The application and value of RFID technology in manufacturing and logistics

In the era of the Internet of Everything, all walks of life are relying on IoT technology to "make connections." RFID technology, which is at the core of the Internet of Things, is the key to data connection and communication. Why can the material distribution process be viewed in real time? Why can items in retail Stores be quickly searched and counted? Why can items be quickly retrieved after they are stolen? This article will answer these questions one by one and combine them with use cases to "unlock" the challenges of smart manufacturing "secret order".

Characteristics of RFID

RFID technology has the advantages of contactless, large capacity, fast, high fault tolerance, anti-interference and corrosion resistance, safe and reliable. It can not only flexibly adjust the recognition distance, but also read a large number of RFID electronic tags at the same time. In addition, RFID technology is also penetrating and can easily identify RFID tags inside objects.

RFID implementation steps

In order to help enterprises better implement RFID systems, RFID system implementation should be divided into the following seven steps:

1. System process design: Develop and describe in detail the operating business process and activities of the RFID system.

2. System integration framework design: Determine the basic structure of the RFID system (system architecture, network topology, database structure), main functions, integration strategies, methods and means of RFID systems and MES, ERP and other systems, information integration interface specifications, RFID System data management mechanism.

3. System function configuration: Convert the initially defined functions into application software systems or subsystems. Specifically, it can be divided into warehousing management, material distribution management, quality management, Asset MANAGEMENT, supply chain logistics management, supplier management, maintenance service management, product life cycle data management, etc.

4. Selection of RFID equipment: Consider the selection of RFID system from the perspective of production environment and production system characteristics. Production environment characteristics include temperature, humidity, electromagnetic radiation intensity, pH, peripheral equipment texture, etc.; production system characteristics include product productivity, production rhythm, cost, system reliability, system real-time, system data security requirements, etc.

5. Design of identification points and layout methods: Determine the number and specific physical locations of RFID information identification points in the application scenario, and determine the installation layout method based on different characteristics.

6. Coding format and content design: Determine the format and content of the data carried in the RFID electronic tag. The encoding content depends on the level, field and goal of the enterprise's RFID application; the encoding format should comply with relevant regulations within the industry and the enterprise and be considered compatible with barcodes or other EDI-related encoding formats of the enterprise to facilitate the sharing of data within or between enterprises. and integration.

7. System implementation and evaluation.

RFID investment risk analysis

RFID technology is an emerging technology in the Internet of Things era. The implementation and implementation of RFID technology puts forward higher requirements for the system's recognition rate, stability, reliability, data processing capabilities, data quality, and integration with existing enterprise systems. Therefore, we recommend that companies consider the following factors when investing in RFID:

Analysis of practical application cases:

The use case of RFID technology effectively realizes the entire process tracking of the production line and optimizes inventory management.

Section 1: Production line management (material assembly in the factory, customized production)

Shortcomings: In traditional assembly production lines, problems such as mismatched production rhythms at different stations and unskilled operations by employees have always been pain points for enterprises, and production efficiency has been greatly reduced.

solution:

The UHF RFID Reader identifies the passive electronic tags of products in the assembly line and records the cycle time and product assembly progress of different work stations. The RFID system combines digital SOP and Andon systems to guide employees to assemble materials; it relies on the DPM system to analyze data to gain insights and achieve large-scale customized production.

Effect: With the help of RFID system, the assembly production line will be able to realize data tracking throughout the entire process. The read and recorded data can be analyzed to gain insights, thereby achieving lean production and promoting the digital transformation of the factory.

Section 2: Inventory management (providing integrated solutions for data reading, recording, analysis, and display)

Weaknesses: Gearbox factories have been facing the challenge of poor inventory management. Due to reliance on manual operations, errors in material picking, inbound and outbound are frequent, form filling is time-consuming and laborious, and information updates are always slow.

solution:

The RFID reader identifies the passive tags on key materials and records the incoming and outgoing information of the materials. The electronic display board displays the location and quantity information of key materials in real time. The system automatically displays storage location information and implements floating inventory counting.

Effect: After the introduction of an RFID system composed of RFID readers and passive tags, the electronic display board can present information in real time, thereby effectively optimizing inventory management.

RFID technology makes visual management of inventory possible. warehouse personnel can collect product information without contact, which not only greatly improves the efficiency of goods inventory, but also reduces the frequency of errors in warehouse inventory. The application of RFID technology in logistics can also help companies achieve dynamic management of goods transportation in the upstream and downstream of the supply chain.