Deploying RTLS in manufacturing and production planning
Integrating RTLS in manufacturing and production planning – The yearly inventory and spare stock take is a week-long exercise, which involves matching production trolleys, bins, and racks for procurement, production, and finished goods. Many inspectors wished they had an efficient group inventory tracking solution that helped reduce the stocktake time so that our production is not stalled during this annual activity, which helps in improved throughput and lower cost in production management.
Some factories located globally also face the problem of equipment and inventory theft. Deploying Ripples CMMS asset maintenance solutions can give us alerts when something moves out of the factory or warehouse can help us save a lot of dollars, and reap the benefits of RTLS in manufacturing.
Role of RTLS in manufacturing and production management
Our client is in the business of manufacturing high-end equipment for the semiconductor industry, and the production shop floor spans an area of 50,000 sq. meters. It is difficult for us to determine the exact time it takes for equipment to move from one zone to the other. Ideally, a production zone performance system would be good to have so that we can draw matrices, devise performance rewards, implement Industry 4.0 practices, and introduce machine downtime tracking using real-time shop floor control systems
RTLS in production management
Reduced Downtime and Increased Production: Unplanned machine breakdowns are a major cause of downtime in manufacturing, leading to lost production time and revenue. Machine breakdown tracking systems can identify early warning signs of potential issues, allowing for preventative maintenance and repairs before breakdowns occur. This proactive approach significantly reduces downtime and keeps production lines running smoothly. CMMS work order management is worth considering to maximise machine uptime.
Improved Maintenance Efficiency: By tracking breakdowns and analysing machine sensor data, manufacturers can gain valuable insights into the health and performance of their equipment. This allows them to target maintenance efforts on specific machines or components that are most likely to fail, optimising maintenance schedules and resource allocation, measuring MTBR and MTBF
Extended Machine Lifespan: Early detection of potential problems through breakdown tracking allows for preventative maintenance and repairs, preventing minor issues from escalating into major failures. This reduces wear and tear on machinery, extending its lifespan and reducing the need for costly replacements.
Enhanced Product Quality: Machine breakdowns can sometimes lead to the production of defective or inconsistent products. Breakdown tracking systems can help identify correlations between specific machine issues and quality control problems. This allows manufacturing to address these issues proactively, ensuring consistent product quality.
Improved Safety: Some machine breakdowns can pose safety risks to workers. By identifying potential issues early on, breakdown tracking systems can help prevent these accidents and create a safer working environment for employees
Worker safety with RTLS in manufacturing
Specialised contractors who visit our factory regularly need lone worker tracking technology. They work in compliance, inspection, electrical, and certification departments. As part of workplace safety norms, it is critical that we ensure the wellness and production management safety of our long-term contractors by monitoring their movement, defining danger zones and prohibited areas, and tracking physical activities to avoid incidents such as electric shocks and falls from heights. We need to deploy a smart industry solution.
Call us, and speak to our experts to learn more about our ready-to-deploy, fully integrated solutions for deploying RTLS in production planning and inventory monitoring on mesh network technology, an award-winning, massively scalable architecture.