Smart manufacturing for industry 4.0 using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) presents a unique challenge of efficiently transforming traditional manufacturing to smart and autonomous systems.Integrating manufacturing systems, materials, machinery, operators, products and consumers, improve interconnectivity and traceability across the entire product life cycle in order to ensure the horizontal and vertical integration of networked Smart Manufacturing (SM) systems. Manufacturing functions of Material Handling (MH)-control, storage, protection and transport of raw materials, work in process (WIP) and finished products- throughout a manufacturing and distribution process will need a revamp in ways they are currently being carried in order to transition them into the SM era. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), an Automated Identification Data Capture (AIDC) technology increasingly being used to enhance MH functions in the (SM) industry, due to opportunities it presents for item tracking, out of sight data capturing, navigation and space mapping abilities. The technology readiness level of RFID has presented many implementation challenges as progress is being made to fully integrate the technology into the preexisting MH functions. Recently, many researchers in academia and industry have described various methods of using RFID for improving and efficiently carrying out MH functions as a gradual transition is being made into I4.0 era. This paper reviews and categorize research finding regarding RFID application developments according to various MH functions in SM, tabulates how various I4.0 enablers are needed to transform various traditional manufacturing functions into SM. It aims to let more experts know the current research status of RFID technology and provide some guidance for future research

Radio Frequency Identification Based System Design For Logistics Application

Recently,RFID has been the focal point of technology in automatic information transfer mechanism to enhance product visibility throughout supply chain.In logistics and manufacturing,it is of utmost important to optimize utilization and control of material flow.This paper outlines the design approach for application of RFID technology in supply chain with focus on logistics process such as distribution,storage and delivery.The automatic device tracking system via RFID technology outlined in this paper is to be implemented in an actual manufacturing plant.The primary objective is to extend the benefits of RFID deployment in actual industrial application for cost reduction and improved efficiency. Conclusions and potential future advances are presented at the end of this paper

Radio Frequency Identification Based System Design for Logistics Application

Recently, RFID has been the focal point of technology in automatic information transfer mechanism to enhance product visibility throughout supply chain. In logistics and manufacturing, it is of utmost important to optimize utilization and control of material flow. This paper outlines the design approach for application of RFID technology in supply chain with focus on logistics process such as distribution, storage and delivery. The automatic device tracking system via RFID technology outlined in this paper is to be implemented in an actual manufacturing plant. The primary objective is to extend the benefits of RFID deployment in actual industrial application for cost reduction and improved efficiency. Conclusions and potential future advances are presented at the end of this paper

Evaluation of Rfid for Information Visibility Based Job-shop Scheduling in Lean Manufacturing Environments

This dissertation investigates the impact of radio frequency identification (RFID) in manufacturing. Two simulation studies of an organization that is considering implementing RFID on a production line are conducted. First, we investigate whether addition of RFID technologies in the manufacturing process can complement Lean initiatives. Specifically, will more accurate information from RFID-based solutions help in achieving the goals of Lean initiatives in manufacturing plant performance and, if yes, in what specific ways? Second, we examine how track and traceability through RFID can facilitate job shop production scheduling activities and under what settings such information visibility can add value to an organization. We propose and evaluate a novel information visibility-based dynamic scheduling rule that utilizes information generated from the real-time traceability systems for tracking work in processes (WIPs), parts and components, and raw materials to adjust production schedules. Results of the discreBusiness Administration (MBA

Using Worker Position Data for Human-Driven Decision Support in Labour-Intensive Manufacturing

This paper provides a novel methodology for human-driven decision support for capacity allocation in labour-intensive manufacturing systems. In such systems (where output depends solely on human labour) it is essential that any changes aimed at improving productivity are informed by the workers’ actual working practices, rather than attempting to implement strategies based on an idealised representation of a theoretical production process. This paper reports how worker position data (obtained by localisation sensors) can be used as input to process mining algorithms to generate a data-driven process model to understand how manufacturing tasks are actually performed and how this model can then be used to build a discrete event simulation to investigate the performance of capacity allocation adjustments made to the original working practice observed in the data. The proposed methodology is demonstrated using a real-world dataset generated by a manual assembly line involving six workers performing six manufacturing tasks. It is found that, with small capacity adjustments, one can reduce the completion time by 7% (i.e., without requiring any additional workers), and with an additional worker a 16% reduction in completion time can be achieved by increasing the capacity of the bottleneck tasks which take relatively longer time than others

