The RFID system optimizes the operating sequence of the electroplating process to make it more automated
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In the electroplating process of plastic parts, the RFID system optimizes the running sequence and makes it more automated. Operators of the new equipment can reduce errors in manual input, make the production process more efficient and transparent than in the past, and stay at the upper level of the process for a long time, accurately master the reserves of raw materials and finished products, and can provide sufficient raw materials for the required raw materials. plan. Maintenance of high-pressure product carriers has also become predictable.
In order to increase productivity and provide high-quality, independent transmission services in the future, Kunststoffte chnik Bernt GmbH invented and built a large number of complete electroplating equipment.
Kunststofftechnik Bernt GmbH from the Allgäu region is a competitive development partner and a reliable supplier for high-quality plastic parts. It ranges from the production of precision technical functional parts made of plastic to the electroplating surface treatment (copper plating process and galvanizing process, etc.) into modules. There are many well-known companies among its customers, mainly in the automation, household equipment and sanitation industries.
Metzka GmbH of Schwanstetten in Germany used the most advanced process and automation technology in the country to design and apply electroplating equipment. Siemens, as a family business, has been active in the electroplating industry for more than 30 years, and at this time also assumes the task of consulting. Siemens is Metzka’s preferred supplier in the field of control technology. Metzka mainly seeks its auxiliary role in the planning stage, not the general application of RFID technology, such as: used to control, debug and track products.
Process transparency and efficiency doubled
Operators expect to be able to better manage inventory and raw materials and finished parts than in the past. When electroplating plastic parts, even with the most optimized automated process control, a considerable part of the parts have blisters, pores, dull spots and similar stains, which is why electroplated parts need to be thoroughly inspected. Regardless of whether it is a finished part or an unfinished part, its inspection results need to be recorded, and its inventory information must be continuously updated on the warehouse computer. The faster and more accurate the entire process is completed, the fewer errors will occur during the electroplating process. This requires more effective intervention or countermeasures to minimize waste.
“If you don’t increase the degree of automation of internal logistics, everything will be impossible. That’s why we were interested in using a comprehensive network from the beginning and using RFID technology to automatically track products, thereby reducing manual input as much as possible”, Kunststofftechnik Bernt general manager Dr. Ing. Carsten Brockmann introduced. In the future, production orders from the Bernt headquarters in Kaufbeuren will be able to enter the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system of the new electroplating plant and will be highly automated. By doing so, the production planning department can accurately and real-time understand the specific information of the product parts. The direct connection between the final inspection and the CAQ system will keep the inventory of product parts up-to-date and ensure that subsequent orders can be automatically generated after a shortage of items due to waste.
Accurately identify the hanger
The product hangers are made of copper. The hangers carrying different products are stored in a movable charge car and brought into the electroplating process at the current three loading stations. There, the transport cart or tray receives the product and automatically dips the product correctly.
The purpose of choosing the SIMATICRF600 identification system provided by Siemens is to identify the product hangers at the loading station. UHF (Ultra High Frequency) systems that have been used in logistics are now increasingly being used in production. One is because it has a longer reading distance, up to 5 meters (the distance can be set according to actual requirements), so there is no longer a need for a tracked transportation system, and antennas can be installed freely. The second reason is that when using other systems like PROFIBUS, PROFINET or Ethernet, the reader/writer device can be easily connected to the PLC or PC system. The copper hangers are equipped with SIMATICRF630T RFID tags (bolt tags), which can be screwed directly into metal and are successfully used in the automotive industry. For example, they also only provide the ID of their tag on the engine unit.
In the first stage, three circular SIMATIC RF660A antennas have been installed on each loading station. A SIMATICRF630R can operate a reading/writing device with up to two antennas; for example, if six loading stations are planned to be expanded, only one additional card reader is required. Through the PROFIBUS interface module of ASM456 installed at the back of the loading and unloading area, the system controller and SIMATICS7 with automatic fault monitoring are realized.
300 (CPU is S7-319F PN/DP). In the actual electroplating process, there are no additional read/write points. It is flushed through various chemical showers and washing tanks, the route is stored in the controller, and all data reading is done through RFID tags.
