SME 4.0 FOR FIVE YEARS WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING IT…

Solaxis Ingenious Manufacturing, a Bromont-based company specializing in additive manufacturing (industrial 3D printing) for almost 8 years, joined Aero Montreal’s MACH FAB 4.0 Initiative in January 2018. The program will help Solaxis continue its shift to the 4.0 industry, which it started a few years ago.

Partnering for innovation

The MACH FAB 4.0 Initiative consists of providing SMEs with personalized guidance to promote the adoption of digital technologies and advanced manufacturing among participating enterprises, while also boosting their digital maturity. The initiative is open to all Quebec SMEs that carry on manufacturing operations in the aerospace industry.

The vision behind this initiative perfectly connects with the Solaxis business strategy. The SME, located in Bromont, boasts a strong digital strategy along with advanced management practices geared toward digital considerations. Solaxis also easily meets MACH audit requirements pertaining to digital technology management and governance. In light of all these factors that qualified Solaxis for the MACH FAB 4.0 Initiative, the company submitted automation projects relating to operations, engineering, sales and marketing.

4.0 in its DNA

Since its inception, Solaxis has placed paramount importance on continually improving its products and services, while also focusing on tasks with significant added value. Its core values have always revolved around enhancing internal resources and valuing human capital.

In 2013, after just two years of operations, the team set up major IT solutions such as Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Product Data Management (PDM) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. These solutions provide Solaxis with a wealth of data that serves as a basis for making the best possible decisions. A few in-house employees have even developed expertise with these systems by automating internal processes.

Verified technological and digital advancement

In 2017, Solaxis passed its MACH audit, joining the cluster of Aero Montreal companies. This performance diagnosis looks at three key drivers: leadership excellence, operational excellence, and workforce planning and development excellence. The audit revealed that Solaxis qualified as an SME 4.0 thanks to its 3D manufacturing technology and its established systems.

Optimizing new key processes

By continuing to automate new processes through its already well-established systems and structure, the team will bring its efficiency to a new level for the benefit of customers, delivering even better speed and quality—two fundamental criteria in additive manufacturing.

Among other things, the company’s optimization projects are focused on data extraction and automation across its various systems. These projects will make it easier to evaluate customers’ projects and select manufacturing options according to requirements, in addition to automating the collection of various data, enhancing software design for customer relationship management, and helping to produce quality documents more efficiently while ensuring comprehensive computerized traceability.

Even if its services are already very fast and its time frames very precise, customer service will become even more efficient and help to meet the growing demand. The selected projects will considerably cut down on the labour time required for certain tasks.

Pursuing a mission of operational excellence

With the MACH FAB 4.0 Initiative, the modern plant will not only continue to pursue its mission of operational excellence to better serve its customers, but also cement its status as a leader in functional prototype manufacturing, low-volume production, and specialized tooling and jig creation for major customers and their entire supply chains.

All of which goes to show that even a small team can ride the 4.0 wave… it just requires a willingness to do so, and most of all, a belief in one’s own projects, no matter how ambitious!