Beijing Sinotrans Logistics Warehouse RFID System Project

1) Project background

In order to achieve the goal of digital transformation of Sinotrans and improve the automation and digitalization level of warehousing business, the Science and Technology Innovation Department of Sinotrans Co., Ltd. plans to use automation needs as a verification scenario to verify the technical capabilities related to the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence on the basis of meeting the daily needs of warehousing. , providing reserve capabilities for flexible automation, rapid deployment and replication of warehousing operations.

Project design goals include but are not limited to:

l Achieve automation and visualization of offline operations, and control the quality of operations;

l Realize the digitization of warehouse management and rational allocation of resources. In the future, we can provide accurate data support for business decisions through background big data analysis;

l Improve production efficiency and reduce labor costs;

l Improve customer experience and achieve full tracking of goods arriving at the port;

l By connecting with SinoWMS, we can provide customers with replicable logistics supply chain solutions in the future.

2) Project construction goals and ideas

This project aims to achieve the following functional goals based on the selection of RFID technology for air transport in North China:

l Automatic identification, automatic verification, and alarm prompts of goods and shelves to improve the accuracy of goods operation and avoid the risk of picking up the wrong goods;

l Automatically record operating procedures, reduce the operator's workload, eliminate manual orders, and improve work efficiency;

l Provide multi-person operation mode, automatically record and check through the system to avoid errors;

l Through real-time monitoring and archiving of the goods receiving process, the management of goods in and out of the warehouse is realized;

l Upgrade the existing wireless network system in the office area to achieve data isolation between business and office management;

l Add a local application server to achieve localized management and improve work efficiency;

l Through data analysis, refined management of warehouse operation processes is achieved.

The project adopts the construction steps of "unified planning and distributed implementation". It first completes the construction of the basic hardware integration part of the system, then completes the development and application of business software, and finally completes the construction of the new technology application and system docking part.

3) Equipment deployment

In this system, the forklift is responsible for the flow of goods. Therefore, through the upgrading and transformation of the forklift, the forklift has the ability to collect RFID data, and associates the physical information of the goods with the cargo label information to realize the information during the flow of goods in the warehouse. Tracking and management, combined with inventory location information tags, realize intelligent warehousing management applications.

3.1.1 Forklift

Install RFID reading systems and industrial control computers on forklifts responsible for transporting goods in the warehouse area.

The RFID reading system includes a reader device and an antenna device, which are fixedly installed on the forklift arm and are responsible for collecting RFID data.

The industrial computer (or other) is installed in the forklift driver's cab. The RFID warehouse management system runs on the industrial control computer, completes data interaction with the background in real time through WIFI, and wirelessly transmits data to the reader in the RFID reading system through Bluetooth.

The RFID warehouse management system is mainly an application system developed based on customers' needs for warehouse management, and integrates the control interface for the RFID Reader and writer. By calling the API function, it controls the RFID reader and writer to complete the card reading and writing operations through Bluetooth. After the tag data is collected by the writer, it is returned to the warehouse management system in the industrial computer via Bluetooth. The system completes the analysis of the data according to a specific parsing protocol and obtains the tag information that the system wants to obtain.

The system recommends the use of industrial control computers. Industrial control computers can better guide the forklift driver's operations, understand the real-time operating status more intuitively, and issue operating instructions in real time through the industrial control computers, which is more flexible and intelligent.

3.1.2 Cargo labels

When the goods arrive at the warehouse, they are assigned RFID tags, and the RFID tags are associated with all the information about the goods.

Labels can be packaged in different packages to better suit installation on goods, which ensures that they will not be easily damaged. At the same time, it is also necessary to ensure that the label can be effectively read no matter which angle the forklift picks up the pallet. At the same time, it should be conducive to recycling.

3.1.3 Shelves

A cargo location label is installed in front of each cargo location to bind it to the shelf information at that location. The first layer of cargo location labels need to be installed on the ground, so buried labels are used. Use anti-metal labels on the first level and upwards.

3.2 System process

Sinotrans RFID logistics warehouse management system is based on the principle of overall planning and distributed implementation. The first phase will mainly implement intelligent management of entry, exit and transfer within the warehouse.

3.2.1 Storage

The forklift driver forks up the pallet loaded with goods and performs the loading operation. During the operation, the RFID forklift reader reads the label of the current cargo location, and the loading operation is completed. The cargo information is bound to the cargo location label information, and the relevant information is transmitted to the background WMS through the wireless network.

3.2.2 Departure from warehouse

Before the forklift drives to the designated shelf, it first reads the shelf label. The forklift computer determines and determines whether the driver is shipping goods on the shelf. If so, the driver is prompted to pick up the goods. If not, the driver is prompted again to load the goods on the designated shelf. After the forklift picks up the correct pallet of goods and completes the outbound shipment, the system automatically sends the outbound goods and outbound cargo location information to the backend WMS through the wireless network.

3.2.3 Database transfer

When the forklift performs a warehouse transfer operation, the forklift driver forks the pallet in front of the cargo space and then leaves the current cargo space. The system records the time when the goods leave the cargo space and uploads it to the system. When the forklift driver Stores the goods into a new location, the forklift reader reads the new location label. After completing the binding with the pallet label, the moving information of the goods is automatically updated in the system. Automatically generate new inventory information.