Title: RFID-based smart Kanbans for Just-In-Time manufacturing

Authors: Yingfeng Zhang, Pingyu Jiang, George Huang

Addresses: CAD/CAM Institute, School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China. ' CAD/CAM Institute, School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China. ' Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

Abstract: This paper proposes a Just-In-Time (JIT) Wireless Manufacturing (WM) framework that is based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification, RFID) technology and wireless information and communication networks. One of the basic components of this resulting WM solution is the RFID-based smart Kanbans. They are RFID tags and readers attached to shop-floor manufacturing objects such as operators, workstations, containers and inventories. Smart manufacturing objects are traceable to provide real-time information visibility needed for realising JIT manufacturing strategy. Smart Kanbans offer automatic data collection and thus close the manufacturing open loop.

Keywords: radio frequency identification; RFID; smart kanban; wireless manufacturing; just-in-time; JIT; WIP inventory; wireless networks; communications; information visibility; automatic data collection.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMPT.2008.019780

International Journal of Materials and Product Technology, 2008 Vol.33 No.1/2, pp.170 - 184

Published online: 30 Jul 2008 *

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