From Disruption to Efficiency:

How a Global Contract Manufacturer Used Arch to Optimize Preventative Maintenance and Save $5M

Recurring feeder-related attrition was silently eroding production efficiency for a global contract manufacturer. Despite internal flags for maintenance, problematic equipment was repeatedly returned to production. By deploying the Arch platform powered by Arch AI, the manufacturer analyzed attrition data from over 15,000 feeders and identified fewer than 60 units as the root cause of a third of resolvable global attrition. The result: over $5 million in immediate savings through strategic removal and replacement, demonstrating the transformative impact of data-driven preventative maintenance.

HIGHLIGHTS:

$5M+

Immediate savings from targeted equipment replacement

$15k+

Feeders analyzed across global production sites

Global attrition reduction through data-driven action

Less than 60 feeders identified as responsible for ~33% of attrition
Enabled AI-powered preventative maintenance at scale

“Arch is being deployed across our factories to help us drive production efficiencies, process automation, and predictive analytics.”

— CIO

The Challenge

High component attrition and recurring equipment issues were driving up costs and disrupting SMT line performance. Key operational challenges included:

Persistent equipment attrition degrading line performance
Inconsistent preventative maintenance across global teams
Lack of actionable insight into which assets posed the greatest risk
Escalating material waste and downtime

The Arch Approach

The manufacturer used Arch to identify and remove high-risk feeders through data-driven, global analysis. The Arch deployment featured:

Arch AI analytics across 15,000 feeders
Identification of fewer than 60 feeders causing ~33% of attrition
Serial number tracking to isolate underperforming units
Global collaboration to validate and retire problem assets
Strategic investment in replacements over reactive repairs

Key Outcomes

Root-Cause Equipment Analysis Drove Actionable Insight

Arch AI uncovered that a disproportionately small group of feeders were responsible for the majority of global attrition issues, a finding previously obscured by a lack of cross-site data correlation.

● Problem feeders had been flagged locally but not removed
● Arch connected performance data across sites to establish global patterns
● This insight eliminated guesswork and empowered confident action

Targeted Equipment Removal Delivered $5M+ in Savings

By tagging and permanently retiring the underperforming feeders, the customer eliminated a third of global attrition.

● 33% reduction in global attrition levels
● Immediate, measurable savings of over $5M
● Operational improvements achieved without large-scale overhaul

Preventative Maintenance Maturity Boosted Across Sites

The Archplatform became a foundation for standardizing maintenance strategy and elevating digital factory capabilities.

● Replaced reactive service patterns with predictive, data-backed maintenance
● Reinforced global collaboration between operations and engineering teams
● Enabled scalable digital transformation aligned with broader factory automation goals

Strategic Lessons

Preventive maintenance is most effective when guided by data. Arch helped this manufacturer move beyond routine service schedules to targeted interventions that delivered real value faster.

Key takeaways include:

Not all failures are created equal: A small subset of assets often drives the majority of issues
AI unlocks visibility at scale: Arch revealed patterns invisible to localized systems
Data-driven decisions reduce waste: Precision targeting enabled savings without excess investment
Preventative maintenance is a strategic lever: With the right tools, it becomes a driver of performance, not just risk mitigation
Partnership accelerates transformation: Arch brought both the technology and expertise to drive adoption and ROI