"In assembling our agricultural machinery, we rely on Fabory Logic"

AVR from Roeselare purchases a staggering 99.5 per cent of all bolts, nuts, and couplings used in agricultural machinery from Fabory. By the end of the year, the company produces about 1,000 agrarian machines. During this production, the employees rely on Fabory Logic: with optimal inventory management, employees have access to precisely the right amount of fasteners at all times.

All parts of the machines are custom-made and assembled on the line. During their weekly visit, the merchandiser scans and refills the empty bin on his next visit.

Seasonal production

"Ivan Lippens, an operator at AVR, says: "Should a production stop threaten, I will immediately get in touch with my contact at Fabory." Sometimes, you just need a lot of the same bolts at once, especially with seasonal production." Filip Boone, the tactical buyer, says, "In the past, during busy periods, staff had to open pallets themselves to search for materials. That's a thing of the past with Fabory Logic."

1,000 different materials

There's a high demand for durable machines that offer economic viability. AVR sees a shift towards more precision agriculture. Filip says, "Scale expansion and climate extremes in agriculture/potato cultivation demand better performing and more reliable machines. "The machine must operate within a short time frame and almost no longer tolerates downtime. Staff shortages and qualifications also present a challenge." Machines have to do more under more extreme conditions. Due to less qualified staff, the operation must also be intuitive and simple, which often conflicts with technological progress."

Therefore, AVR pays extra attention in the production process to:

• Reliability and availability of components
• More performant machines: achieving more in the available time
• Remember the text: "Let's add automatic functions to machines that people only use a few weeks a year."

Nowadays, planting machines can place devices that automatically dose fertilisers or pesticides while keeping the environmental impact low. Filip and Ivan's Research & Development department colleagues are searching for new fasteners needed for this addition. They are continuously working on optimising the machines, and we have ordered 1,000 different materials from Fabory.

Blind trust in the correct fasteners

Specific bolts in the machines protect the potatoes. These are wood screws with a fully rounded head. "R&D helps us get as many potatoes as possible into the farmer's warehouse without damage," Ivan knows. "For many parts, we use bolts with a tensile strength of 8.8; for assembling a wheel axle, for example, we need bolts with a tensile strength of 10.9." Filip: "Conversely, we also use shear bolts for our machines. When cultivating the soil for planting, you don't want the entire tiller to break on a stone. Always protect the machine. That's only possible with fasteners you can blindly trust."

Prevent production shutdown

Preventing a production shutdown is one of the key principles. The production process must continue in the correct order. Ivan: "This prevents us from having to assemble something afterwards while another part is already pre-assembled. On the chassis of our machines, we attach hydraulic metal tubes of various diameters. Just for a harvester, you need dozens of them."

Proactive

Filip adds, "Our dedicated contact at Fabory provides insight into consumption and clearly shows what the high and low runners are. She also helps us decide whether some fasteners should no longer be kept in stock and advises on choosing alternative suppliers in agribusiness. These suppliers can also place the materials in the Logic cabinets. Fabory tells us about opportunities for improvement and doesn't wait for us to come up with a question. This proactive attitude works well for us."

Efficiency as a prerequisite

With about 1,000 items in circulation, tracking and ordering inventory can be time-consuming at AVR. The time the company saves with Fabory Logic's two-bin method is now spent on producing its machines. Ivan: "The Fabory Logic cabinets have become indispensable in modern production. Efficiency is essential; you can't work without it."