Legrand Eesti
~1,5 years
2025, ongoing
Summary: Legrand Efficiency Metrics Project
Net Group developed a solution for Legrand Estonia to measure the efficiency of the factory’s paint line.
The project went beyond traditional software development and included designing
the entire data creation process needed to generate meaningful insights.
The implemented solution meets all of Legrand’s objectives:
- A highly accurate metric was created to assess paint line efficiency
- The solution proved stable during the testing phase and continues to operate reliably
- Data from the metric has already helped reduce unplanned production downtime
- Ongoing collaboration continues to optimise the solution and build valuable know-how for future, comparable projects
About Legrand Estonia
Legrand Estonia OÜ is part of the international Legrand Group, a global specialist in electrical and digital building infrastructures and a well-known provider of electrical products and solutions across the Baltic region.
Legrand Estonia develops and manufactures electrical and lighting solutions for buildings, industrial facilities, transport infrastructure and the maritime sector.
For example, Legrand offers smart electric vehicle charging solutions developed and manufactured in Keila, designed specifically for local climate conditions. The Paide factory primarily produces lighting fixtures and their components.
Why Did Legrand Need an Efficiency Metric
The challenge: Measuring the efficiency of Legrand’s factory paint line was difficult because production characteristics, such as the size and quantity of components, change constantly. This created situations where the paint line was not operating at maximum efficiency, yet there was no clear or objective way to assess its performance. When the production line runs inefficiently or idle, it results in wasted time, paint and energy, leading to significant financial losses.
How efficiency is defined: From Legrand’s perspective, efficiency is primarily determined by how many products pass under the paint sprayers at the same time. The automated painting system always sprays the same surface area, meaning that any paint that does not land on products is lost and immediately translates into additional costs.
The industrial impact: In an industrial environment, efficiency is closely tied to resource optimisation. The paint line also includes a high-temperature curing oven through which all painted components must pass. This oven consumes large amounts of energy, and every minute it operates without actually curing painted products represents a substantial energy and financial cost for the company.
Project Progress and Future Outlook
Data as the foundation of the solution
What made the Legrand paint line project particularly compelling for Net Group was that it was not just a software development effort. The real challenge was designing the data creation process that would generate measurable value. Instead of merely interpreting existing data, Net Group implemented a physical setup in the factory to generate reliable, real-time data.
Solution development and validation
During development, various object detection and machine learning approaches were tested. However, Net Group deliberately aimed for a solution that was as simple and reliable as possible. An initially planned machine-learning-based model proved impractical due to frequent changes in product shape, colour and mounting methods, which would have required constant retraining at up to three times the cost of the final solution.
Cost-efficient and scalable architecture
The final solution combines sensors, cameras, on-site computing and cloud-based image processing, where neural-network-driven object detection monitors the paint line in real time. Compared to alternative approaches, this solution proved significantly more cost-effective while meeting all functional requirements.
Continuous improvement
During the first 6–12 months, the system establishes a performance baseline. Once this baseline is defined, further process improvements and development initiatives can be introduced to measure and increase efficiency over time. Net Group continues to support Legrand with technical expertise in the next phases of development.
Impact and Results of the Efficiency Metric
Legrand’s goal was to obtain a highly accurate metric to determine whether a specific paint line was operating efficiently or experiencing performance gaps.
The efficiency measurement solution operates reliably and fully meets the objectives defined at the start of the project. At its core, the object detection system accurately recognises all products on the line and has already helped reduce unplanned production downtime.
Measured impact includes:
- Real-time visibility into painted items on the line
- Clear insight into paint usage and material waste
- Accurate tracking of line stoppages and idle time
- Reduced unplanned downtime through data-driven decisions
Legrand’s objective is to keep the paint line running at optimal capacity so that as many products as possible are painted efficiently. The insights generated by the solution also support broader process improvements across the factory, contributing to overall operational efficiency.
Net Group’s Role in Developing the Efficiency Metric
• Designing the conceptual solution for measuring paint line efficiency
• Implementing the most suitable sensor system and supporting hardware
• Developing the software and integrating it with physical devices
• Monitoring paint line performance and continuously optimising operations
Technologies Used
Python
S3
Grafana
OpenCV
Legrand x Net Group Collaborative Process
2023 - Preliminary analysis
2023 - Preliminary analysis
2024 - In-depth analysis and project planning
2024 - In-depth analysis and project planning
AI analyses phase (with AIRE)
AI analyses phase (with AIRE)
2025, Solution installed
2025, Solution installed
Legrand’s Innovative Solution
An innovative solution was developed for Legrand to measure the efficiency of its factory paint line.
The project went beyond traditional software development and included designing a new process for generating the data required to measure performance accurately.
- 01 Legrand’s factory needed a reliable efficiency metric
- 02 Net Group developed an optimal solution combining software and sensor-based technology
- 03 Paint line efficiency measurement is working effectively and already delivering the expected results
A Business-Driven Partnership: Legrand × Net Group
The collaboration was characterised by continuous, close communication at Legrand Estonia’s executive level, with a shared focus on finding the most technically effective and commercially optimal solution. Throughout the project, Net Group worked closely with Legrand not only from a technical standpoint but also from a business perspective—helping to clearly define the purpose of the efficiency metric and its concrete business value.
- 01 A highly accurate metric was created to assess paint line efficiency
- 02 The solution proved very stable during the testing phase and continues to operate reliably
- 03 Data from the metric has already helped reduce unplanned production downtime
- 04 Collaboration continues to further optimise the solution
Rather than delivering a “finished product,” the outcome is a solution designed to be continuously fine-tuned and expanded over time. This approach enables further efficiency gains and ongoing cost reduction as production conditions evolve.
“During the project, our conviction grew stronger that in industrial environments, standard solutions rarely deliver optimal results. Every production process is different, and achieving maximum efficiency usually requires a tailored solution—exactly as in the case of Legrand’s factory.”
Mikk Mihkel Vaabel, Team Lead, Net Group
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