The Finnish tools and equipment supplier, Würth Oy, has been one of the early birds in the field of RFID as they introduced their first RFID system in Finland already in 1995. Automating their picking line with RFID has brought Würth tremendous savings along the years thanks to error reduction, savings in labor costs and more efficient collection process.
Würth introduced its first RFID system already 15 years ago. This low frequency (LF) RFID system was proprietary technology and dependable on specific hardware. When the reader manufacturer stopped making the design used by Würth, the company was unable to get spare parts to their system which caused massive problems. New solution was delivered by Vilant Systems, a Finnish RFID system supplier, and is working reliably at the customer site. The new system is based on Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Gen2 RFID.
The automatic picking line consists of 1,5km of conveyor and over 20 picking stations with over 40 RFID readers. The RFID readers identify tagged picking boxes on the line and direct them to the correct picking stations along the way. The picking boxes are tagged with UPM Raflatac Web inlays and the tags are identified with ThingMagic Astra readers. The amount of daily RFID tracking events is close to 40 000.
The picking line is operated in two shifts, five days a week with over 70% of all orders passing through it every day. The line is crucial to the daily operations of Würth and can’t stand any unintended down time. Vilant Systems was able to provide the hardware, software and the project work to update the whole picking line without any interruptions to the production. The reliable operation and ease of maintenance were two key factors in the evaluation criteria for the new system. With Vilant Server 5 device management and device monitoring functions, Würth’s requirements towards the critical part of their operations were met.
Würth Oy
Based in 1975 and located in Finland, Würth Oy is a subsidiary of German Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG. International Würth Group operates in 86 countries with a turnover of 7.5 billion Euros employing 58 000 persons. In Finland the equivalent figures are 181M€ and 1000 persons. Würth is specialized in tools and equipments and their product range includes fasteners, screws, screw accessories, dowels, chemicals, tools, machines, storage and retrieval systems and installation materials. The Finnish headquarters of Würth is located in Riihimäki but their network of Würth Centers and sales representatives covers the whole country.
Vilant Systems Oy
Vilant Systems is one of Europe’s leading suppliers of supply chain and asset tracking RFID systems. Since its foundation, in 2002, Vilant has been awarded with numerous growth and innovation awards and has delivered installations to 20 countries on four continents. Most of Vilant’s customers come from electronics, automotive or machinery manufacturing industry or operate in logistics. Vilant offers its customers turn-key RFID solutions that result in faster stock turnover, lower inventory level and more efficient supply chain process. Vilant offering includes own software, own or third party hardware supplied from a trusted partner network and services such as installation, integration, consultation and 24/7 support.“
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