The University of Hong KongThe University of Hong KongDepartment of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems EngineeringDepartment of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering

1212

Receiving

Shipping

WIP Replenishment

Product Labeling & Tracking

Inventory Management

Work-in-Process

Quality Assurance

Labor Tracking

Secure Access

Time & Attendance

Tool Crib

Asset Tracking

Wireless ManufacturingRFID-Enabled Real-Time Shop-floor Visibility and Traceability

George Q. Huang

gqhuang@hku.hk

IMSE Dept, HKU

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Outline

1. Why do we focus on RFID-enabled manufacturing?

2. What is meant by RFID-enabled Wireless Manufacturing?

3. What are recent Developments in Wireless Manufacturing?

4. What do we do with Wireless Product Assembly Line?1. Products and Assembly Line

2. Smart Objects

3. Visibility and Traceability Explorers

5. What Solutions are we developing for Wireless Manufacturing?

6. What have we learnt from what we have done?

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RFID-Enabled Supply Chains

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Processing Trade Enterprises in GPRD珠三角國際加工貿易企業的重要性

Processing Trade Enterprises (PTEs) Import raw materials, parts Value-adding production Export finished products to overseas markets with tax exemption low-cost but highly skilled labour

Over 100,000 PTEs in GuangdongOver 40,000 PTEs are Hong Kong-investedMany are Taiwanese.Sources and Destinations of Global Supply Chain

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Bottleneck Problems in Manufacturing

Data collection is Non-value adding, Error-prone, Tedious, Time consuming.

數據採集費時而不增值、易出錯。

Manual data sheets are frequently damaged, lost, or misplaced.

手工紀錄經常受損、丟失、誤報。

Shop-floor data are not real-time, inaccurate, incomplete, inconsistent.

製造信息不及時、不準確、不一致、不完整。

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“Garbage in, Garbage Out”信息是企業決策的關鍵

Enterprise Resource Planning

(ERP)/

Manufacturing Execution System

(MES)

Machine status (e.g. breakdown running)

WIP & material stock information

Operator information

Scheduled information (e.g. dispatch list) + Shop order instructions

Shop floor (e.g. Plant)

MRP/ERP need accurate timely data to make

decisions.

Plans and schedules cannot be executed

accordingly.

Operators are too busy with jobs, no time to collect data.

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Wireless Devices in Manufacturing

Bar Code Printers including RFID

Access PointsFor Indoor and

Outdoor Coverage

Fixed Mounted RFID Tag Reader/Writers

Windows Based Fixed/Vehicle

Mounted Computers& RFID

Hand-held Computers

& RFID Interrogators

Hand-held Computers

With WWAN and GPS Solutions

& RFID

Pallet Tags

Scanners

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Automotive “Bolt Tag”: common media to link supplier manufacturing data to end product

Supplier may or may not be company owned Environment is extremely dirty (Oil / cutting fluids) Data needed in multiple, non-synchronous processes

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- Forged part is born

- Cubing and primary machining completed - “Bolt tag” installed on part - Data recorded on “bolt tag” regarding S/N, Lot #, and

Machine ID

- Detailed machine cutting- Data regarding each step of the process recorded on the tag

- Head and Cam assembly process- Finished head completed and ready for engine assembly- Data regarding each step of the process recorded on the tag

- Head installed on engine final assembly - Bolt tag removed and lifting eye installed in its place

“Bolt Tag” Integrates Car Engine Supply Chain

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Wireless Manufacturing Next-generation advanced manufacturing technology

Deploy wireless devices and wireless networks RFID or Auto-ID, Bluetooth, and ZigBee and Wi-Fi

to typical manufacturing resources materials and their containers / packages, tools and fixtures,

workstations, and human operators

to create so-called smart objects. Smart objects play vital roles in

automatic collection, processing and synchronization of real-time manufacturing data.

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Simplified Wireless Product Assembly Line

Assembly Station

Packaging Station

Loading Station

Smart Shelf

Manager

Office

Smart Move

4

1 2 3

5

6

Customs

Office

7

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Active Smart Objects in Assembly Line- Where are the RFID readers?

RFID readers are deployed to “Value-adding points” Working areas of All workstations

Which frequency should be used for Smart Objects and why? We tried both HF and UHF. Balance between cost and

performance UHF readers are much more expensive, but reading range is a bit too

large – cover the area that should not be covered in the Lab space. HF readers are cheaper, but its reading range is limited.

Active Smart Objects are wirelessly networked.

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Passive Smart Objects in Assembly Line- What are tagged?

