DavyMarkham - News
Father & Son Transform University Project Into Extra Revenue

Normally, when college students approach family members regarding a possible business project for a university assignment, they expect a fairly straightforward task. But when University of Leeds student Stewart Parkin discussed the possibilities with father Kevin, MD of Sheffield heavy engineering concern DavyMarkham, the project turned into a full-blown system installation, complete with touch-screen HMI's (human machine interfaces) and text messaging facilities, which is set to save the company hundreds of thousands of pounds. Needless to say, this being Yorkshire, there was no fee involved!

Kevin Parkin recently led a management buyout at DavyMarkham, with the backing of Leeds private equity house Endless LLP, and his primary focus has been on improving productivity at all levels and engaging the workforce in implementing an effective turnaround programme. So when son Stewart (21), who is studying BSc Computing at University of Leeds' School of Computing, raised the idea of a project at the engineering works, Kevin was able to identify a problem that could well be addressed by a computerised solution.

"With a full order book at present, we are desperate for extra machine capacity, so if we could eliminate unnecessary bottlenecks and downtime associated with tool changing, swarf removal, overhead crane manoeuvres and routine maintenance, we would have spare capacity to market to customers,' he says. "Previously, we utilised a bar code swiping system to measure general working times and major downtime events, but data was collected at the end of each day, requiring operators to recall details at the conclusion of a busy eight-hour shift. Clearly, we needed a more accurate, real time system.'

Thus was born Stewart's DavyMarkham project, which entailed programming, developing and implementing a Manufacturing Downtime Data Capture & Information System, from scratch. Having prepared an outline proposal, his first task was to make a formal presentation to directors, staff and union representatives at a weekly management meeting, to determine whether the project would be viable and beneficial, at the same time offering reassurances that the system would not be exploited as 'a spy in the works'. Happily, all parties were enthusiastic about the project and could foresee significant advantages for its immediate introduction, not least freeing up valuable production time.

Now completed to Phase 1, the project forms the major plank in Stewart's final year of computing study. With around 500 students from around the world and record levels of research income, the University of Leeds School is an established centre of excellent for computer sciences, artificial intelligence and informatics, its Computing undergraduate degree course providing core competencies in software engineering, database design, networking and internet technologies.

Stewart's deliverables on the DavyMarkham project included two software suites, written using the industry-standard Rational Unified Process development framework; a database recording each machine's total running time, downtime analysis and factory service response; a user manual for staff operating and managing the system; and a final project report, together with a lengthy university dissertation.

The system architecture consists of touch-screen HMIs stationed alongside three of the largest CNC milling machines, with eventual provision for twenty machines in total, a database server and two desktop PCs, one in the workshop and the other for the management team. The HMI screens are interfaced with each machine's onboard PC and networked into the plant-wide system, with provision for automatically texting different departments when service is required.

In practice, using a customised screen layout also configured by Stewart, each operator presses a 'Start' GUI button, at the beginning of a job; then, when there is an interruption for removing scrap, changing machine tools, overhead craning or routine maintenance, the operator pushes the 'Downtime' button and selects a reason for the stoppage from the on-screen menu, all of which is stored on the database. Alerted by text message, the service engineer attends the machine and records his progress, until the 'Operator Back' button is activated. Finally, at the end of each job, the operator presses the 'Machining Complete' touch-screen button. Supervisors and management are thus able to monitor and react to the output data from each machine, with data visualisation additionally provided in graphic form for ease of analysis.

"Family or not, Stewart has done a first class job,' says Kevin Parkin. "We are now able to record overall machine uptime, analyse the response from production services and, where necessary, invest in additional resources. We shall also be able to accurately plan in advance the service resources required for each job, to ensure more or less continuous machine operation.'

"By maximising milling and cutting utilisation in this way, we should be able to accommodate more machining work, which will generate tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of pounds in additional revenue,' he concludes, "which is not bad for a college project!'