Mack Molding said it is expanding its relationship with the manufacturing app platform Tulip.

Tulip’s cloud-based platform augments the productivity of Mack’s workforce with shop-floor apps, industrial IoT and real-time analytics, according to Arlington, Vermont-based Mack.

“It is similar to a manufacturing execution system, only better,” said Mack headquarters plant manager Rich Hornby in a prepared statement. “With big pictures, interactive elements and videos, it is more efficient than paper-based work instructions when training new operators. Real-time data allows our team to rapidly recall information, ensuring we don’t find out tomorrow there was a problem today. Tulip also provides us with a platform to easily share data with our customers as they are just a click away.”

Injection molding contract manufacturer Mack has been testing Tulip at its headquarters for about a year, and will now begin rolling out the digital factory management software throughout the facility. The program allows Mack’s manufacturing and quality engineers to build apps on their own, enabling better operator training and increased productivity through guided, interactive work instructions. In addition, the apps validate data on entry, record KPIs, cycle-time data, collect critical data for customer traceability and track gauges, calibrations and due dates, all in real-time, according to the company.

“It is highly customizable,” Hornby said. “It puts the power of information, and the ability to act on it, into the hands of our front-line engineers, supervisors, and operators. This gives them the ability to drive productivity and direct continuous improvement efforts.”

“We’re thrilled about this expansion with Mack,” added Tulip’s head of customer operations, Erik Mirandette. “We’re excited to see how they continue innovating with manufacturing apps and leading the way in their space”.

Tulip’s manufacturing app platform is designed to increase the productivity, quality and efficiency of manufacturers’ operations. Launched out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology,  the company is headquartered in Somerville, Mass., with offices in the U.K. and Germany.