An Ethernet-based data communications system that links a turning machine, bar feeder and vacuum unloader played an unexpected role in facilitating this manufacturer's efforts to reduce waste and move toward just-in-time production. When Nilpeter embarked on a lean initiative 14 months ago, no one at the printing press manufacturer had any inkling that they had already taken an important first step. As it turned out, a previous equipment purchase, made for an entirely different reason, dovetailed perfectly with the company's efforts to reduce waste and improve efficiency.
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