Abstract
The aim of the research outlined in this paper is to demonstrate the implementation of a Cyber-Physical System (CPS) within the Automotive Industry for the monitoring and control of Returnable Transit Items (RTIs) toward improved quality assurance and process compliance. The socio-technical issues encountered during the real-world implementation are discussed to inform future design Automotive RTI’s are utilised in the transportation of both components and subsequently assembled products at the beginning and end of life stages. The implemented system utilises passive Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags for the identification of metal RTIs via associated plastic separators, whilst a distributed network of RFID portals was integrated within the RTI working environment to capture and characterise their movements. The requirements, design process and resulting architecture are presented alongside the results and lessons learnt from an implementation within the automotive industry. Through the integration of business processes, analytics and tacit domain knowledge, a real-time model of the state of RTIs was developed to support decision making by a range of stakeholders. This research contributes to the knowledge of CPSs requirements identification, design, deployment and the challenges faced within real world asset monitoring and traceability within the automotive industry. Areas for future research to support the next generation of RTI traceability, monitoring and control systems are presented.
Highlights
One third of the costs of a manufacturing line are accrued during setup and continual maintenance [1]
Cyber-Physical System (CPS) require a two-way interaction between the digital and physical worlds typically achieved through digital modelling and the Internet of Things (IoT) via unique object identification (e.g. Radio Frequency Identification Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID)) associated with materials, machines, products and people
Barbosa et al [10] and Leitao et al [11] suggest that Cyber-Physical Production Systems (CPPSs) offer an increase in production yield and reduced waste due to advanced
Summary
One third of the costs of a manufacturing line are accrued during setup and continual maintenance [1] (e.g. an automotive engine programme could cost >$1 Billion [2]). Smart manufacturing systems are emerging to reduce these costs and meet flexible demands, utilising emerging concepts and technologies such as “Intelligent Products” and the “Industrial Internet of Things” [3,4,5] These systems aim to provide predictive, “self-aware” services including self-organisation, self-maintenance, real-time control, predictability, efficiency, robustness and to be autonomous [6]. Optimal RTI fleet size can be hard to determine; an oversized fleet consumes capital expenditure and an undersized fleet will not meet demand [25,27] creating further need for a system which can help monitor and maximise RTI usage Another challenge is that of Excessive Customer Holding Time (ECHT) [28] and mishandling resulting in damage [29]. The implementation is presented in Section “Case study within an automotive manufacturer” with conclusions and further work in Section “Conclusions, and further work”
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