Steel company uses high-frequency RFID system to track and manage production tools

ThyssenKrupp Silicon Steel Works, a division of steelmaker ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe, produces silicon steel products (such as generators, transformers and motor drives) using processes such as pickling, cold rolling and forging , so a variety of Tools are needed. Seven months ago, the company began using RFID radio frequency identification systems to manage, maintain and inspect these tools.

The company provides specialized production tools for both internal employees and external contractors entering the factory. All tools are Stored in a fixed location and can be borrowed by staff when needed. Until October 2011, the company was still using manual recording methods to manage these Assets. However, this manual recording method had too many shortcomings. The 150-square-meter storage room stores approximately 450 tools, including hand tools, wrenches, lifting chains, measuring instruments and lifting accessories. Over time, ticket system recording became increasingly difficult and time-consuming. The company created a categorical list of tools, but some of them overlapped. The company said staff complained this was too time-consuming. What's more, potential errors are prone to occur.

The company sought a solution to this problem that would not only automatically record the lending of tools, but also track the maintenance and recovery of each tool. In response to this need, an RFID (borrow and return box) solution was designed with a built-in RFID Reader.

The deployment step of the RFID system is that the steel company affixes 13.56MHz HF (high frequency) radio frequency identification tags provided by the company to all tools. The tags comply with the ISO 15693 standard; at the door, the company will install a "borrow and return box" as a tool For entrances and exits, this device includes RFID readers. In addition, staff members must wear an RFID key chain, which has a 13.56Mz high-frequency radio frequency identification chip embedded in it.

When workers borrow or return tools, they only need to bring the high-frequency radio frequency identification key chain into the reading range of the reader, and the ticket system then presses an Ausleihe (borrow) or Rückgabe (return) button, using the same ID in both cases. All information during the borrowing and returning action will be recorded through the RFID software system, and the relevant information will be displayed on the display. The parameters in the software system are adjustable.

Currently, the company is considering applying the system to the ASSET MANAGEMENT of other branches of the company and promoting it to other factories to bring into play the special functions of RFID technology.