RFID Solutions for Manufacturing Operations

RFID in Manufacturing

“Measurement is the first step that leads to control and eventually to improvement. If you can't measure something, you can't understand it. If you can't understand it, you can't control it. If you can't control it, you can't improve it.” H. James Harrington

This is the underlying principle behind the vision of Digital Transformation. AssetPulse's RFID for manufacturing solutions enable organizations to achieve this vision.

IoT including RFID and BLE sensors, coupled with the AssetGather platform can aid in optimizing manufacturing processes to reduce time and cost , while improving decision making and increasing efficiency.

The manufacturing industry has succeeded in applying a dizzying array of technologies to gain improvement in throughput and operational efficiencies. As the industry tries to maximize its margins, it has to address the still-significant gaps in supply chain and operational visibility along with sobering inaccuracies that still plague the production lines. These gaps and inaccuracies have varying impact, depending on the vertical. E.g. Lack of traceability in the Biomedical Device industry can have debilitating consequences as opposed to in a plastic molding line, which can handle relatively higher tolerances. RFID can bridge the gap between manufacturing execution systems (MES), enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and the floor. AssetPulse' RFID solutions have the ability to provide data at a much greater level of accuracy, timeliness and detail.

A bigger bang for the buck can be realized by applying RFID in manufacturing processes other than Material Handling. Today, there is limited visibility into most operations. There are several areas where AssetPulse can help organizations become a more data driven enterprise, thereby increasing operational efficiencies, optimizing floor schedules, improving production planning and preventing errors:

• Traceability of Raw Material and components - from warehouse to production line, facilitating optimized JIT inventory management, helps in monitoring wastage and shrinkage

• Efficient Empty-bin Replenishment Management

• Tying the Lot# and Batch# data of raw material to the product itself, for increased traceability

• Work Order Tracking

• Tracking technician time at each work cell - know who worked on what and for how long

• Tracking WIP product along with associated travelers

• Tracking Finished Goods - in the Distribution Center

• Finished Goods on Consignment at the Customer Site

RFID in Production Equipment and Tool Tracking

Other essential processes that are tightly coupled with the manufacturing line include management of tools and equipment. With more of the focus on the product itself, visibility of the tools and equipment on the line is very limited. AssetPulse solutions can be used to track:

• Actual tool and equipment inventory on the line - what is used where and on what product

• Management of calibration, PM, repairs and safety inspections

• Identify unutilized tools and equipment, thereby helping in optimal asset utilization

• Movement of tools and equipment within the line, when tool used in the wrong location can lead to high impact quality errors

• Tracking onboarding of new equipment and disposal of obsolete equipment