RFID smart manufacturing application solution for an engine manufacturing plant

1. Factory layout and equipment

The assembly workshop of a domestic engine manufacturing factory has a reasonable layout and advanced equipment. In this 50,000 square meter production area, the processes between each station are tight. The factory uses flexible equipment, accounting for 67%, the CNC rate exceeds 90%, and the automation rate reaches 78%. These advanced equipment lays the foundation for subsequent RFID applications.

2. Application of RFID system on assembly line

On the engine assembly line, the RFID system plays an important role. The following is the application process of the RFID system on the assembly line:

Step 1: Electronic tag initialization

In the computer at station 0, the worker enters the engine model and production information to be produced, and then the RFID Reader writes the RFID electronic tag ID number information into the RFID electronic tag to complete the initialization of the RFID electronic tag. Each engine tray has a unique RFID electronic tag.

Step 2: Read and write electronic tag information

After the engine tray to be assembled enters the assembly line, the RFID reader reads the information in the RFID electronic tag and transmits the data to the MES system. According to the content of each RFID electronic tag, the station computer displays the name, model and other information of the components to be installed at the station to guide the workers to perform correct operations. After completing the operation, the station will feedback the completed operation information to the MES system. After the RFID reader completes the writing of the station information, it opens the limit switch and sends the tray to the next station. According to the different processing information Stored in the RFID tag, the engine will be delivered to the subsequent station.

Step 3: Rework and maintenance

If the engine fails the inspection, it will automatically enter the rework area. The RFID reader reads the written information and compares it with the relevant information stored in the MES system. The cause of the failure and the solution of the relevant station are displayed on the computer of the rework station. After the rework is completed, the tag will write the maintenance information.

Step 4: Offline and data storage

When the engine is offline, the RFID reader will read the information in the RFID tag and store it in the database. Then, the information of the electronic tag will be cleared for recycling.

3. Check the electronic tag information

In smart manufacturing factories, the application of RFID and other technologies plays an important role in checking and clearing the RFID electronic tag information.

(1) Check the electronic tag information

In smart manufacturing factories, when the engine fails the inspection, it will automatically enter the repair area. At this time, the RFID reader will read the written RFID electronic tag information and compare it with the relevant information stored in the manufacturing execution system (MES). Through comparison, the PC at the repair station will display the cause of the fault and the solution of the relevant station. In this way, the worker can perform the corresponding repair operation according to the displayed information.

Once entering the repair procedure, the worker will perform the repair operation according to the displayed solution. After the repair is completed, the tag will be written with maintenance information to record the engine's maintenance history.

(2) Clear the electronic tag information

In order to facilitate the recycling of electronic tags, the information in the tag needs to be cleared. This process usually includes the following steps:

① The RFID reader reads the information in the RFID tag and stores it in the database, so that the historical information of each RFID tag can be traced and managed.

② The information of the RFID electronic tag will be cleared for subsequent use. The RFID tag can be reinitialized and used for other engines on the assembly line.

(3) Application results of technologies such as RFID

In the assembly workshop of the intelligent manufacturing factory, people can intuitively feel that the number of workers at the Library-borrowing-machine-touch-query-intelligent-terminal-all-in-one-machine.html target='_blank'>workstation is not large, and many processes are completed by robots and manipulators. In addition, the application of intelligent unmanned AGV cars combined with RFID technology is also very obvious. These AGV cars carry crankshafts and other parts with RFID tags in the workshop.

The RFID reader on the AGV car automatically collects the information of the parts and uploads the data to the background database in real time. At the same time, through the cooperation with subsystems such as the sky corridor, the self-made parts three-dimensional warehouse and the cold test SPS, the fully automatic logistics distribution of the assembly line is realized.

After three years of hard work, a domestic heavy-duty engine intelligent manufacturing factory has successfully built three systems integrating intelligent logistics, intelligent production scheduling and intelligent production guarantee. The application of this system has significantly improved the level of intelligent manufacturing, increased the factory's production capacity by 52%, reduced manufacturing costs by 20.5%, increased logistics accuracy by 50%, reduced product defect rate by 39.3%, and reduced energy consumption per unit of output value by 8%. The average cost savings per year reached 21 million yuan.