DMG MORI

DMG MORI, a global manufacturer of machine tools serving customers across 42 industries and 79 countries, assembles precision spindles in-house at its Deckel-Maho facility. Each spindle moves through a single-piece flow process spanning over 16 stations, with highly variable picking procedures and quality checks at every step. Operators worked from paper schematics and standard work documents, recording progress and defects on manual forms. Without real-time visibility, identifying production bottlenecks was slow and pattern analysis across defect records was error-prone. Strict Takt time requirements made undetected line imbalances costly, and the absence of structured step sequencing left compliance dependent on individual operator diligence rather than enforced process controls.

DMG MORI deployed Tulip's connected worker platform to digitize the entire spindle assembly workflow. Custom Tulip apps guide operators station-by-station through each assembly step, with embedded schematics that can be rotated, zoomed, and expanded on demand — replacing static paper documents. At stations requiring selection from a large parts inventory, pick-to-light systems integrated with the Tulip apps direct operators to the correct component, reducing picking errors through IoT-driven guidance. Should a defect occur at any step, operators log it directly within the application; the platform automatically notifies the shift supervisor in real time to initiate corrective action. The result is a fully digital assembly record generated for every spindle.

The Tulip deployment eliminated paper forms across the spindle assembly line and replaced manual defect tracking with structured, real-time digital records. Key outcomes include:

• Paper forms eliminated across all 16+ assembly stations
• Real-time defect notification to shift supervisors, enabling faster corrective action
• Improved root-cause analysis: Managing Director Reinhard Musch noted that Tulip allows the team to "determine the root cause of problems with absolute certainty"
• Enhanced operator guidance through interactive schematics and pick-to-light integration, reducing reliance on supervisor oversight for step compliance

Line visibility improved materially, giving production management the data needed to identify bottlenecks and balance Takt time across stations.

• Step-level enforcement matters in complex subassembly: for 16+ station processes, digital sequencing controls reduce variability that paper cannot prevent.
• Embedding visual schematics directly at each step — not in a separate document system — is critical for high-precision work where operator reference accuracy drives quality.
• Pick-to-light IoT integration addresses picking errors at the source rather than catching them downstream in inspection.
• In-app defect reporting with automatic supervisor escalation shortens the response loop and produces structured data for trend analysis.
• Starting with a high-stakes, bounded process like spindle assembly creates a measurable proof point before broader rollout.