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Discover track and trace

Granular Traceability

Tracking and traceability helps create the connected factory by enabling transparency into production processes and supply chains. MES, WMS and ERP systems can provide a digital twin of the production processes and warehousing operations in real time.  This allows for accurate reporting and optimization of manufacturing and logistics operations. 

Granular traceability is achieved by serializing each product made and archiving records of where, when and how products are made, sub-assemblies from which they are derived or raw materials from which they are made.  This level of traceability creates quality assurance for manufacturers, resellers and consumers.  Identification technologies such as RFID and 1D/2D codes are used to track production and ensure products are made to specifications, thus improving availability, performance and quality (all components of Overall Equipment Effectiveness -- OEE) at the plant floor. 

 

OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) is the gold standard for measuring manufacturing productivity.  Simply put -- it identifies the percentage of manufacturing time that is truly productive.

Chart showing three components of original equipment effectiveness -- availability, performance, and quality. Includes calculations of each component.

Production

How can I improve OEE with track and trace?  Real-time data gives valuable and actionable information about operations and equipment to improve quality, availability and performance.  Ensuring qualified operators are running and programming machines will keep performance and quality optimal.  By identifying parts in production, machine configurations are optimized and automated to ensure machine availability is not lost through incorrect configurations.  By tracking tooling, run-time and condition data are stored and quality is improved by ensuring the right tooling is in operation.

Supply chain

What if you could ensure your supply chain was operating at peak performance?  Lean production and flexible manufacturing processes keep manufacturing costs minimal.  These styles of operations are very dependent on a strong and effecient supply chain.  The logistics of raw materials or sub-assemblies is critical and must be tracked.  Returnable assets such as transport containers can be lost and never returned.  This puts unecessary pressure on a supplier's logistics operation.  By implementing track and trace to the logistics operations, the supply chain is stronger with improved order accuracy and visibility to where assets are within a supply chain.

 

Technology comparison


Technology
 
Range Multi-tag read Data payload Speed Points to consider
IO-Link Systems up to 200 mm No + + • Read / Write capability
• Lowest cost of implementation
• Easy installation
• Diverse antenna offering
HF Systems up to 200 mm No +++ ++ • Read / Write capability
• Optimized for high speed applications
• Great for large data payloads
• Diverse antenna offering
UHF Systems up to 10 m Yes +++ +++ • Read / Write capability
• API for C++, C#, VB.NET, and others
• Embeded industrial protocols
• Simple integration
Image-based
Code Reading
up to 4 m Yes ++ + • Read only
• Integrated lensing and lighting
• Additional external lighting available
• Intuitive configuration software