CASE STUDIES

US Farathane

US Farathane: One LIVE Dashboard Driving Performance on 500 Machines

US Farathane is a leading automotive supplier with manufacturing operations across the United States and Mexico. Operating in a highly competitive environment with tight margins and demanding production schedules, the business relies on strong operational control, high uptime and consistent performance across multiple injection moulding facilities.

Overview

US Farathane needed to improve visibility, data accuracy and responsiveness across its manufacturing sites. Previously, much of the data used to assess performance was delayed or manually recorded, limiting the ability to react quickly to downtime, inefficiencies and quality issues.

By implementing Intouch across its plants, the business gained real time monitoring at machine level, improved control on the shop floor and, crucially, a single enterprise dashboard to compare performance across multiple sites. The result is a more connected, data-driven operation with faster decision-making and measurable improvements in performance.

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The Challenge

Before Intouch, US Farathane faced a common but critical issue across its operations: a lack of timely, reliable and standardised data.

Much of the performance data was manually recorded or updated at the end of a shift. This created delays in identifying issues, inconsistencies in reporting and limited confidence in the data being used to make decisions. In a dynamic automotive environment, this meant problems such as downtime, slow cycle times and scrap were often identified too late to correct during the shift.

At plant level, teams relied heavily on physically checking machines to understand performance. In facilities with many machines running across their operations, this made it difficult to maintain control and prioritise the right actions. Engineers also lacked clean, consistent data to support root cause analysis and continuous improvement.

At an enterprise level, the challenge was even greater. With multiple manufacturing sites operating independently and nearly 500 machines running, there was no simple way to compare performance across plants, benchmark results or identify where support was needed most.

'Before we had Intouch... the quality of our data was relatively poor... we struggled really bringing resources to the right problems at the right time'

Brent Carr, Director of Maintenance and Reliability

US Farathane needed a solution that could deliver:

Real time visibility at machine and plant level
Accurate, trusted data for decision-making
Faster response to downtime and inefficiencies
Standardised reporting across sites
A clear enterprise-wide view of performance

The Approach

Intouch was selected because it could address both plant-level challenges and enterprise-wide visibility in one system.

The approach focused on creating a consistent, scalable solution that could be rolled out across multiple sites while remaining simple for teams to adopt on the shop floor. The Westland, Michigan site was just one of the sites selected as an early pilot site to demonstrate value before expanding across the wider business.

Key elements of the approach included:

Direct machine connectivity to capture real time production data
Standardised data structure and reporting across all plants
Clear, visual dashboards for shop floor teams
A central enterprise dashboard for leadership
A system designed to be simple, intuitive and easy to adopt

Rather than acting as a standalone reporting tool, Intouch became part of a wider operational strategy, supporting continuous improvement, improving decision-making and laying the foundation for deeper system integration.

The Solution

Intouch created a connected system that links machine-level data with plant-level control and enterprise-wide visibility.

Real time machine monitoring
Across the project, nearly 500 machines were connected directly to Intouch, providing live tracking of cycles, downtime and performance. This removed reliance on delayed manual reporting and ensured data was captured accurately at source.

Visual factory dashboards
Each site implemented clear dashboards showing machine status, downtime and cycle performance. Teams can instantly see what is running, what is down and where performance is below standard – without needing to physically check each machine.

Digital data capture
Operators and team leaders use simple interfaces and tablets to log downtime, scrap and job information. This improves accuracy, reduces paperwork and ensures data is captured consistently across shifts.

Role-based visibility
The system provides relevant views for different roles:

Operators track scrap and downtime at the machine
Supervisors monitor shift performance
Managers focus on efficiency and output
Engineers analyse trends and drive improvements

This ensures the entire organisation is aligned around the same data.

Enterprise-wide performance view
The most impactful element is the enterprise dashboard. Leadership can view performance across all plants in one place, compare sites and drill down into specific issues instantly.

As Brent Carr explained: “My favourite part of the software is the enterprise view and the ability to look in and see the performance of all the plants at one time, and then if there are gaps, it allows me to very quickly and effectively drill in to look for where those problems are”

Continuous improvement and integration
With accurate, real-time data available, teams can prioritise improvement initiatives more effectively. The system also supports ongoing integration with ERP processes, reducing manual input and improving efficiency.

US Farathane Factory Tours

Take a closer look inside three US Farathane facilities across the US, including the Austin, Texas plant, the Auburn Hills, Michigan headquarters site, and the Westland, Michigan facility.

Explore how US Farathane uses real-time production monitoring across its operations to improve visibility, reduce downtime and support data-driven manufacturing.

The Results

The implementation of Intouch has delivered measurable improvements across US Farathane’s operations, but more importantly, it has transformed how the business responds to issues in real time and manages performance across multiple sites.

Improved OEE and operational performance

Sites have reported clear gains in core manufacturing metrics. One plant achieved around a 5% increase in OEE year on year, with a further 2–3% uplift already seen in the first quarter. Availability and uptime have also improved, supported by faster identification and resolution of issues.

At Westland, this also led to measurable reductions in tool change times, as teams were able to pinpoint delays and focus improvement efforts where they would have the greatest impact.

Real-time response means less downtime, more output

The most significant shift has been the move from delayed reporting to real time visibility.

Previously, issues were often only identified after a shift had ended. With Intouch, they are visible instantly, allowing teams to act during the shift, not after it.

This has a direct operational impact:

Presses are no longer left idle waiting for attention
Downtime is escalated and addressed immediately
Small issues are resolved before they become major losses
Production output is protected in real time

The result is more machines running, more parts produced and less lost capacity.

At an enterprise level, this responsiveness extends across all sites. Leadership teams can identify issues as they happen and support plants immediately, rather than relying on delayed reporting.

Better data → better decisions → sustained improvement

Data is now consistent, accurate and trusted across the organisation. This has enabled more confident, data-driven decision-making at every level.

Teams can prioritise the highest-impact issues, allocate resources more effectively and carry out more structured continuous improvement. The business has moved away from reactive firefighting towards proactive performance management.

Enterprise visibility → stronger control across all sites

The enterprise dashboard has fundamentally changed how US Farathane manages its operations.

Leadership can now compare performance across multiple plants in real time, identify gaps and direct support where it is needed most. Sites can benchmark against each other, helping to raise standards across the organisation.

This has effectively transformed multiple independent plants into a more connected, performance-driven network.

Reduced waste and improved efficiency

The move to real time data and digital workflows has reduced inefficiencies across the business.

Less reliance on paper-based processes
Faster and more accurate data capture
Reduced time spent compiling reports
Improved communication across shifts

Wider business impact

Beyond operational improvements, Intouch has delivered additional benefits:

Improved traceability across machines, jobs and operators
Increased customer confidence through visible use of modern systems
Stronger alignment across teams and sites
Enhanced support for continuous improvement initiatives

Improved performance has also contributed to reduced overtime, fewer weekend runs and improved profitability at plant level.

Summary

In summary, Intouch has enabled US Farathane to move from delayed, fragmented reporting to a real time, connected manufacturing operation.

While each site has seen clear performance improvements, the real impact lies in the enterprise view – giving leadership the ability to monitor, compare and improve performance across all sites from a single dashboard, and act on issues as they happen.