With the development of the Internet era, now in the enterprises that need material handling equipment has established a modern intelligent logistics system, which enables the intelligent operations in warehousing forming, storage, packaging, sorting parts, and also stimulates the development of RFID technology due to the ever-changing warehouse material handling methods.
What Is RFID
RFID is the acronyms of the word radio frequency identification, is a kind of automatic diagnosis technology, which can read and write electric tag or radio frequency card through the wireless radio frequency way. It carries on the non-contact bidirectional data communication by using the wireless radio frequency way, thus achieves the recognition target and the data exchange purpose. RFID technology is considered to be one of the most development potentiality in the 21st century. The radio frequency recognition distance can reach several dozens of centimeters to several meters, and can input several kilobytes of information and according to the read-write way, also has the extremely high confidentiality at the same time.
According to the communication distance, we can divide it into the near field and the far field so that the data exchange method between read/write equipment and the electronic tag also correspondingly is divided into the load modulation and the backscatter modulation.
Applications of RFID Technology In Warehousing System
As a new technology that build a modern intelligent logistics system, RFID contribute itself in the following 2 aspects in automatic material handling equipment system :
1. Product warehousing and inspection
When the goods tagged with RFID label are input into the warehouse, the reader in the entrance will identify the tag automatically and transmit the collected information to the management system at the same time, the management system will automatically determine where the goods should be located and stored then notify automatic handling robot of the location information, the robot will transport the goods to the correct location once received the location information.
2. Sorting and replenishing goods
During the sorting and replenishing process, according to the comparison of the data that collected by RFID reader and data stored by management system, RFID reader will make an alert to management system when it found the incorrect location of goods. Then the management system will send a correct placement of goods to the automatic handling robot, the automatic handling robot will reposition the goods to the correct location in the basis of received location information.
Advantages of RFID Technology
1. Save labor cost
The labor cost about 70% of the total material handling cost, the best way to save the cost and improve the competition is to try to lower the labor cost, which RFID technology can achieve this purpose by replacing manual work by automation.
2. Improve the working accuracy
RFID can make the goods be sorted and stored with eliminating the traditional inspection, checking operations, also don’t need to count the goods quantity and location one by one, which enhances the accuracy of logistics management. At the same time, it reduces the errors of category and quantity of goods during sorting process.
3. Ensure products quality
RFID technology ensures products quality in the process of warehousing, it can effectively control the production date, expiration date and related goods quality of products.
4. Track logistics dynamics
RFID technology helps increase the visibility of the goods circulation process and the correctness of consultation and reduce the cost of inventory holding and handling costs.
Logistics and warehousing and material handling are the most promising application areas of RFID. Currently, UPS, DHL, Fedex and other international logistics giants are actively experimenting with RFID technology, with a view to large-scale applications in the future to enhance its logistics capabilities. Processes that can be applied include: logistics process of goods tracking, automatic information collection, warehouse management applications, port applications, postal parcels, express delivery, etc.