UHF RFID technology helps a sports equipment company in Taiwan realize the whole process management of products

It is reported that a Sports equipment company in Taiwan uses UHF RFID solutions to track every step in the product assembly process and the process of product delivery to customers, thereby improving production efficiency. The sports equipment company produces paddle boards, surfboards, sleds and other sports equipment.

The company's 75,000-square-foot building includes production and storage areas, and the factory's output is also increasing, requiring greater efficiency in the production process. As more and more products are shipped out of the factory, the risk of shipping errors rises, such as missing products or sending the wrong products to customers. So this year the company looked for a solution to increase productivity and prevent errors. The UHF RFID solution can prevent errors while improving its production efficiency, which is undoubtedly the best choice for the company's upgrading and transformation. The company aims to upgrade its production lines to meet Industry 4.0 standards, adding machines equipped with sensors and wireless connectivity. This means that data about the production of each part needs to be automatically collected in real time as it moves through the assembly.

In April 2019, for the first time, RFID electronic tags were installed in two product series of surfboards and snowboards. Based on this successful deployment, the company intends to expand the application of the RFID system to other production lines to improve the speed and accuracy of assembly of all its products.

In addition, the sports equipment company sought a system that could provide an at-a-glance view of inventory in the warehouse so that it could respond quickly to replenishment needs. Finally, by tracking the shipment of goods, management hopes to ensure that each shipment is packed exactly as ordered by a given customer.

The UHF RFID solution used by the company is to embed passive UHF RFID tags directly into each product, through UHF fixed readers and four flat-panel antennas installed above the gates of the warehouse in order to detect arrivals and departures products for this Library-borrowing-machine-touch-query-intelligent-terminal-all-in-one-machine.html target='_blank'>workstation. At the same time, an RFID reading and writing cabinet was also built to allow bulk reading of goods as they were loaded onto trolleys. The sports equipment company's software is integrated with the RFID management software, and the data is Stored on a dedicated local server. With the deployment of RFID technology, each employee will receive an RFID-enabled electronic tag. The RFID tag built into the card enables the system to know where the employee is working, or where the employee is closest to the read range of the RFID Reader.

As each new product is produced, a UHF RFID tag will be embedded between the foam layers that make up the product. The unique ID number on the tag is associated in the software with data about the project under construction and its fulfilled customer orders. Next, the product goes through cutting, printing, laminating and packaging processes. At each location, the interrogator captures the tag's unique ID as it arrives at the workstation, and transmits that data via the cable connection to the software, which updates the product's assembly status. The tag ID is tied to the time it was on the site and the ID number of the employee who worked on the product. When an item leaves that station, the UHF interrogator no longer reads its tag ID, so the software updates its status to indicate that the process is complete.

The software calculates how long the item spent in each location. If the software determines that products are sitting on a particular site for too long, it alerts managers that production may be slowing down. Managers can then contact the specific worker who obtained the credential ID from the workstation.

Also, some products require different workstation equipment based on their manufacturing purpose. For example, paddle boards may need to be cut to a specific size. When the system identifies a product, it links that ID to the product type, which then displays the information for workstation employees so they can adjust device settings to match the specific product's requirements.

Finished products accumulate on carts as they are ready to be shipped to customers. The carts are equipped with RFID tags so that the carts can be uniquely identified. In this way, the ID number of the cart can be combined with the tag ID of each product loaded on it. The company must then determine what is on the cart when it is loaded into the delivery cart.

Since the system was put into use, it has prevented production and shipping errors, helped the company identify and resolve bottlenecks that slowed down work efficiency, and trained employees where necessary to speed up production. RFID readers in the warehouse update inventory as materials arrive and as boards are brought to the assembly shop. What’s more, alerts can be sent to management to warn them of replenishment needs, ensuring that materials are never out of stock, thereby delaying assembly.

With the UHF RFID solution, the company can track production data for each product ordered, monitor employee productivity and warehouse inventory, and ensure that products are packed and shipped to customers without error.