RFID for asset management within a complex industrial environment
Adopting RFID allows Asco to perform quick and efficient audits
Asco is a leader in the development, production and processing of high-precision steel and titanium components for the aircraft industry. In spite of a complex production environment, the company was able to consistently improve the management of its machining fixtures with the aid of RFID technology provided by RFIDea, a company which was recently acquired by Zetes. Hervé Le Grand, Fixture shop support at Asco, explains the advantages of using this technology.
What are the main problems faced by Asco?
Hervé Le Grand : Asco deploys machining fixtures for the production of mechanical parts for customers such as Airbus or Boeing. The company makes more than 2,000 of them, which requires regular maintenance and audits. Thus, it is necessary to be able to identify these parts, keep a maintenance record, and be able to locate them easily.
How was the production of parts managed before the implementation of RFID?
Hervé Le Grand : We used to identify parts with a number, which wasn’t unique to each part. Instead, it denoted the type of tool and its operation type. Furthermore, the information was manually encoded in the databases, which led to mistakes. In the end, it was difficult to locate the tools in the various warehouse locations. New parts were sometimes produced when it was not necessary and time was wasted in trying to find the parts, which affected production.
What difficulties were encountered during the implementation of RFID and how were they resolved?
Hervé Le Grand : We had to ensure tags were resistant to extreme conditions such as splashes of molten metal and the continuous use of cutting oil. What’s more, the fixtures are made of solid stainless steel, a major obstacle to reading information properly using radio frequencies. We tested a dozen tags in various conditions for 30-40 days, 24 hours a day. Only two tags, Omni-ID’s Maxtag RFID UHF Gen2 IP65, met our requirements and they were selected.
What is your new process of locating parts?
Hervé Le Grand : We have implemented fixed RFID readers fitted with proximity sensors. Positioned at the entrances and exits of the warehouses, they have no footprint on the ground. This feature makes it possible to ensure the safety of operators and prevent shocks. The use of two proximity sensors makes it possible to identify the movement of the part (incoming or outgoing) and to trigger an alarm system in case of incorrect handling.
What benefits are you able to now realise from the solution?
Hervé Le Grand : Our processes are fully automated and we can rely on real-time information. What’s more, the ID tag of each tool is inserted into a database accessible to everyone. When audits are conducted, we can extract lists very quickly. Finally, it has made it easier to organise our work. Every month, the supervisor of each building receives his own list of machine tools to be serviced.
| Zetes-RFIDea has been selected to implement this project at Asco. “Zetes-RFIDea presented a number of important assets,” explains Hervé Le Grand. “First of all, its offer covered the analysis as well as project implementation, support and services. Moreover, after comparing proposals from several providers, it appeared that the analysis made by Zetes-RFIDea was also the most relevant. Finally, working with an integration expert such as Zetes has allowed us to get the necessary abstraction level in relation to the different hardware providers.”
RFIDea, a Belgian company specialised in RFID, was integrated within the Zetes Group in 2011. This acquisition reinforces the Group’s capabilities to implement projects that integrate RFID with other technologies.
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