Cooler Master, Innovating Beyond Cooling: Transforming Manufacturing with WISE-IoT Smart Factory Solution

Advancements in technology have enhanced the smart functionalities of end devices in applications such as electric vehicles, 5G communication systems, and new energy products. The resulting need for enhanced performance and stability is also driving demand for effective thermal solutions. In meeting diverse and stringent market requirements, Taiwan's leading thermal solutions brand, Cooler Master, has actively pursued digital transformation. To realize the digitization of factory management, optimize its production processes, improve product quality, and enhance operational efficiency, the company has implemented Advantech's WISE-IoT smart factory solution at its factory in Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Before implementing the WISE-IoT factory solution, Cooler Master reviewed its factory operations and identified several challenges:

• The first issue was the company’s reliance on manual communication for on-site issues. For example, whenever a problem arises, production line personnel must communicate with corresponding units in the office repeatedly to clarify and resolve the issue. This process was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and unnecessarily complicated. Moreover, once a problem was resolved, a complete absence of recordkeeping prevented learnings from being applied in the future.
• Second, the company had unclear quality control processes and records. Previously, their quality control tasks, such as first article inspection (FAI), incoming quality control (IQC), and in-process quality control (IPQC), were recorded manually. These handwritten records were often vague, rendering them ineffective for further analysis and application.
• Third, their lack of complete production data prevented traceability. While the manufacturing execution system (MES) automated some data collection, such as capturing the operator and operation results from equipment, data capture was not comprehensive. For instance, while entry and exit times were recorded, there were not records for parameter settings at each station. making it difficult to establish a complete production history that responds to client audits.
• Four, the company had large volumes of data from which limited value was being created. Despite accumulating numerous data reports using whiteboards and presentation files on the shop floor, the lack of digital tools to integrate and analyze these data limited their utility. Consequently, the factory could not leverage data to develop key performance indicators (KPIs) or optimize their operational efficiency.

Jason Wu, CIO of Cooler Master, stated that the complexity of Cooler Master’s challenges led them to implement WISE-IoT factory solutions in two phases. This approach was adopted to help them overcome difficulties related to product quality, cost control, and deadline deliverability. These included the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) system for tracking equipment performance, the Andon system for rapid issue resolution, the Maintenance system for proactive equipment upkeep, and the statistical process control (SPC) system for maintaining product quality.

In the first phase, Cooler Master focused on connecting equipment to enable real-time monitoring of equipment operation and maximize production resource utilization. This also involved setting up equipment and process parameters, giving the sales team access to processing histories to meet customer audit requirements. Additionally, they integrated the MES with WISE-IoT, allowing them to upload data to a cloud-based command center. Using a visualization interface, administrators can now accurately and promptly monitor equipment status, production efficiency, yield rates, and production line events.

In the second phase, Cooler Master expanded their data capture efforts to cover all tool stations, integrating production records across both internal and external supply chains. The system was also linked with a prognostics health management (PHM) solution that analyzes equipment health and conduct maintenance proactively, reducing downtime risks caused by equipment failures. Finally, an Advantech Power Suite (APS) system was implemented to optimize their equipment production schedules.

Wu highlighted that the WISE-IoT factory system’s ability to capture real-time data from each station and record production histories has allowed Cooler Master to accurately track metrics such as equipment utilization and availability rates. Combined with the digital management platform and visualization interface, the company can continually adjust strategies to help them better optimize their resources, including the management of personnel, tools, materials, and processes. This approach has not only significantly reduced labor and production costs, but also enabled the company to provide complete production histories, meeting their customers varying audit requirements and enhancing customer brand trust.

Overall, Cooler Master’s implementation of the WISE-IoT factory solutions has yielded three significant benefits:

1. The efficient tracking of production events and quick resolution of issues to restore normal operations. When production line issues arise, such as line changes, tool material shortages, or equipment failures, the clear record management helps with rapidly identifying and resolving problems, allowing Cooler Master to continuously optimize productivity. Additionally, precise tracking of production data ensures consistent product quality.
2. The comprehensive capture of internal and external data allowing the company to build production histories. By using WISE-IoT to integrate MES system work orders with supplier reporting records, personnel can access both supply chain and in-house processing data on a single platform. This provides an at-a-glance overview of a product’s entire lifecycle. Production histories can then be visualized to satisfy customer audit requirements, ensuring on-time delivery while improving supply quality management.
3. Optimized equipment utilization through IoT-enabled monitoring. With IoT sensors continuously monitoring equipment operation, such as vibration sensors on motor shafts observing waveform changes during operation, their setup now provides actionable insights. Maintenance personnel can accurately assess the status of equipment, preventing faulty equipment from affecting output quality. They can also schedule maintenance at optimal times, thereby maximizing equipment uptime while reducing repair costs.

Due to these remarkable results, Cooler Master plans to gradually replicate these smart solutions in other production lines at facilities in China and Vietnam. Their goal is to establish a cloud-based production management platform that comprehensively oversees the entire group’s production lines, advancing their overall operations toward smart manufacturing.

1. Quickly resolve production line issues to reduce downtime risks and ensure product quality
2. Capture comprehensive internal and external data to build detailed production histories
3. Optimize equipment usage to enhance equipment utilization rates

The WISE-IoT Smart Factory Solution based on industrial IoT platform IoTSuite is designed to optimize factory production efficiency, improve equipment management, and create a safe, sustainable environment. This case was implemented on OEE, Andon, Maintenance, and SPC systems to drive digital transformation and advance smart manufacturing.