Factory Personnel Positioning Solution

I. Solution Background

In the complex and personnel-intensive production environment of factories, efficient personnel management is crucial for enhancing production efficiency, ensuring safety, and optimizing resource allocation. Traditional management methods struggle to accurately grasp real-time personnel location dynamics, leading to issues such as delayed emergency response and inefficient task scheduling. ZigBee positioning technology, with its characteristics of long reading range, strong anti-interference capability, low power consumption, low data rate, and low cost, brings a new solution for factory personnel positioning management, helping factories achieve intelligent and refined operations.

II. Principles of ZigBee Positioning Technology

1. Positioning Technology Principle

ZigBee technology transmits data by sending and receiving RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) values, utilizing the principle of signal strength variation in space for positioning. Multiple ZigBee base stations are deployed at different locations within the factory. Personnel wear ZigBee positioning tags, which transmit signals to surrounding base stations. Upon receiving the signals, the base stations calculate the distance between the tag and each station based on the variation in signal strength. Subsequently, trilateration or multilateration algorithms are applied to determine the real-time location of the personnel within the factory. The positioning accuracy can reach 3-5 meters, meeting the factory's needs for personnel location awareness.

2. Network Topology Diagram

The 433MHz wireless network reader WE-RWN02 can expand to include 15 additional wireless readers via its wireless network interface, meaning a single wireless network can have up to 16 positioning base stations (including the device itself, which is also an independent reader). Wireless readers report the tag information they read to the wireless network reader, which then reports all tag information within the wireless network range to the location server. The location server performs comprehensive calculations on the data to determine the specific location of each tag.

III. System Architecture

• Positioning Tags
  Factory employees are equipped with lightweight, low-power ZigBee positioning tags, available in various forms such as wristbands or badges for convenience during daily work. The tags feature waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof capabilities, suitable for harsh factory environments. Tags periodically transmit positioning signals and include an SOS button for emergency assistance. Battery life ensures continuous operation for at least 2 years.
• ZigBee Base Stations
  Deployed strategically in key areas such as workshops, warehouses, and passageways according to the factory layout and positioning accuracy requirements. Base stations connect to the positioning engine server via wired networks, receive tag signals, and upload data to the server in real-time. With a coverage range of tens of meters and strong signal penetration capability, they effectively overcome signal obstruction by obstacles within the factory, ensuring stable positioning signals.
• Positioning Engine Server
  As the core of the system, the positioning engine server runs positioning algorithms, processes tag signal data uploaded from base stations, and quickly and accurately calculates personnel location coordinates. The server is also responsible for interfacing with the factory's existing information management systems (e.g., MES, ERP), integrating personnel location data with production management data to provide data support for upper-layer applications.
• Monitoring and Management Platform
  Presented as a web-based or mobile APP interface, providing managers with an intuitive and user-friendly operational interface. The platform allows for real-time viewing of all personnel locations within the factory, playback of personnel trajectories, setting up electronic fences for area entry/exit alerts, generating attendance reports, and more, comprehensively meeting factory personnel management needs.

IV. Core Equipment

⚡Tag WE-T73

• Battery Type: 2 AAA Alkaline Batteries
• Wireless Transmit Power: 100mW
• Transmission Distance: 300 meters
• Operating Frequency Band: 2.4GHz
• Operating Time: >3 years
• Protection Rating: IP67, rainproof
• Weight: 30g
• Operating Temperature: -20°C to 60°C
• Dimensions: 63mm × 45mm × 24mm

⚡Wireless Base Station WE-RW02

• Simultaneous Tag Detection: 200 tags
• Detection Range (Open Area): 100 meters
• Transmit Power: 30dBm
• Receiver Sensitivity: -145dBm
• Wireless Data Rate: 19200bps
• Feeder Cable Extension: Up to 50 meters
• Wireless Communication Distance: 2000 meters
• Supply Voltage: DC 10V - DC 26V
• Current Consumption: 500mA (at 12V)
• Weight: 100g
• Dimensions: 82mm × 103mm × 33mm
• Operating Temperature: -40°C to +85°C

⚡Wireless Network Base Station WE-RWN02

• Simultaneous Tag Detection: 500 tags
• Detection Range (Open Area): 100 meters
• Wireless Network Interface: Supports 16 wireless readers
• Ethernet Port: 10M/100M Adaptive
• Wireless Transmit Power: 30dBm
• Receiver Sensitivity: -145dBm
• Wireless Data Rate: 19200bps
• Feeder Cable Extension: Up to 50 meters
• Wireless Communication Distance: 2000 meters
• Supply Voltage: DC 10V - DC 26V
• Current Consumption: 800mA (at 12V)
• Weight: 250g
• Dimensions: 82mm × 103mm × 33mm
• Operating Temperature: -40°C to +85°C

