Enhancing Traceability in Wind Turbine Gearbox AssemblyHeadquarters - Advance Gearbox, Hangzhou China, Energy & Construction

Crafts: Traceability & Transparency
Service: Lean Production & Sustainability
Project Date: June 12, 2018
Project_Advance_HQ
To meet growing expectations from wind turbine OEMs, Advance Gearbox required a scalable, error-proof traceability solution.

Eddso’s team collaborated across production, quality, and IT to map out trace paths, minimize manual logging, and integrate QR-coded checkpoints. A unified digital footprint was established for every gearbox delivered.

Challenge

Advance Gearbox faced increasing pressure from clients to provide traceable manufacturing data, but its existing system relied heavily on manual entries and paper-based batch logs, which were slow and error-prone.

  • Lack of Systematic Part-Level Identification
    Component traceability lacked standardization across shifts.
  • Disconnected Paper Records
    Quality inspection logs were stored manually and prone to loss or duplication.
  • Inefficient Root Cause Analysis
    Failure tracking to specific batches was time-consuming for operators
  • Low Cross-Departmental Visibility
    Production and quality teams operated on separate systems, limiting data synchronization.

Solution

A multi-phase traceability improvement plan was deployed, aligning digital systems with shopfloor routines and upgrading visual management.

  • QR-Based Trace Points
    Introduced touchscreens for real-time input and sign-off.
  • Digital Logging Terminals
    Replaced paper inspection logs, reducing errors and duplication.
  • Centralized Data Platform
    Merged inspection and production data into a unified MES system.
  • Supplier Code Integration
    Linked incoming part codes with supplier batch data for traceability.

Milestone

STEP

Demand Alignment

STEP

Onsite Investigation

STEP

OpEx Solution

STEP

Implementation

Results

Traceability compliance exceeded 90%, and issue resolution time dropped by 40% within three months.

  • Full Line Traceability
    Each gearbox now comes with a digital trace map, including supplier origin and test results.
  • Audit Readiness
    Paper-free trace reports aligned with major client audit standards (e.g. Vestas, GE).
  • Reduced Warranty Claims
    Improved root cause tracking led to a 25% drop in repeated gearbox failures.
  • Stronger Supplier Linkage
    Traceability now includes upstream supplier lots, reinforcing delivery reliability.

How Traceability & Transparency effort Agility Operations?

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