An RFID-based intelligent decision support system architecture for production monitoring and scheduling in a distributed manufacturing environment

Optimal warehouse design: Literature review and case study application

The digital transformation of supply chains should revolutionize entire management processes and improve various aspects of sustainability. In particular, the plans of Industry 4.0 aim towards a digitization of several procedures by exploiting emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things, RFID and blockchain. The purpose of this study is to highlight how order and disruption events processes can be improved with the adoption of emerging technologies and how this reflects on the improvement of sustainability aspects. The study is based on the comparison of two simulation scenarios between three actors in the cheese supply chain. In particular, a first traditional scenario “as is” is simulated without the use of new technologies and is compared to a second scenario “to be” that adopts IoT, RFID and blockchain. The results show an improvement in time performance for managing both perfect and non-compliant orders. The developed framework highlights the impact of new technologies on sustainability aspects, showing further managerial implications.

Sustainable Supply Chains with Blockchain, IoT and RFID: A Simulation on Order Management

This paper presents the application of an innovative system for increasing visibility along an Engineer-To-Order supply chain. The system has been applied in a leading Italian company that manufactures vessels and tube heat exchangers. By means of this method, the company shares information about its shop floor activities with other actors in the supply chain, i.e. clients and suppliers. The system elements are as follows: Radio-frequency identification transponders (to identify either components, operators, tooling machines (e.g. welding machines) or production phases), a Wi-Fi network (to communicate data) and a web-based application that is accessible by the company’s clients. This paper shows the methodology that is used to define the system’s architecture and the technical solutions adopted. Benefits in terms of reduction in costs for monitoring and control have been observed. Moreover, customers perceived the increased visibility of the production process to be a valuable service.

RFID technology for increasing visibility in ETO supply chains: a case study

Improving Just-in-Time Manufacturing Operations by Using Internet of Things Based Solutions☆

In the past, it was difficult to have a clear picture of the present status of production in shop floor. Many enterprises have adopted bar-code-based Shop Floor Control Systems (SFCSs) for monitoring the production status. However, the deficiency of such systems is that immediate situation cannot be reflected easily. As a result, planned production schedules cannot be fulfilled due to frequent job interruptions caused by machine breakdowns or a shortage of materials. In this paper, a Radio Frequency Identification- (RFID-)based Decision Support System (RDSS) is proposed for the shop floor management to keep track of resources, monitor the throughput rate and make instant decisions for problem solving. The proposed system integrates the technologies of RFID and Rule-Based Reasoning (RBR) with production mathematical algorithm to help monitor shop floor operations. Through pilot running of RDSS in the ABC Limited, a significant improvement in terms of shop floor responsiveness was achieved.

A real-time shop floor control system : an integrated RFID approach

In a real-life dynamic production environment, problems such as workers’ absenteeism, machine breakdowns and loss of materials frequently occur. Small batches of production materials have to be delivered from a warehouse to the production shop floor often within a short period of time. In order to handle such material demand orders so as to maintain the productivity of the shop floor, it is essential to allocate warehouse resources effectively. In this article, an efficient production material demand order management system (PMDOMS) is proposed to cope with such issues. An automated data capturing technology – radio frequency identification and an advanced problem solving technique – genetic algorithms, are adopted in the PMDOMS. The integration of these technologies helps enterprises improve their operational efficiency on the production floor. Through application in a case study in the ABC Company, it is proved that PMDOMS significantly improves the productivity in both the production and the warehouse ...

T.C. Poon

Papers

A real-time shop floor control system : an integrated RFID approach

An efficient production material demand order management system for a mould manufacturing company