Faster, Smarter, Smoother: How Civic Shower Screens streamlined their Production
In 2023, Elton Lockhart began streamlining Civic Shower Screens’ manufacturing operations. Specialising in software engineering, his task was to find more efficient ways for Civic to run its glass production – a task he carries on to this day.
As part of a company serving over 350 clients across Queensland and New South Wales, Elton sends everything from shower screens to mirrors, splashbacks, and wardrobes to the firm’s CMS Gea. Using software built specifically for Civic’s internal workflow, he takes CAD files, feeds them to the machine, and gets the jobs running with optimal efficiency.
“I’m responsible for all internal software development, manufacturing process improvements, and factory automation. I build the software which allows the creation of glass piece drawings, which are then automatically converted into drawings for CNC and waterjet processes,” he explains.
This is no small feat. Elton coordinates the CNC’s mechanical processes with the “brains” of computer programs to automate the overall process and remove as many inefficiencies as possible. Human error, as he learned, was the biggest inefficiency of all – and that’s what brought him directly to our door.
“The biggest pain point that drew us to Innovync was human error when executing manual job setups for CNC machining. Errors could often occur more than once,” he says.
With our help, Civic found a solution. The CMS Gea, a 3 axis machining centre for flat and laminated glass of various thicknesses, The machining centre was exactly what they were looking for. In Elton’s hands, this CNC became an automated system that minimised human error, and maximised productivity, making the whole process smooth and pain-free.
“The ease of DXF file imports allowed us to automate a majority of the setups sent to the CNC. We are continuing to enhance our processes, with the next step being automation of tool selections within the drawings, currently a work in progress.”
Even without the soon-to-be- implemented tool change automation, the Gea makes its value known. As all glass processors know, bringing cycle times down while keeping quality high is the ultimate goal, Civic’s numbers speak for themselves.
“Our per piece handling times have been cut by 75% when compared to the previous manual setups. Pieces are now completed within 30 minutes instead of hours.”
Yet, there was room for improvement. After using the off-the-shelf Gea for some time, Civic decided to expand the machine’s capabilities with the addition of a laser positioning system; adding more speed and precision.
“The laser positioning add-on should be standard. We initially purchased the machine without that component and it definitely made the biggest difference to productivity,” Elton reflected.
The decision to install the add-on came after several conversations with our Stone, Glass, and Tooling expert, Dominik. After listening to Civic’s goals and production requirements, Dominik suggested integrating the laser positioning system to further cut down on setup times. But the after-sales service didn’t stop there.
“Dominik and the team at Innovync have been very responsive to our changing needs, whether it be tools or CMS add-ons to aid productivity,” says the software engineer.
As Elton works to further streamline the manufacturing process, he finds new opportunities for growth. With CMS’ penchant for providing customised solutions, further modifications could push productivity even further. Pair the technology with the skills and creative intelligence from a software engineer, and you have a formula for fabricating at levels never before seen. The possibilities are breathtaking.
Keep an eye out for new developments – this venture is one to watch!