Machine Authentication for Production Monitoring and Quality Assurance
ELATEC worked with Digitop Ltd. to develop a customized machine authentication solution for a Hungarian food manufacturer for Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) reporting. Now, the manufacturer has the operator identity data they need to drive improvements in product quality and production efficiency.
The perfect RFID solution for you!
Challenges
- The client was using a non-standard transponder technology for employee ID and building entry and wanted to leverage the same badges for machine authentication.
- The reader needed to support custom firmware to allow integration with OEEm, Digitop’s OEE software solution.
Solutions
- The TWN4 MultiTech 2 LF/HF supports virtually all 125 kHz or 13.56 MHz transponder technologies and could be configured to operate with the client’s ID badges.
- ELATEC worked with Digitop to develop custom firmware for the readers to enable integration with their OEE solution.
- Readers shipped with the custom firmware, reducing the IT burden for Digitop.
- Readers can be updated remotely if the end client’s needs change.
Results
- The client is now able to track operator identity data so they know who is operating each machine at all times.
- Adding operator identity data to OEE data allowed them to streamline quality assurance processes, identify training needs and improve overall quality and productivity.
Digitop Ltd. is a Hungarian IT specialist providing outsourced IT services and software for building automation, manufacturing production monitoring, and more. Their Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) solution for manufacturers, OEEm, enables real-time monitoring and analysis of key metrics such as raw materials utilization, production machine load capacity, and employee capacity. ELATEC worked with them to develop a customized solution for machine authentication that worked with their client’s existing ID badges and Digitop’s OEEm software. Now, the client has the data they need to streamline quality assurance processes and drive productivity improvements.
Collecting Operator Identify Data for OEE
Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is a well-known production efficiency indicator, allowing manufacturers to measure the percentage of time production lines are operating at maximum capacity and efficiency, identify areas of improvement, and drive productivity gains. For maximum benefit, manufacturers also need operator identity data. Machine authentication enables accurate identification of who is operating equipment at what times. Combining operator identity with other OEE data allows companies to match operators with production outcomes, troubleshoot quality issues, track operator performance and productivity, and identify training needs.
A Customized Solution for Machine Authentication
Digitop needed a highly customized reader solution for their client. First, the reader had to work with their existing ID badges, which used a non-standard RFID transponder technology. The readers also needed custom firmware to integrate with Digitop’s OEEm software. Engineers from ELATEC worked with the Digitop team to rewrite the reader firmware to make it compatible with their software. After multiple consultations and testing, we successfully delivered a card reader that worked flawlessly with their systems. The card readers were shipped with modified and customized firmware, relieving Digitop of the burden of updating the card reader software.