A furniture manufacturing company is piloting a radio frequency identification-based solution from Radley Corp., a supply chain management solutions company in Grand Rapids, Mich., to better manage its assembly processes by automatically identifying which component is being built onto which product. Two other companies are currently in discussions to begin trailing the RFID solution as well, Radley reports.
The pilots signal the first use cases of Radley’s new RFID functionality as part of its software platform for manufacturing and logistics management. The company has been providing its platform to manufacturers for several decades, to help them manage their assembly processes and warehouses.
Radley has supplied manufacturing software since 1974. During the past ten years, the firm has expanded into warehouse management and logistics, as well as integrating data from assembly machines into its single platform. Now, says Kevin Cammet, Radley’s VP, the company is building in RFID hardware, and data captured from each tag read is fed into the software. “RFID serves as the next extension for collecting data,” he states.
Traditionally, companies like Radley’s customers have employed a variety of applications to manage such details as asset location and status, work-in-progress (WIP) and inventory management. Radley has been focused on integration so that details about assembly, as well as the health of assembly equipment based on sensor data, could be built into the solution. Bar-code scans can also be collected and used for Radley’s software platform to provide actionable data.
During the past few years, the company has been testing ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID to determine whether such technology would be affordable and effective for its customers. A furniture manufacturer currently testing the technology, which has asked remain unnamed, is using RFID to track its WIP. A tag is placed on each component, and every tag is linked in the software to data regarding an individual component.
As a product moves through assembly work stations, the tag on each component is read, and is linked to the product being assembled. If the component does not match the product requirements, an alert can be displayed for the operator on the assembly floor, or be sent to management.
The solution is hardware-agnostic, Cammet says. However, the company is currently using SmartPortal UHF RFID readers and tags from Smart Label Solutions (SLS). A food manufacturer and an industrial cleaning supplies company are also in discussions to begin piloting the RFID solution.
Radley’s software customers can have RFID readers installed at key locations, such as at portals where goods and materials are received or shipped, and in zones through which items move during manufacturing and shipping processes. With tags affixed to items or in personnel badges, the Radley software can collect data about RFID tag reads, and then interpret, store and share that information as needed by a company’s operators and managers.
The data can also be used for analytics purposes, Cammet notes. For instance, if a company wants to track the expiration dates of products, it can set up a first-in, first-out (FIFO) process in the software. The software can then know which components, materials or products arrived at a warehouse or assembly site first, based on when RFID tag reads were performed, and thereby ensure that anyone removing an item more recently received could view an alert to prevent them from making mistakes. Additionally, users can view when items are being received, used or shipped, and thus adjust inventory levels or personnel assignment accordingly.
When it comes to RFID technology, Cammet says, “to us this is just the start of a growth area” that will gain traction further. “Many customers indicate they are planning to adopt RFID within the next three to five years, and we want to be ready to provide them what they need.”
Radley receives a variety of requests from customers regarding how RFID technology can be used, Cammet adds, even when the assets being tracked are on four legs. He says he spoke with a company running a canine daycare center that was considering deploying RFID technology to identify when a given dog arrived at or left specific locations.
The furniture company pilot is expected to be completed in December 2017, Cammet says. This could be followed with a full deployment if the pilot proves successful.