This post was last updated on February 11th, 2020 at 09:47 am
MX Group is the leading manufacturer of shower trays in the UK, producing many different types in hundreds of different shapes and sizes. The company uses the latest materials, designs, innovation and equipment in order to retain its competitive edge. To further improve efficiency and reduce waste in the manufacturing process, MX group has turned to CoreRFID.
As the largest producer of shower trays in the UK, MX Group has an output in excess of 8000 shower trays per week, covering 200 types and variations. In order to produce these trays, more than 1,000 different moulds are required. The management of mould availability and quality is key to the success of MX shower tray production.
MX Group has worked with CoreRFID to attach RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags to all of the moulds producing a full asset register, enabling each one to be easily identified and monitored. The CoreRFID solution means that each mould can be uniquely identified and given a live inventory status to optimise manufacturing and mould maintenance planning.
RFID is further enhancing efficiency by playing another role in the manufacturing process. RFID readers will be placed at the beginning of the production line to register which type of tray is being produced. This information is automatically passed to an operator in another sub-process to ensure that trays are cured in the correct sequence allowing just-in time availability for the next production cycle. This prevents delays in the production line and eliminates the need for large inventory holding at line side. As well as fixed readers, handheld readers can be used to scan the RFID tags to verify whether the moulds are ready for use, in need of repair or ready for scrappage.
Bar codes or any kind of human readable tags were not an option for MX Group. The nature of the raw materials used in the manufacturing process and the oven temperatures mean rugged RFID tags were the obvious choice. These tags are designed specifically for this type of process and can be used over and over again without any damage to the tag or the data stored on it.
MX Group is also using the IND570, an industrial weighing terminal from Mettler Toledo. CoreRFID has developed integration of the system so the actual weight from the terminal can be compared against the target weight of the mould.
Munzi Ali, Technical Director at CoreRFID said “We are delighted to welcome another manufacturer to our customer base, along-side current customers like Vaillant and Kane. We are seeing an increasing number of manufacturers who are turning to RFID to improve efficiency and reduce costs on the production line”.
You can read more about the system used by Vaillant in the case study section of our website.
You may also be interested in our video on how CoreRFID Manufacturing ID systems can help improve production processes:
