Four Jaw

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About

FourJaw

Launched in 2019, FourJaw Manufacturing Analytics by founders Chris Iveson and Robin Hartley is a new start-up that has grown out of the University of Sheffield’s globally recognised Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

FourJaw has a clear vision of using big data to make Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining as efficient as mass manufacturing. FourJaw delivers data-driven manufacturing analytics that are accessible and affordable, providing tangible benefits to manufacturers’ bottom line and shop floors.

The Challenge

How they were working

Providing specialist solutions to manufacturers, FourJaw had developed a unique Manufacturing Execution System which helps manufacturers improve shop floor productivity by unlocking CNC data and insights.

The system they built performed by:

  • Collecting high-quality data from CNC machine tool controllers
  • Securely sending the data to a hosted cloud database
  • Using engineering analysis to convert data collected into insights

So, what were they missing? – Although the team had the right information to help clients to streamline performance, they did not have a platform that could present this information in a digestible and accessible way.

They needed some digital experts to help build a user-friendly platform that could be accessed on the go. So, they approached The Curve.

How we helped

The Approach

Our team took a hands-on approach to understanding what information was important to FourJaw’s clients to be able to build a platform that would prioritise and carefully demonstrate these.

It was identified that the platform must present the following information:

  • Key performance indicators over different timeframes
  • Production timeline history
  • Current production status

The Curve then began building and refining an application that presented the real-life data from the Manufacturing Execution system on a live dashboard that could be accessed from a mobile or desktop. This user-friendly application made it easy for manufacturing professionals to have quick access to help make tangible improvements to their operations.  

FourJaw

Their Thoughts

“The Curve really helped us to identify aspects of our technical architecture which required alternations, and then implement these changes into our code. James and Paul also helped us to develop part of our website which now allows those guys operating the machinery to see the data which is being produced. By implementing an event-driven architecture, we’ve also been able to improve productivity; any time a machine stops, operators are now able to enter a reason for this. As a result, manufacturers can now start to understand what’s causing machine stoppages and look at ways to address these issues and prevent them from occurring in the future.”
Robin Hartley
Robin Hartley
Enterprise Fellow at the AMRC
“What really attracted us to The Curve was their experience. James and Paul don’t just go off and do something blindly – rather, they continually question and evaluate all of the solutions available, and they always look for ways to go the extra mile.”
Chris Iveson
Chris Iveson
Commercialisation Manager at the AMRC
and CEO of FourJaw, (when the business officially launches)