 RFID works very well within the manufacturing setting of most companies as its very nature speeds up the tracking process with very little human intervention. This leads to improved line speeds and more product per hour with less errors on the line. Manufacturing engineers are always looking for ways to signal the line. They need to alert the manufacturing cell as to what needs to be made and confirm that the needed parts are on site and available. In this instance, RFID technology begins to show its ability to ensure supply chain efficiencies over any other technology.
Most WIP applications are started by the desire of the engineering group to ensure that the product to be made is done correctly. This task has traditionally been done through the use of barcode technology. However, this usually takes a human to stop and scan a work order, bill of materials or other paperwork to identify the product, serial number, or job number.
As the product moves from cell to cell the users are “prompted” to scan the barcode to start the work and stop the work.
This, in theory, should get the information tracked within a data system – but has one major drawback – a human must stop and scan every time thus increasing the chance of human error. |
|
 |
The most common WIP applications using
RFID are:
- Unit tracking
- Cell inventory
- Kanban inventory levels
- Line turn signals
- Tool or fixture tracking
|
|
 |
Eliminating the need to scan is one of the primary reasons organizations utilize RFID technology. Tagging the source document or traveling fixture with an RFID tag that identifies the product serial number, order number, or job number is the first step. A standard practice is to setup RFID readers in each of the cells to read the tag as it comes into the zone. The date and time is stamped to the read and a start process can be signaled when the unit hits the zone and stop process sent when the unit leaves the zone.
Furthermore, we can use RFID to read and verify the cell inventory once the unit gets to the cell. This instant inventory can alert managers to a low or no inventory situation, which can eliminate a line stoppage.
For some manufacturers there is a customer service aspect of RFID that becomes very valuable. If a product is custom made for an order, giving the exact line position to customer service allows them to give an accurate ship estimate, setting the proper expectations for delivery. |
