Warehouse Operation Method and Application Based on RFID Technology

Accurately identifying the status of goods in logistics and warehousing warehouses and securing the incoming and outgoing goods are the key aspects of logistics and warehousing operations. This paper proposes an application scheme of RFID technology, which not only solves the technical difficulties of drift and collision in RFID applications but also solves the difficulties encountered by traditional warehouse scanning barcodes, realizes real-time synchronization of goods flow and information flow in the warehouse, realizes real-time management of warehouse operation information, improves the credibility of warehouse operation process, thus improves the cost efficiency of warehouse operation and releases warehouse operators from The warehouse operators are relieved from the heavy and repetitive work.

1. The problem proposed

Table of Contents

1. The problem proposed
2. Technical problems of collision and drift in RFID application
3. RFID Solution ideas
4. RFID technology-based handheld gun into the warehouse operation method
5. RFID technology-based forklift inbound operation method
6. RFID technology-based forklift operation method
8. Attachment Figure and Description

The current operation of many warehouses in and out of the warehouse is generally in operation, with manual records of warehouse storage operations, shelves, and other operations completed and then manually entered into the warehouse system on the computer, which is very easy to make mistakes. At the same time, there is generally a certain delay that cannot do the flow of goods and information flow synchronization; there are some warehouses that the one-dimensional bar code to scan, but this way can only meet the management of the warehouse operation is relatively coarse. For some warehouses in the electronics industry, there are more kinds of goods in the warehouse. The requirements for the accuracy of incoming and outgoing goods are higher, and it is necessary to manage each batch of each good, each box of each kind of goods in and out of the warehouse, and the movement in the warehouse. Each box scanning code plate operation poses a great challenge to the traditional warehouse in and out, and extremely low efficiency, and a very high error rate, even if the increase in workforce and material resources is difficult to meet customers’ requirements. For example, if the storage of 4,000 boxes of goods, according to the traditional way of operation is to print 4,000 labels, 4,000 labels on the exact goods, and then the goods for the code tray, and then scanning each box of goods, record the goods into that tray, and then the goods in the warehouse for shelves, to accurately record the information of goods into the warehouse; a time of goods into the warehouse requires four people to operate 10 hours; 17,000 boxes out of the warehouse, need to find the goods accurately, and then 17,000 boxes of each item of goods to scan, record out of the warehouse, which is a disaster for warehouse operators!
Why not use automatic labeling and scanning equipment to operate the large amount of inbound and outbound work? The reality is that many companies and third-party logistics companies are very short-term contracts, and the logistics costs paid cannot bear the cost of automated equipment, which is also an embarrassing situation faced by many traditional warehouse operations companies. The warehouse operators need to solve the problem cheaply, from heavy and repetitive labor to free. We try to use RFID technology to solve the problems faced by such warehouse operations. But how to solve the problem of collision and drift in the application of RFID technology is the problem faced by this paper.
In this paper, we propose to apply RFID technology to solve the problems in warehouse operations. Through the technical means of software and hardware combination, the technical difficulties in RFID application, i.e., drift and collision problems, are solved, making RFID technology widely used in traditional warehouse operations. At the same time, using RIFD technology can easily solve the problems encountered by the traditional warehouse scanning barcode to achieve real-time synchronization of the flow of goods and information in the warehouse, improve the accuracy of warehouse operations, improve operational efficiency, and reduce operating costs.

2. Technical problems of collision and drift in RFID application

Radiofrequency identification technology (Radio Frequency Identification, RFID), also known as radio frequency identification, is a communication technology that can identify specific targets and read and write relevant data through radio signals without the need to establish mechanical or optical contact between the identification system and a specific target. RFID technology because of its remote non-contact readable and fast group reading characteristics, RFID technology has been widely used in many fields. For example, tags worn on personnel can be used for express location of personnel in emergencies to enable rescue; tags mounted on medications allow medication managers to track the medication; RF transponders on cars can also be used to collect tolls for toll roads and parking lots. RFID chip placed in the ticket, personnel with tickets through the door access can quickly count the number of people entering and leaving the theater. However, due to technical difficulties such as drift and collision, RFID has yet to be successfully applied in warehouses.
RFID application drift problem refers to the RFID reader work read range, reading the label that does not want to be read; for example, in logistics operations, the operator hopes that the RFID reader can read the label of goods A, but read the label of goods B, or read the label of A and B at the same time. The current main method to solve the RFID drift problem is to control the RFID reader’s working range by adjusting the RFID reader’s antenna direction and output power.
RFID application collision problem refers to multiple RFID readers and multiple RFID tags working simultaneously; there is mutual interference between RFID readers and RFID tags, resulting in the tag not being accurately read and the problem of leakage. The current solution to the RFID collision problem is the main method is to minimize the RFID reader in the same work scene, thus reducing the chance of collision generation.
In the actual operation, to reduce the drift problem, we need to reduce the RFID reader work range; if at the same time need to read to more than one label, need to increase the RFID reader, at the same time, will produce collision problem, drift, and collision problem at the same time and contradict each other, is the key problem that leads to the actual application scene in the warehouse RFID reading and writing accuracy rate is low.

