RFID Academic Convocation 2006
Tracking & Tracing of Returnable Transport
Items and Pre-Finished Goods within the
Automotive Supply Chain
Case Studies in the Field of Automobile Logistics
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Scholz-Reiter
University of Bremen
Planning and Control of Production Systems
University of Bremen, Germany
Paradigm shift – conventional vs. autonomous control
Conventional control
ƒ Hierarchical structure
ƒ Global information
1. Introduction
ƒ Central control
Autonomous control
Paradigm
shift
ƒ Heterarchical structure
ƒ Local information
ƒ Decentralised control
Table of contents
1. Tracking & Tracing of Pre-Finished Goods
2. Tracking & Tracing of Returnable Transport Items
Usage of mobile technologies in automobile logistics
Automobile Manufacturer
• vehicle localisation within own compound
• vehicle localisation outside own compound
¾ elimination of search activities
¾ high transparency of supply chain (T&T, QM)
Automobile Logistics Provider
• vehicle identification
• control of vehicle orders
• vehicle localisation
¾ chaotic stock-keeping
¾ elimination of search activities
¾ high actuality of vehicle stock /
permanent ability to provide information
¾ high data quality
¾ process acceleration because of
automatic vehicle identification
RFID tag
Automobile
Manufacturer
GPS
DGPS
terminal
gate
truck gate
Automobile
Trader
AutoTerm
gate of
automobile trader
transponder
reader
inal
communication
component
localisation
component
user interface
1. Introduction
terminal Gate
Automobile Trader
• vehicle localisation
• vehicle tracking
¾ high forecast accuracy of arrival date
¾ high protection against theft
WLAN
• tasks
¾ fields of application
Case study 1 - FasTer
E. H. Harms Automobile-Logistics
ƒ Cooperation project “Autonomous Control in Automobile
ƒ
ƒ
2. Object of investigation
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
Logistics” between E.H.Harms Automobile-Logistics and
the University of Bremen.
Automobile logistics service provider for new
and used vehicles
in the range of transport, technical treatment, storage
and handling of vehicles.
Consisting of E.H.H. Auto-Terminals, E.H.H. AutomobilTransporte und E.H.H. Car Shipping.
Europe-wide network with auto-terminals at strategically
important traffic junctions.
Transport of vehicles between automobile manufacturer,
auto-terminals and automobile dealer via vessel, rail and
truck.
Investigation of several possible fields of application of RFID-Systems based
on the processes of an idealised automobile terminal.
Current state – auto-terminal processes and weaknesses
2. Object of investigation
Transport
Transport
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
Identification
Identification
Storage
Storage
Delivery
Delivery
request
request
Technical
Technical
treatment
treatment
Delivery
Delivery
Every vehicle is fitted with a barcode label, that contains the Vehicle Identification No.
Documentation of vehicle movements via bar code scanner or keyboard.
Several weaknesses of manual data entry in the field of automobile logistics:
ƒ Rain drops, condensate and snow on the windscreen makes scanning
unreliable to impossible.
ƒ Bar code labels bleach when exposed to direct sunlight.
ƒ Incorrect or incomplete data acquisition and as a result high consequential costs.
ª Manual data entry via bar code scanner or keyboard is error-prone, time-consuming
and concerning its quality dependent on the competence of the responsible employee.
Opportunities for improvement
Adoption of transponders provides many opportunities for improvement, for example:
Improvement of data quality (complete and faultless date entry)
3. Opportunities for improvement
Process acceleration (immediate vehicle identification and passage
documentation, bulk identification of entire truck loads)
Enhancement of process transparency (correct vehicle identification,
complete documentation of vehicle movements, up-to-date vehicle stock)
$
Cost savings (decrease of costs resulting from faulty data entries,
reduction of equipment cost through recycling of transponders)
Improvement of working conditions (simplification of date entry tasks
through more comprehensive and improved computer-aided support.
Protection and improvement of the market position (development of
competitive advantages due to early adoption of innovative ICT)
Operation mode of the Hybrid-Solution
IT-System
Vehicle locating
(via GPS)
Data communication
(via WLAN, GSM etc.)
Vehicle identification
(via passive transponder)
Reader für den Fahrzeug-Tag
UHF, € 1.500
MDE
€ 1.500
GPRS
/ GSM
€ 300
UMTS
€ 300
DGPS
€ 500 +
Referenzstation
WLAN
€ 300
lokalisierbarer
Transponder
€ 30 +
Ausleuchtung
PDT
Case Study 2 - ProLadung
Tracking & Tracing of
Returnable Transport Items (RTI)
ƒ
Partners involved:
- 3 project partners:
- 2 pilot installations:
ƒ
Scope:
- 75 man-month,
- Volume ca. 550.000 Euro.
ƒ
Public funding:
- BIA – Bremer Innovations-Agentur
Task: Integration of RTI‘s and flow of material
re for planning and
a
w
t
f
o
con
gs
n
i
t
s
t ro l
i
x
Supplier
E
Transport
Supplier
Loaded
RTI‘S
• Component production
• Loading of RTI‘s
Logistics
• Repair/
Center
Scrap
• Cleaning
Production
Supply OEM
• Delivery
• Buffer
Dispatching loaded
RTI‘s
Assembly
OEM
Transport
Dispatching
Empty RTI‘s
Empty RTI‘s
Carrier
External storage area
• Component dispatching
• Withdrawal
• Assembly
Transport
Of RTI‘s
Seat supply cycle - schematic representation
OEM
Supplier
Delivery
Production
Material Flow
Loaded RTI Buffer
1
Unloaded RTI Buffer
2
Assembly
RTI-Buffer
Process Flow
Repair
Production
+ Load
Delivery
Repair
Return
Transport
Buffer
Flow of Material
Unload +
Assembly
Buffer
Process Flow
Drop Out
Process
RTI (loaded,
unloaded)
Buffer
Station
Truck
RFID/Gate
Project goals
Improvement of process reliability
•
•
•
•
•
Delivery of seats in sequence
Loading of RTI‘s in sequence
Delivery of RTI‘s to the right OEM
Assembly of seats in correct order
Reduction of costs and complexity
• Real time accurate asset data (quantity, location, load) for RTI‘s
• Reduction of circulating assets
Seat and RTI tagging
RTI‘s are equipped with two
transponders
Removable transponder for seat frame