Tray Identification at the Kennametal Drill Plant
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
- Wearables - Tags & Patches
Applicable Functions
- Process Manufacturing
Use Cases
- In-process Traceability
The Customer
Kennametal
About The Customer
Kennametal – an industrial technology leader for over 75 years, helps customers who expect top performance in demanding environments to achieve productivity gains. The company offers innovative, wear-resistant products, application technology and services
The Challenge
Kennametal's high quality drill bits along with their associated aluminium trays where they are arranged go through a thorough cleaning process involving ultrasound, damp and vacuum cleaning processes after machining is performed.
Before entering this washing facility, the order documents and the tray are separated and then re-allocated after cleaning. A work step that involves a risk as analyses have shown that, on occasion, trays and order documents were allocated incorrectly after cleaning. Drills went through coating processes that were supposed to be used for a different order. Hence, there was a need to eliminate mix-ups altogether.
The Solution
The solution came in the form of Structobond®, plastic labels that are permanently enclosed in an epoxy resin adhesive and are able to withstand even complex cleaning processes.
When a tray is taken out of the tray inventory to fill it with blanks for an order, the barcode will be scanned from its Structobond® label in the future. At the station, barcode and full text are duplicated on a standard self-adhesive label and stuck to the order documents. Tray and order documents are now “married” for all phases of production, including the washing process, ensuring error-free allocation at all times.
When a tray is taken out of the tray inventory to fill it with blanks for an order, the barcode will be scanned from its Structobond® label in the future. At the station, barcode and full text are duplicated on a standard self-adhesive label and stuck to the order documents. Tray and order documents are now “married” for all phases of production, including the washing process, ensuring error-free allocation at all times.
Operational Impact
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