Traceability in industry 4.0: A case study in the metal-mechanical sector

Abstract

With the emergence of production systems characterized by Industry 4.0 technologies, asset traceability problems have become more relevant at different echelons of the supply chain. The management of intelligent assets promoted by Industry 4.0 is considered as a process that, in addition to collecting information, allows tracking and ensuring the security of assets. This article shows various technologies for traceability and asset monitoring, from the perspective of Industry 4.0. Through a case study in the metal mechanical industry, the solutions and benefits offered by the implementation of technologies based on RFID and GPS were analysed. With this proposal, it was possible to respond to the problem of the control and monitoring of welding equipment inside and outside the company. An automatic update of the locations was also achieved, through the use of GPS. The company estimates that with this implementation levels of reliability in the inventory close to 99% can be obtained, which would lead to guarantee the traceability of the assets.