Application Spotlight: Engine Block Mold Tracking with RFID

Application Spotlight
Engine Block Mold Tracking with RFID
Assembling engine block molds at Nemak is a highly precise process. If anything goes wrong at any of the workstations along
the 300-meter-long (984-foot-long) loop assembly line, it could affect the final aluminum engine block’s integrity. Because the
work is automated, a defective mold might not be caught, resulting in a flawed engine block that could then continue on to
be installed within a vehicle. When the molds used to manufacture aluminum engine blocks are built, visibility into the entire
assembly process can help ensure that any defects are caught before the finished block is shipped to a customer. That is
where Balluff’s traceability solution with industrial RFID comes in. Traceability involves tracking every step of a mold-making
process, using automated identification. The system provides an automated record regarding the assembly of each block’s
mold, so that in the event of a recall, the company could ascertain what occurred during assembly, as well as which other
items were assembled simultaneously. This solution also writes sensor data from automation equipment to ensure that any
defects in the mold are caught before molten aluminum is poured into it.
Benefits of using Balluff’s Solution:
Visibility into entire process
Quality improved by detecting errors before machining
Defects can be tracked down to a single workstation or process
Process improvements can be made on specific problem areas
Engine Block Molds on Steel Carriers
RFID System at a Workstation Reads/Writes Data
The Balluff system implemented consisted of a complex network of sensors, as well as RFID readers, for the process line.
Visual sensors detect the presence of each hole or other structure, while other sensors detect or measure the presence of
those features and that they meet the tolerance values. When a new mold is created, a serial number is assigned to it and is
placed on a steel carrier. The process line also contains a variety of sensors to detect the carrier’s presence and determine
its location, as well as whether it is properly aligned, thereby indicating that each process is proceeding as expected. At each
workstation, a Balluff RFID reader, mounted on the factory floor, checks the ID number of the carrier’s RFID tag, and encodes
that tag with information related to work performed at that station. Once the mold reaches the end of the assembly line, the
carrier’s tag is read a final time, at which point the system determines whether there are any error reports written to the tag.
If there are any errors, the process line shuts down and an alert is issued to the staff, indicating that a problem has occurred,
along with the specific station at which this took place. At this final station, the RFID data recorded on the carrier’s tag is
stored in Nemak’s back-end system, and is linked to the individual mold’s serial number.
Ordercode
Part Number
Description
BIS0045
BIS M-111-02/L
Ø30mm,13.56 MHz RFID tag, 2KB memory
1
BIS00RF
BIS VM-300-001-S4
M30×1.5 HF read/write head
2
BIS00T3
BIS00U9
BIS010P
BIS0122
BIS
BIS
BIS
BIS
BIS V RFID processor with IO-Link/Profibus
BIS V RFID processor with IO-Link/EtherCAT
BIS V RFID processor with IO-Link/CC-Link
BIS V RFID processor with IO-Link/Ethernet/IP
3
V-6102-019-C001
V-6110-063-C002
V-6111-073-C002
V-6106-034-C004
1
Balluff, Inc. n 8125 Holton Drive Florence, KY 41042 n 1-800-543-8390 n www.balluff.us
2
3
PS_079 • Engine-Block Mold Tracking with RFID • 2013-08
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