Case Study | Increasing efficiency for industrial vehicles with RFID

Traceability on production lines

How did a leading manufacturer of agricultural and industrial vehicles reorganize its cross-plant logistics?

The challenge

The often impressive dimensions of industrial vehicles are also an impressively complex challenge to manufacture. In contrast to private vehicles, agricultural and construction vehicles are modular platforms that are customized for specific tasks. Each vehicle on the production line is a unique combination of customized options. In this case, it was an assembly line for a leading global manufacturer of equipment and technology, including tractors. The aim was to ensure immediate traceability of every single pre-assembled part throughout the network of manufacturing and assembly facilities:

• Tracking of shipments of pre-assembled parts
• Real-time localization of parts to be delivered
• Validation of the shipped parts based on sequencing orders

The solution

Key to this was the integration of the ERP and MES systems, which enabled the manufacturer to create RFID tags for each pre-assembled component that contained specific data for the part. The RFID system plays a central role in identifying and tracking semi-finished products as they move between these factories. For example, when a factory manufactures a cabin, it is tagged with RFID and the machine it is destined for is indicated. This ensures that assembly plants in different countries, such as the UK, France and Italy, can automatically identify the components they receive. This RFID system not only tracks the components, but also provides important information about the bill of materials, production schedules and related data. Real-time visibility ensures that the assembly line is always equipped with the right components, at the right time and in the right order. In addition, the RFID system provides insight into stock levels and helps factories anticipate when they need to order replenishment components.

The result

Previously, the manufacturer relied on barcodes to track the components. The switch to RFID has automated and optimized the process. The strength of this system is its real-time capability. Every plant in Europe can access the data on each label, ensuring real-time tracking.

Advantages

• Precise control of product throughput times in the production line
• Shorter loading times as the forklift drivers read the RFID label without getting off the forklift truck
• The digital input takes place directly in the unloading area, whereby several RFID labels are read
• Informed decision-making by using the RFID label memory to dynamize production data
• Shorten product research times for last-minute changes

For automotive companies that supply components or semi-finished products between factories, RFID-based solutions offer the opportunity to significantly improve these processes, especially in scenarios with the added complexity of customization. The right components are always combined with the right end product.

This case also shows the importance of collaboration in developing effective solutions. This solution is the result of collaboration between three key partners:

• FasThink: System integration, design and implementation
• Kathrein Solutions: Supplier of Industry 4.0 RFID hardware
• Avery Dennison: RFID and digital ID solutions

 

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Case Study | Increasing efficiency for industrial vehicles with RFID