Sick AG

https://sick.ch

19 avr. 2024

Automation in electroplating: more efficient product controlling thanks to location-based solution from SICK

The digital revolution is in full swing. And it’s no wonder: Having an automated process structure – something from which even manual processes benefit – means not only significant cost savings, but also increased productivity and improved transparency. It’s an attractive prospect for many industry players – including the JentnerGroup. When looking for an opportunity to automate their workflows while simultaneously tracking all the associated processes, the company came across the Tag-LOC System from SICK. The system was specially developed for locating and tracking material, load carrier, and industrial vehicles in real time.

RFID technology as the first step

The JentnerGroup, located in Pforzheim, Germany, is a leading provider in the field of subcontracted electroplating and metal finishing. In order to retain their position, the company is breaking new ground in electroplate finishing. In the first step toward complete automation, the existing operating data acquisition system was supplemented by RFID technology (Radio Frequency Identification) in summer 2019 – this was the first milestone.

UWB technology as the logical next step

Though this already achieved a great deal, the company wanted the additional option of plant-wide real-time localization with positioning accuracy in the decimeter range. Because this is where RFID technology reaches its limit, they changed over to UWB sensor technology (ultra-wideband) in the form of the Tag-LOC System from SICK in 2022.

Interplay between the Tag-LOC System and Asset Analytics

The JentnerGroup initially used the system from SICK in barrel plating. The antennas positioned above the electroplating lines receive signals from the tags on the electroplating barrels. The time stamps are transmitted to the Asset Analytics software platform, making it possible to automatically identify all production parts, and to calculate and track their position during the entire, multi-step electroplating process. Asset Analytics can also be used to record sensor-based data by connecting RFID or barcode systems and process it into process-relevant information.

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