In injection moulding production, moulds are core assets, but their management is often caught in the ‘out of control’ predicament: mould status is unknown, maintenance lags, human errors occur frequently …… These problems not only lead to low productivity, but also may cause quality accidents and waste of resources. The depth of the application of RFID technology, through accurate tracking, intelligent maintenance and active error prevention three major functions, is reconstructing the underlying logic of mould management, for manufacturing enterprises to bring significant benefits.
Accurate tracking: from ‘needle in the haystack’ to ‘second positioning’
Traditional mould management relies on manual recording of location and status, and large factories often face the problem of ‘difficult to find the mould’. An auto parts company has statistics, workers need to spend an average of 30 minutes to locate the target mould, and even delay the production plan in case of emergency.
RFID how to break the game?
Real-time location and status monitoring: Katıştırma anti-metal RFID tags in the moulds, combined with fixed readers deployed in the workshop and positioning base stations, the system can display the real-time location of the moulds (Örneğin., ‘No. 3 injection moulding
machine is in use’), the cumulative number of times it has been used and its current status (idle/production/maintenance).
Full-process traceability: From the warehouse to the production line, RFID automatically records the flow path of the mould. A home appliance company through the RFID system, the mould transfer time reduced by 80%, and achieve quality problems ‘seconds’ traceability.
Intelligent maintenance: from ‘fire-fighting maintenance’ to ‘predictive protection’
Mould maintenance lag is a common problem in the industry. The traditional model relies on manual records of the number of times used, but the paper ledger is easy to miss, resulting in excessive wear and tear or sudden failure of the mould.
How can RFID help?
Data-driven maintenance planning
RFID tags write the number of times the mould is used, the pressure and temperature and other parameters in real time, and the system automatically compares the preset thresholds (Örneğin., ‘5,000 times of cumulative use requires maintenance’), triggering maintenance work orders in advance. A 3C company used this to reduce the failure rate of moulds by 35% and extend their life by 20%.
Transparent maintenance process
RFID tags are used to store maintenance records (Örneğin. replacement parts, maintenance personnel), forming a ‘health profile’ of the mould. Managers can access the data at any time to avoid repeated maintenance or missed inspections.
Predictive maintenance upgrade
Combined with AI analysis of RFID data (Örneğin. temperature fluctuation trends), the system can predict the risk of potential mould failure. Örneğin, a medical device company through the algorithm found in advance of the mould cooling waterway clogging hidden danger, to avoid the batch of products scrapped.
Active error prevention: from ‘experience-dependent’ to ‘systematic prevention’
Human error is an important cause of mould damage and quality defects. Örneğin, workers may mistakenly install A mould to B equipment, or not according to the protocol preheating leads to cracking.
How does RFID prevent errors?
Mould-Equipment Matching Verification: RFID readers are installed in the injection moulding machine, and when the moulds are on the machine, their IDs are automatically checked to see if they are consistent with the requirements of the work order. If it does not match, the system immediately locks the device and alarm. A daily chemical packaging company through this function to reduce 90% of the mould loading error.
Anti-tampering process parameters: RFID tags store the permissible range of mould parameters (Örneğin. injection pressure, Sıcaklık), the system automatically compares the real-time data and stops the machine when it exceeds the limit.
Operation authority management: Binding personnel qualification through RFID tags, only authorised personnel can operate specific moulds to avoid novice misoperation.
The benefits of landing: data speak of cost reduction and efficiency gains
An auto parts factory: After the implementation of RFID, mould finding time from 30 minutes to 2 dakika, annual maintenance cost reduction of 1.5 milyon yuan.
Case of home appliance industry: through the RFID error prevention system, the product defective rate decreased by 25%, the customer complaint rate decreased by 40%.
3C field practice: predictive maintenance to reduce the frequency of mould replacement by 30%, production capacity increased by 12%.