Reusable containers Packing boxes Trays (for raw materials and WIP items) Shipping containers

Key components (Van body) All workstations Shop-floor operators

Container

MovementVehicle

Packaging

Item

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Smart In-BufferReal-time status of raw materials stored in the in-buffer is tracked and traced. Information could be used for intelligent process control and timely material replenishment.

Workcenter GatewayProvide universal connection to common smart objects in a plug-and-play manner. Together with the predefined object registry, workflow configuration toolkit and run-time repository, the entire assembly process could be easily established and executed with the collaboration of the plugged smart objects.

Smart Out-BufferThe finished goods sent to the out-buffer are tracked and traced. Information could be used for intelligent process control and timely goods delivery.

MonitorShow to operator the real-time assembly instruction, station status, emerged events, etc.

Assembly ReaderTrack the items taken from in-buffer, and provide information to monitor and gateway server.

Parts AssemblyAfter assembly, all parts information is combined into the tag of the finished goods/key part.

Smart Assembly Working AreaEquipped with RFID, the assembly operations occurred in the working area become visible and traceable.

Raw MaterialsRFID tag is attached to each key part and each tray containing the raw material items, offering them the capability of being detected.

In-buffer ReaderTrack the amount of trays in the in-buffer. Binding information for tray and items could be retrieved from gateway server.

Out-buffer ReaderTrack the amount of trays containing finished goods in the out-buffer.

Finished GoodsFinished goods are also contained in tagged trays, thus being detected in the unit of tray.

:passive smart object

:active smart object

Stationary Smart Work-Cell: Assembly Workcenter

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Mobile Smart Work-Cell: Forklift

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Trolley Reader / Antenna

Optical

……….

LAN/WLAN IEEE802

Assembly Reader

Product / Boxed Product / Packed Product Container Transport

Manager PDAShelf Reader

……….

Labor

Assembly Workcenter Gateway Trolley Gateway

LAN/WLAN IEEE802

Workcenter Gateway

LAN/WLAN IEEE802

Enterprise Application System

Active Smart Objects

Passive Smart Objects

ERP PDM SCM

……….

Shop-floor Supervisor Shop-floor Manager Asset Manager OperatorsProcess Planner

Users

Registration Configuration Execution

1 2 3

Shop-floor Gateway Data Exchange: ISA95

ERP

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Real-time “Work” explorers for shop-floor execution

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Assembly Operators at Workstations

Workshop Manager / Line

Supervisor

Manufacturing Execution

LoginCheck Task

Check Materials

Execution Trace & Track

Trace & Track

Order Status

WIP Information

Operator Information

Line Status

Workstation Explorer

Line Explorer

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Shop-floor (planning) explorer

• Receive order from ERP

• Check WIP

• Determine “to-be-made” quantity

• Check station status

• Release work orders to stations

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Real-Time Line (Monitor) Explorer

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• Total production demand and finished

• Current work in process

• Number of Scraps

• Wellness of each workstation

• Current location of Smart Move

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Smart Assembly Workstation

Ensure empty tray at out-buffer

Ensure parts at in-buffer Track assembly

operations Request and receive parts Send finished products for

packing

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Smart Box Packing Workstation

Container

MovementVehicle

Unit Load

Transport Unit

Packaging

Item

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Box Packing Workstation

Request and receive finished products

Inspect quality Pack two items in box Send packed box for

loading

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Container Loading Bay

Container

MovementVehicle

Unit Load

Transport Unit

Packaging

Item

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• Check arrival of container

• Request and receive packed boxes

• Load boxes

• E-Seal container

• Declare exports to customs

• Ready for export

Container Loading Bay

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Smart Shelf explorer

Audit Receive Retrieve

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Real-time “Move” explorer - WIP Tracking

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Uses of WM

Trace and track enterprise assets (Man, machine, materials and orders).

Record and carry real-time, accurate, complete and consistent shop-floor data.

Reduce/eliminate error-prone and tedious manual data processing activities.

In-advance warning on wrong arrival, departure, delivery of materials.

Discover bottleneck, diagnose process errors, adjust schedules for unexpected disturbances.

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What have we learnt?

Affordable, adaptable and reconfigurable to different manufacturing environments.

“Plug and Play” Self-Configurable and Scalable smart objects.

Deployment of Sensor (Smart Objects) Network Information/Communication Network. Operation-specific behaviour management of smart objects. There are differences between RFID solutions between

manufacturing and supply chain applications. Costs are a major factor, but RFID technology and solutions

are more important!

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The University of Hong KongThe University of Hong KongDepartment of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems EngineeringDepartment of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering

1212

Q & A Session

http://www.imse.hku.hk/wm/

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