Who is the PIROUX group?
– History: A family group created in 1979, Piroux has become one of the leaders in sheet metal welding and painting in France and Romania.
– Markets: Automotive, Public works, Logistics, Environment, Agriculture…
– Specialities: Mechanical welding, Cataphoresis, Surface treatment
– Sites: 5 plants in France, 3 in Romania
– Solution used: Sirfull Welding PREMIUM
Several years ago, the PIROUX group reindustrialized in Romania, while keeping production in France.
This deindustrialization requires the resumption and adaptation of documentation and welding quality practices.
However, moving between two countries and many production sites exposes the group to difficulties in terms of traceability and information flow.
It should be noted that monitoring welding activity requires the processing of a lot of information that must be kept up to date according to customer specifications and business standards.
Consequently, the deindustrialization of PIROUX from France to Romania, leads to taking over the welding quality files, to recreate PQR/WPQR. Allowing the uniqueness of the information within the Romanian factories is an additional challenge.
For example, document templates in Excel format are to be reused by each new Welding Engineer. To optimize or conform to a new business, these templates are regularly duplicated, modified, optimized, and then duplicated again for the next project. All this is without common libraries/databases between the production sites.
This case study illustrates the exposure to data entry errors, duplication, and wasted time that method/quality departments can experience.
The Cloud environment proposed by SIRFULL Welding appeared to be a turnkey solution to optimize PIROUX’s document tracking.
The method/quality departments thought it would be interesting to launch the project from one of the two production sites in Romania, which has advanced expertise in welding quality within the group.
The PREMIUM features of SIRFULL Welding were proposed to several users, including welding engineers. The application now allows them to record welding parameters and part validations (QMOS) in a common environment for the group.
Also, an additional point appreciated by the users is the follow-up of the external qualifications of the welders.
The parts of the software dedicated to the creation of WPS/welding book and welding production follow-up are used on so-called routine cases throughout the year. These tend to be “repeated” from one case to another. Sirfull Welding’s “duplication of cases” feature is a very welcome application, i.e., “copy and paste” all the elements of the cases (WPS/PQR/Welders, etc.) and thus quickly link the processing of a project to its production and final reporting.
Sirfull Welding has been deployed on a few “large projects” of several hundred pages—such as bus frames and scissor lifts in this case.
The main difficulty with these cases is that they are unique and complex. But beware: applying a template to this type of project could have the opposite effect of wasting time.
Fortunately, Sirfull Welding is flexible enough to quickly adapt a WPS, to insert precise appendices in the manufacturers’ file between two chapters, to synthesize hundreds of welding parameters in a “Weld map” (welding follow-up sheet), etc.
The Cloud deployment has enabled PIROUX sites – 1 in France and 1 in Romania – to be equipped quickly and remotely.
The Cloud SaaS (Software As A Service) formula does not require any installation; a web browser is enough.
A remote training was enough to launch the product.
Results of the Sirfull Welding solution at PIROUX
— Time saved on welding documentation tasks
— 1 full time person freed up for higher added value tasks
— For the method department, less tedious troubles
Improve the adoption of the solution within the group. Development paths:
- Train a new person on the software (welding engineer)
- Integrate a new production site for new large projects (transport vehicle chassis and scissor lifts)
