Citation
(2005), "Playing tag", International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. 54 No. 8. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijppm.2005.07954hab.001
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Playing tag
Hitachi has fitted the manufacturing line for printed wiring boards at its Omika works with a production management system based on its mu-chip, a tiny radio frequency identification (RFID) smart tag.
At the Omika site, Hitachi makes control units for power generation facilities and traffic systems – 16,000 printed wiring boards each month. The process involves some 1.5 million different components that get mounted on 400 different kinds of boards.
Now, every board is fitted with an RFID tag, and readers along the line read information from the tags so the production flow of each board can be tracked.
The workers on the line also wear RFID tags, so information can be sent to the stations where they work to display details about the required tasks for boards as they reach the stations.
Introduction of the RFID-based management system, which cost tens of millions of yen to install, has increased board productivity by 20 per cent and shortened delivery times by 20 per cent, according to Hitachi.
The company plans not only to introduce the system at other factories but is also working on a commercial product that can be sold to other firms.