⚡Location Server WE-LS01

• CPU: Quad-core Cortex-A7 processor, 1.2GHz
• Memory: 1GB RAM + 8GB ROM
• Storage: 32GB
• Simultaneous Tag Detection: 10,000 tags
• Simultaneous Base Station Management: 500 stations
• RS232 Interface: 1 (Debug Port)
• RS485 Interfaces: 2
• Supply Voltage: 9V - DC 30V (Wide Voltage)
• Weight: 1500g
• Dimensions: 234mm × 200mm × 52mm
• Operating Temperature: -20°C to +60°C
• Ethernet Port: 10M/100M Adaptive

V. Functional Implementation

• Real-time Positioning and Tracking
  On the monitoring and management platform, managers can clearly see the real-time location of each employee, with different colored icons distinguishing personnel from different departments or job types for quick identification. Using map zoom and pan functions, they can precisely view personnel distribution in specific areas, grasp on-site personnel dynamics in a timely manner, and provide accurate data for production scheduling.
• Trajectory Playback and Analysis
  The system automatically stores historical trajectory data of personnel, allowing for playback based on time, personnel, and other conditions. Managers can analyze employee work paths through playback, assess workflow rationality, identify potential production efficiency bottlenecks, optimize workflows, and enhance overall production efficiency.
• Electronic Fence Alerts
  On the monitoring and management platform, electronic fences can be drawn for hazardous areas, restricted zones, etc., within the factory. When a personnel's positioning tag enters or leaves an electronic fence area, the system immediately sends an alert to managers, reminding relevant personnel to take note. This effectively prevents safety incidents and ensures safe production.
• Emergency Assistance Response
  If an employee encounters an emergency during work, they can press the SOS button on their positioning tag. Upon receiving the distress signal, the system immediately triggers an alarm prompt on the monitoring platform, displaying the location of the person in need, while simultaneously sending SMS messages and APP push notifications to responsible personnel. This ensures timely response and handling of emergencies, safeguarding employee safety.
• Personnel Attendance Management
  Utilizing the positioning system to record employee clock-in/clock-out times and duration spent in work areas, automatically generating attendance reports. Compared to traditional attendance methods, ZigBee positioning-based attendance is more accurate and objective, avoiding issues like buddy punching or missed punches associated with manual methods. This reduces the workload of attendance management and improves its efficiency.

VI. Implementation Steps

• Site Survey
  The project team conducts a detailed survey of the factory premises, including building structures, personnel flow patterns, and production equipment layout. An accurate factory floor plan is created to provide a basis for subsequent base station deployment and system parameter configuration.
• Solution Design
  Based on the site survey results and combined with the factory's personnel management requirements, a customized ZigBee positioning system solution is developed. This includes determining the number and installation locations of base stations, selecting appropriate tag types, planning the system architecture and data transmission network to ensure the system meets the factory's requirements for positioning accuracy, coverage, and functional applications.
• Equipment Installation and Commissioning
  Following the design plan, ZigBee base stations, positioning tags, and other equipment are installed within the factory. After installation, comprehensive system commissioning is performed to optimize base station parameters, ensure stable communication between tags and base stations, and achieve the designed positioning accuracy. Simultaneously, integration testing is conducted to connect the positioning system with the factory's existing information management systems, ensuring smooth data transmission.
• Personnel Training
  Training sessions are organized for factory managers and relevant operators on system usage. This familiarizes them with the monitoring platform, tag operation methods, and functional applications such as personnel positioning, trajectory querying, and alert configuration, ensuring proficient use once the system is operational.
• System Acceptance and Optimization
  Upon completion of installation, commissioning, and training, the factory conducts acceptance testing of the ZigBee positioning system. Any issues identified during acceptance are promptly addressed and optimized to ensure stable and reliable system operation that meets the practical needs of factory personnel management.

VII. Benefit Analysis

• Enhance Production Efficiency
  Through real-time positioning tracking and trajectory analysis, production processes are optimized, personnel are scheduled more rationally, waiting times are reduced, and production coordination efficiency is improved. It is estimated that overall factory production efficiency can increase by 15%-20%.
• Ensure Safety Production
  Electronic fence alerts and emergency assistance response functions effectively prevent safety incidents and promptly handle emergencies, reducing accident rates, safeguarding employee lives, and minimizing production interruptions and economic losses caused by safety incidents.
• Reduce Management Costs
  Automated personnel attendance management reduces manual workload. Precise personnel positioning management avoids resource waste and lowers management costs. Estimated annual savings in manpower and material costs are approximately 20%-30%.
• Enhance Enterprise Competitiveness
  Introducing advanced ZigBee positioning technology to achieve intelligent personnel management elevates the enterprise's digitalization and intelligence level, strengthens its competitiveness within the industry, and lays a foundation for long-term development.