At this point, many product conveyor racks are customized for each product and must be marked in some form or other form. In the past, this was done with welding nameplates, however, the nameplates will soon be dissolved or dispersed in the active electroplating bath. Therefore, the idea of integrating non-touchable and readable data stored in the PVC protective layer of the mandatory protective conveyor frame came out. The only obstacle is that the PVC protective layer is applied at about 160°C, which will severely limit the application of RFID. Therefore, choosing a suitable RFID tag that can withstand up to 180°C and is small enough to be integrated into the product conveying rack, Siemens designed a button-sized, removable MDSD160 data storage card in the MOBYD series. For this, Kunststofftechnik Bernt designed a small plastic capsule, together with the data medium, installed in the “eye” of the transport rack, and kept the necessary distance from the metal parts. Only the unique tag number is stored in the RFID tag, which can accurately identify each product in the 500 product conveyors.
As they pass, production tracking is achieved by connecting the product conveyor rack to one of the approximately 100 current product hangers. For products that are not suspended, and product hangers that are ready to be put into inventory for ordering, they are more inclined to use SIMATICRF310M (handheld RFID terminal integrated in the local wireless network) to flexibly read. SIMATIC TP 177 TouchPanel, installed in the configuration area, displays the order hangers and conveyor racks, and allows their quantity to be adjusted. When configuring a new product conveying rack, the operator selects the number of hangers, and when the RFID tag is on the respective conveying rack, put the handheld reader (maximum distance of about 60 mm) close to the tag. The reader detects that the operator knows the number of the conveyor rack, and at the same time, the conveyor rack and the product hanger are connected. With the help of the information of the hanger and the rack, the electroplating controller can accurately grasp the process steps: the parameters that the product must have: current, frequency, temperature, etc.
Additional benefits: control service life
In the product conveyor rack, RFID tags are used to automatically obtain process operation data, so as to obtain a consistent and optimized service life. The PVC protective layer becomes easy to penetrate after the expiration date. If the plating quality is not affected, it must be updated from time to time, so the service life is limited. At this point, if a certain conveyor rack has received the assigned running quantity, the operator can now automatically receive a message and plan the corresponding maintenance. The operator can remove the metal on the surface of the conveyor rack. In order to maintain the accuracy of the parts receiver, removal of the metal is necessary in every electroplating process. For this or other functions, another SIMATIC TP 177 is installed in the load station area.
Leading process processing
Metzka’s cutting and visualization system SPSMan (IWAC) meets the needs of operators and realizes the visualization of the operation process. It displays the current location and status descriptions of the transparent trams, product hangers, and electroplating showers used on the screens in the production and foreman offices. Furthermore, Siemens’ visual system SIMATICWinCC obtains data directly from the central system controller via PROFINET. Based on it, the factory builder completes the trend analysis of the temperature and the current or voltage characteristics of the rectifier.
Supplementary note: In order to realize configuration and find and repair faults in large workshops, Metzka uses portable, wireless communication and automatic fault insurance features for the first time.
SIMATICMP 277F IWLANMobile Pane, it has a complete set of active keys and emergency stop buttons.
Effective RFID engineering
When it comes to the update and movement of RFID readers, the timeliness of the RFID project was taken into consideration when planning the workshop. Metzka chose the SIMATICRF Manager 2008 Siemens’ data and equipment management software.
Software facilitated
● Fast and simple innovation and trial operation of RFID applications
● Smooth operation of reading and writing devices (RF300 and RF600)
● Preprocess the RFID data and push it into the higher-level EPR system
● RFID data and automatic data connection from SIMATIC S7 controllers
Unique advantage: RF-Manager uses the .NET interface to enter the standard ALE interface (Application LevelEvents). To this end, Metzka wrote a one-time data acquisition level, which can access the RFID reader through the RF-Manager. In the future, once the new reader is put into use, this will avoid lengthy interface repairs.
“Gorgeous results”
“The transition process from trial operation to full field application is flawless, especially the automated operation technology can be carried out very smoothly,” said Peter Keila from Metzka’s technology management company. “The employees who have worked in the electroplating area quickly learned The expected advantages of the new process are also reflected in daily operations.” Similarly, Managing Director Dr.-Ing. Carsten Brockmann praised the great market potential of Siemens’ RFID technology and predicted that this will make his company more transparent and efficient elsewhere.
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