In the current economic environment, the shift from a seller's market to a buyer's market means that small-batch, high-frequency, and personalized production models are increasingly becoming a major challenge for manufacturing enterprises. With the continuous growth of personalized demands, most air conditioner manufacturers have opted for mixed-flow production, which places high demands on the flexibility of the production line and the operational skills of the staff. Applying
RFID technology to mixed-flow production of air conditioners helps manufacturers quickly adapt to rapidly changing market demands.
For different customer needs, component materials, operating processes, and equipment parameters all vary. Distributing
RFID readers at various workstations allows for real-time collection of production process information for mixed-flow air conditioners. Combined with a basic production process database, the
RFID system enables mixed-flow production, improving manufacturing flexibility. The
RFID software platform can also connect to MES, ERP, and other systems to achieve visualized product management.
Taking an air conditioner split-type outdoor unit production line as an example, a standard process on a single production line includes chassis loading, compressor assembly, condenser component assembly, and piping. Mixed-flow production lines have numerous processes, and the production materials for different models vary significantly. The compressor models used and subsequent assembly also differ considerably. In mixed-flow production, the personnel, machines, materials, methods, and environment all change with the switching of production models. Existing models can no longer meet the increasingly diverse production demands, including recording production process information flow, switching production materials, and adjusting production equipment process parameters. All of these require automation and digitalization.
RFID antennas, readers, and other equipment are deployed at various workstations on the production line. From component assembly to basic functional testing, and finally to the packaging and removal of qualified finished products, the hardware at each workstation is controlled by the same PLC. Each reader needs to communicate with the production line control equipment via a data interface, but the communication protocols supported by different control devices vary.
First, the
RFID carrier needs to be installed on the tooling tray. After completion, a PDA handheld device is used for information initialization. The
RFID antenna is installed horizontally on the production line, and the reader can be installed in a nearby cabinet. The reader and antenna are connected via an RF signal feeder. Each workstation is equipped with an all-in-one machine, and the reader connects to it via a serial data cable to display information.
RFID enables data collection, analysis, integration, and display for individual processes. Each process feeds information back to the server via PLC and gateway, and the server then sends other control commands.
RFID helps mixed-flow production lines provide intelligent product identification, visualized production, intelligent product inspection, and equipment management functions. It easily realizes the collection and analysis of data on the production process, products, and equipment, displays and updates the production progress of mixed-flow products in real time, and automatically identifies abnormal patterns, thereby greatly improving product quality. Taking an air conditioner outdoor unit production line as an example, the application of
RFID technology can optimize the product production control process, refine the requirements and functions of each process, collect abnormal situations and process quality inspection data of each process position in real time, and feed them back to the back-end system for statistical analysis, forming an internal database of mixed-flow products. Based on the collected information data, quality standards are established and improved, realizing pre-production early warning, in-production control, and post-production analysis, thereby establishing a sound quality assurance system.
