Problem
An Automotive Manufacturer already utilizing RFID technology was needing to examine how to continue using their older equipment was no longer providing reliability in locating its vehicles before, during, and after assembly.
Solution
EMP engineers first attempted to remedy the current status of RFID hardware and after it was apparent the devices were too old, recommended an upgrade of RFID hardware, software, as well as customized software to maximize their accuracy.
Story
Although this custom auto-manufacturer had been using RFID solutions for a while now, like any technology it was becoming outdated. Once reliable, the readers had now become spotty, not reading all the labels at each assembly station, and at times the labels themselves were not working. Furthermore, they were having to remove what were thought to be “bad” labels which in fact were working, but the scanners weren’t reading them. This meant that as the product moved to the finished lot, the old labels were still being read in the plant which created confusion. Rather than immediately moving to the option of upgrade, EMP did an RFID survey to measure the strengths and weaknesses of their operation where RFID was being applied. They attempted to work around the former hardware and software, but finally recommended an upgrade in order to achieve the level of accuracy desired by the customer.
This meant replacing their older scanner models with handheld readers (Zebra MC3300 RFID Series) as well as fixed readers (FX9600 Fixed RFID Reader). EMP also assessed their software and customized it to allow their data to filter into their ERP for better tracking. The final touch was writing a software program that would give the RFID reader a troubleshoot task before applying the tags. As effective as this technology can be, there may be times where the labels don’t work. This software would help the user run a brief diagnostic of the labels before applying them to the necessary parts or vehicles. Now with a new look and newly applied workflow, the customer will have no issues from start to finish.
