Manufacturing facilities are undergoing a rapid transformation right now. Digital is the way forward, and this is particularly true when it comes to tracking assets - be they small or big - within the factory. It is difficult to track small assets as they are more likely to get lost or stolen.

We are sure you must have faced it at your facility.

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We were excited when we got on board with Sundaram Clayton to solve their pains. That excitement was for several reasons.

1. Sundaram Clayton is a prominent player in aluminum die-casting and automotive parts manufacturing. The sheer scale of execution was a challenge.

2. Their pains were unique and needed a thorough revamp of their old systems.

3. Sundaram Clayton has to keep the facility running 24*7 to meet the demands of its clients. We were keen to see how our solution would impact their efficiency, leanness, and ability to deliver to their clients.

The Asset Tracking Challenge at the Facility

Any facility needs extensive tools and heavy machines to produce automotive parts. They range from small spanners and wrenches to huge high-tech machines and automation robots. To track assets on such a scale manually is a task that can never have 100% accuracy.

Even if you staff enough people to specifically do asset management for manufacturing facilities, there is a possibility of error. And these seemingly small errors can cause long downtimes at the facility, resulting in huge losses.

Sundaram Clayton used archaic asset tracking methods - pen, paper, and registers. Their employees would update things manually in the registers about their tools, assignees, the status of their machines, maintenance schedules, and so on, basically all their assets.

But this system/solution could not keep up with the increased load, new staff members, and the rising output of the facility caused by the increasing demand for their services. Hence, they wanted to implement something reliable, modern, and efficient to replace this old system.

If you are managing a manufacturing facility facing similar problems, reach out. Let us explore how we can be of help to you.

The Solution to the Problem? Asset Tracking RFID Tags.

Let us look at it in detail.

Why did we choose to use RFID tags?

A Radio Frequency Identification tag, or an RFID tag, is a small electronic device that can communicate with the RFID reader via radio waves. We used a combination of passive and active RFID tags to track specific assets.

Different kinds of tags suit specific applications.

We used passive ultra-high frequency(UHF) tags to monitor assets like tools, containers, industrial equipment, and so on - the tools that move about the place and are assigned to workers frequently. UHF tags can effectively communicate over a long range. They are reliable and cost-effective as well. So, they are ideal for this use case.

We used active RFID tags to track the more expensive assets, such as die-casting machines, trim presses, shot-blasting machines, and so on. They are expensive but offer more functionality. Since these are high-value assets, active tags come with additional sensor capabilities - humidity, temperature, vibration, pressure, power consumption, and proximity of certain parts. With these functionalities, we can have a real-time status of these machines, their operational efficiency, predictive maintenance alerts, and other parameters.

We placed the RFID readers in strategic locations within the factory. They can then read the signals from the tags of different assets and update their status in real time.

Alternatives?

There are alternative technologies to achieve the same result. Barcodes, QR codes, Bluetooth Low Energy(BLE), GPS and Geolocation, and Real-time Location Systems (RTLS) are a few examples. But each one has its own set of advantages and drawbacks. After carefully assessing Sundaram Clayton’s facility, we found RFID tags to be the best technology suited for the job.

Flexible, On-The-Go, and Real-Time Asset Tracking and Management Using Mobile Computers

A combination of different RFID tags helped us get data about the status and location of various assets. But how to visualize this data and manage the assets?

After tagging all the assets with tags, we set up a centralized database in our asset management system. The RFID readers will communicate the information they receive with the database. The database will then store all the information it receives about the asset - serial number, location, group, description, maintenance history, and other relevant information.

The asset management system records the transactions of every asset. Every time an asset is managed, it is recorded as a transaction.

We made auditing the assets easy and flexible by enabling the audit using handheld computers. When an executive audits an asset, the system updates the parameters about it in the database in real time. Any discrepancies about location, status, or other factors will immediately show up. It makes rectifying those discrepancies much quicker and easier for the auditor.

How Cloud Computing Aides This Solution

Because we have deployed this solution using cloud infrastructure, we credit most of the benefits you read above to the cloud.

Real-time updating of the database with the data from the RFID tags with no need for manual intervention, remote access to the database, scalability, transparency, analytics, integration with their current management software, backup and disaster recovery - all these are a result of implementing cloud infrastructure.

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What Was the Outcome of Implementing This Solution?

With this solution in place, Sundaram Clayton now has 3250 tagged assets throughout the facility. They can view the status, history, condition, maintenance alerts, utilization metrics, and customized reports about their assets.

We grouped certain assets, and they can view the status of the group or individual assets. They can conduct easy audits with real-time updates to the database. They will get to know immediately about the missing or misplaced assets.

Sundaram Clayton says their maintenance schedule is on point, especially for the high-value machines. It has resulted in reduced downtime and increased efficiency. They are getting more value out of their investment. Moreover, their clients are pleased with their increased robustness and reliability in production.

Because the entire asset management is digital, they utilize virtually zero paper during this process. Because of the better management and efficiency of the facility, they are using less energy than before. And because they are leaner and a better-organized system, they are more sustainable and energy-efficient than before.

Sundaram Clayton sees more efficiency, reduced downtime, and increased profitability. We are keen to see the further effects of our solution. We will keep updating this article whenever we have new updates.

Want to know how your facility can become more lean and profitable? Get in touch with us, and we will help you see how!