Digitaalisen kaksosen tuottama lisäarvo teollisen pk-yrityksen tehdas- ja prosessisuunnittelussa : Case yritys X ja yritys Y

Digitaalinen kaksonen kehitettiin alkujaan teknisten koneiden ja laitteiden elinkaarenhallintaan, mutta sen mahdollisuudet on tunnistettu laajemmissakin kokonaisuuksissa. Digitaalisen kaksosen soveltamisesta tehdassuunnitteluun löytyi jonkin verran tutkimustietoa, mutta pieniä ja keskisuuria yrityksiä koskevaa tutkimustietoa oli kovin rajallisesti saatavilla. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää kirjallisuuden ja tapaustutkimuksen avulla, kuinka digitaalista kaksosta voitaisiin hyödyntää teollisissa pk-yrityksissä tehdas- ja prosessisuunnittelussa. Tutkimuksen tutkimuskysymykset ovat: miten digitaalista kaksosta voidaan hyödyntää tehdassuunnittelussa, millaista tietoa tuotantolaitoksen digitaalisen kaksosen luomiseen tarvitaan, mitä lisäarvoa digitaalisen kaksosen hyödyntäminen tuottaa teolliselle pk-yritykselle tehdassuunnittelussa ja mitä haasteita digitaalisen kaksosen hyödyntämisessä on? Tutkimus on laadullinen tutkimus, jonka data on kerätty teemahaastatteluin. Kerätty aineisto on analysoitu sisältöanalyysin keinoin erittelemällä tulokset ja vertailemalla yhtäläisyyksiä ja eroavaisuuksia. Koska aihe oli haastatelluillekin osin uusi, sopivat avoimet haastattelukysymykset hyvin tiedon hankintaan. Tutkimukseen on haastateltu kahden yrityksen edustajia, jotka olisivat vastuussa omassa organisaatiossaan uuden tehtaan suunnittelusta tai prosessien kehittämisestä. Tutkimuksessa kyettiin selvittämään, mitä lisäarvoa digitaalisen kaksosen hyödyntäminen voi tuottaa teollisille pk-yrityksille tehdas- ja prosessisuunnittelussa. Lisäksi onnistuttiin selvittämään tiedonkeruuseen ja digitaalisen kaksosen soveltamiseen liittyviä haasteita

Attributes of Commodity Supply Chains: Feasibility of Blockchain Technology for Responsible Sourcing

Assuring the credibility of information on sourcing of raw materials is a major challenge in sustainable supply chain management. Enhancing the reliability and transparency increase the trust of stakeholders and help mitigate sustainability risks that may cause reputational harm to firms. Blockchain is an emerging digital technology that has gained interest as a tool for assurance of supply chains. This research explores the potential for blockchain technology to contribute to the domain of sustainability, looking at the feasibility of blockchain technology for responsible sourcing. The study employed a qualitative approach, drawing on data from expert consultations, academic literature, industry reports and media reports to evaluate the attributes of commodity supply chains that could influence their assurance and alignment with blockchain. A framework was developed to analyze the attributes of commodity supply chains relevant to blockchain technology. A major contribution of this study is the development of a decision tree tool that was then used to assess twelve different commodity supply chains for seven biotic commodities (cocoa, coffee, cotton, fish, palm oil, oranges, and rubber) and five abiotic commodities (aluminum, cobalt, diamonds, mica, and tin). Significant sustainability risks in these commodity supply chains were identified. The results found that there is commonly a lack of trust among actors in all the assessed commodity supply chains yet found variation in the willingness of different sectors to accept new technology. Two models (a hybrid model and a digital model) are proposed that could be used by companies interested in transitioning to a blockchain-based assurance system. The findings in the study provide new insights into the practicality of blockchain technology in sustainable supply chain management