digital tools, ensure continuous improvement of the production process. Secondly, these applications help Electrolux remain not only technologically innovative but also human-centered and responsible—another key pillar in their sustainability framework.
This kind of success is only possible through strong collaboration. Working with Cronos aan de Leie and Electrolux has been key to driving both innovation and efficiency. At Sensr, we’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far and look forward to seeing where this partnership will go, as we continue combining technology with human expertise for future improvements.