Tracking in Manufacturing

Production managers often find it hard to stay on top of production status and identification and location of products.
Modern factories require a digital twin of the manufacturing shop floor and its strategic assets, with the location of every pallet and WIP tracked continuously and that data synchronized with the actual factory’s enterprise resource planning (ERP), manufacturing resource planning (MRP) and manufacturing execution system (MES) applications.

By deploying uRTLS™ in the factory and attaching tags to relevant WIP assets, customers can achieve:

• real-time visibility of the production flow
• flagging of events using geofences deployed in the factory and measurement of KPIs
• aggregate data using 2D factory layout display, with production sections and intermediate stocks
• real-time events synchronized with actual factory systems, such as ERP, MES and MRP applications

Large manufacturing facilities often face the problem of workers losing or misplacing tools or production fixtures. This not only slows down productivity but could also lead to serious consequences; for example, in the aerospace industry, where a FOA caused by a missing small screwdriver could prevent the aircraft from taking off.

Tool-tracking features implemented in TrackSphere™ and our expertise with metal-proof RFID tags enables:

• Instant audits to log who has accessed which tool kit(s) and when
• Field workers can report issues, inventory and find missing tools using TrackAPP™ running on a smartphone or a standard/handheld scanner
• In combination with RFID portals in key locations, TrackSphere™ updates storage movements and flows across the shop floor.

Having complete visibility of a company’s supply chain is essential. Clients need to measure shipping times; first-in, first-out (FIFO) compliance; transit times; precise locations on the production floor and to automatically detect container “voidness” for a fast replenishment.

Industrial operations, such as oil refinery and chemical plants, often run on a large number of shift workers where worker safety is paramount

WideArea_Tracker™ offers a superior solution for hazardous operation management

• Workers wear badges for outdoor and indoor locations. Devices include a SOS button and 3D G-Sensor to detect unusual movement patterns, properly filtered by TrackSphere™
• Optional ATEX/IECEx certified equipment for Zone I (Gas & Dust: Category 1, 21, Group II & I )
• Simple plug-and-play worker-tracking solution for hazardous operations that includes features such as advanced geofencing, event management, dynamic rules, group behavior, productivity KPI, task management and more

Manufacturers face a few common challenges:

• Wasted time searching for assets (e.g., cars, pallets, containers)
• Incorrect container pickup
• Late container docking
• How to detect unloading overruns
• Incorrect docking location
• Assembly and line-stoppage delays

Aligning each asset movement with the docking or production schedule is enabled by:

• WideArea_Tracking™ that monitors the location of WIP in the yard, where high volumes of finished and unfinished products are widely dispersed around the site, awaiting the next phase in their production life cycle


• Operations teams can now instantly find individual or groups of products using TrackSphere™, increasing productivity by eliminating search waste