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I. Project Background
In today's highly competitive manufacturing environment, efficient and accurate factory management is crucial for the survival and development of enterprises. Mold management is one of the key aspects of manufacturing plant operations. However, traditional management methods often suffer from numerous problems, leading to inefficiency, increased costs, and unstable quality.
☛ Pain Points in Mold Management
- Large Quantity and High Value of Molds:
A medium-sized factory may possess thousands of sets of molds, with the cost of each set ranging from several thousand to several hundred thousand RMB. Statistics show that one factory owns 5,000 sets of molds with a total value exceeding 50 million RMB.
- Frequent Usage and High Maintenance Difficulty:
Molds can be used an average of over 20 times per week. Frequent use leads to easy wear and damage. Taking an injection mold as an example, after 5,000 injection cycles, a major overhaul is required, with maintenance costs as high as 5,000 RMB.
- Chaotic Management and Difficulty in Locating Molds:
Traditional manual recording and management methods result in long times for locating and allocating molds, averaging over 30 minutes per search, severely impacting production efficiency.
- Unclear Mold History, Inability to Accurately Assess Service Life:
Due to the lack of effective tracking methods, key information such as the number of uses and repairs cannot be accurately grasped, leading to the inability to replace aging molds in a timely manner, which affects product quality.
II. ZigBee Technology Solution
- Mold Identification and Tracking/Location
Install a ZigBee tag on each mold set. The tag is bound with information such as the mold's serial number, name, specifications, production date, usage count, and maintenance count. Install readers in mold storage areas and on usage equipment to read the mold's location and status information in real-time. Search for the required mold model via the system software, view its location on the software map, then call the tag near that map location. Quickly locate the required mold based on the tag's audible and visual cues, improving work efficiency.
Actual Data: After implementing the ZigBee mold management system, one factory reduced the average mold search time from 30 minutes to under 5 minutes, increasing production efficiency by 80%.
- Mold Maintenance and Upkeep
Based on information such as mold usage count and maintenance frequency, the system automatically generates maintenance schedules and reminds relevant personnel to perform maintenance tasks. It also records the content and results of maintenance, providing data support for the full lifecycle management of molds.
Actual Data: After implementing the ZigBee mold maintenance management system, one factory extended the average service life of molds by 30% and reduced maintenance costs by 20%.
- Mold Life Assessment and Early Warning
By analyzing mold usage data, the system assesses the remaining life of molds and issues early warnings when molds approach the end of their service life, alerting management to replace them promptly to ensure product quality.
Actual Data: After implementing the ZigBee mold life assessment system, one factory reduced product quality issues caused by mold aging by 70% and decreased customer complaint rates by 50%.
III. Solution Architecture
IV. ZigBee System Implementation Steps
(1) Requirements Analysis
Gain an in-depth understanding of the factory's production processes, management models, and business needs to identify problems to be solved and expected goals. Communicate and conduct research with relevant departments and personnel to collect data and information, providing a basis for system design.
(2) System Design
Based on the results of the requirements analysis, design the overall architecture of the ZigBee system, hardware device layout, software functional modules, and data flow. Select appropriate ZigBee tags, readers, antennas, and other hardware devices, and determine their installation locations and methods. Develop corresponding software systems, including functional modules for database management, data collection and processing, and business logic control.
(3) Equipment Installation and Debugging
Install ZigBee hardware devices according to the system design plan, and perform debugging and testing. Ensure devices function properly and the information bound between tags and items is accurate. Simultaneously, install and configure the software system, conduct joint debugging with hardware devices to ensure system stability and reliability.
(4) Data Collection and Integration
Collect relevant data via ZigBee readers and integrate it into the enterprise's information system. Cleanse, transform, and analyze the collected data to extract valuable information, providing support for management decisions.
V. Implementation Cost and Benefit Analysis
(1) Implementation Costs
1. ZigBee Hardware Equipment Costs: Including tags, readers, antennas, location servers, etc., varying based on factory scale and application scenarios.
2. Software System Development Costs: Custom development of ZigBee management software tailored to factory needs.
3. System Integration Costs: Integrating the ZigBee system with the enterprise's existing information systems.
4. Operation and Maintenance Costs: Including equipment maintenance, data management, system upgrades, etc.
(2) Benefit Analysis
1. Improve Production Efficiency: Through rapid mold location, reduced stockouts, etc., production efficiency is expected to increase by over 30%.
2. Reduce Costs: By decreasing mold maintenance costs, inventory backlog costs, product recall costs, etc., costs are expected to be reduced by 10% annually.
3. Improve Product Quality: Through mold life assessment, product quality traceability, etc., the product qualification rate is expected to increase by over 5%.
4. Enhance Customer Satisfaction: By ensuring timely product delivery and guaranteed quality, customer satisfaction is expected to increase by over 20%.
(3) Return on Investment Period
By implementing the ZigBee technology solution, the investment cost is expected to be recovered within 1 year, achieving long-term economic and management benefits.
Content Reviewer: Yao Pinggui (Jimme Yao)