3. RFID Solution ideas

We use RFID technology, a warehouse operation device, and a method based on RFID technology to solve the technical problems of collision and drift in RFID applications. The introduction of RFID technology in the warehouse operation described in the previous section, through the warehouse system to receive the incoming forecast of goods, through the management of SKU to solve the work of matching incoming goods with the type of goods, making full use of the remote readable performance of RIFD, through the development of certain warehouse operation rules to meet the system record rules. This makes the warehouse operators do not have to scan each box of goods for the operation; through RFID hardware and warehouse information system software together, the operation of each box of goods will change to become the operation of each pallet to solve the RFID collision and drift technology, to achieve the accurate reading of RFID tags, to achieve an accurate reading of the flow of goods and information in the warehouse at low cost, to improve the efficiency of warehouse operations 45%, in practice, we achieved more than 1000 kinds of goods operation in 3 years with zero errors (see the attached chart of this paper for details of the technical solution).
In this program, we use the warehouse management system, and the traditional warehouse used in the one-dimensional code scanning gun, replaced with both support one-dimensional code scanning and RFID scanning handheld gun; and in the warehouse common operating tools – forklift installed an RFID technology-based warehouse operation device, the device includes electronic tags 1 and for loading and unloading, transporting goods forklift operation equipment 2, operation equipment 2 is installed with RFID reader 3 and industrial tablet computer 4, electronic tag 1 can be connected with RFID reader 3 communication, RFID reader 3 and industrial computer 4 signal connection.
The electronic tag 1 is divided into electronic cargo tag 6 and cargo electronic tag 7, RFID reader 3 includes cargo RFID reading antenna 8 and cargo RFID reading antenna 9, electronic cargo tag 6 can be connected with cargo RFID reading antenna 8 communication; electronic cargo tag 7 can be connected with cargo RFID reading antenna 9 communication.
In practice, the cargo RFID reading antenna 9 is set in the direction of the cargo RFID tag 7, and the cargo RFID reading antenna 8 is set in the direction of the cargo RFID tag 6. This setup also includes RFID device management controller 5, and the industrial computer 4 signal is connected to RFID management controller 5 via cable. And through the network and the warehouse management system for information interaction to complete the entire warehouse management operations.

4. RFID technology-based handheld gun into the warehouse operation method

RFID technology-based warehousing operation method, the steps are as follows:

A1. The RFID handheld gun receives the inbound operation instruction through the warehouse information system;
A2. According to the goods information in the said inbound operation instruction, find the goods, perform the yard tray operation on the unified batch of goods, place the electronic goods tag 7 on the pallet of operation, bind the inbound goods information with the goods electronic tag 7, so far, the pallet of goods has its electronic identification, after completing this step operation, the RFID-based device on the forklift can accurately read the goods on the RFID tags and RFID tags on the goods, accurate real-time record of the operation of the goods in the warehouse.
A3. After the warehouse pallet is completed, the forklift operates on the pallets of goods, and the RFID reader on said operation equipment reads the information of the electronic tags on the goods; and transmits the information of the electronic tags on said goods to said industrial computer to complete the positioning of the goods.
A4. Said forklift operation equipment loading and transporting the goods.
A5. Searching for the cargo space according to the cargo space information in said inbound operation instructions, the RFID reader on said operation equipment reads the information of the electronic tag on the cargo space; and transmits the information of the electronic tag on said cargo space to said industrial computer, completing the positioning of the cargo space.
A6. Said forklift operation equipment places the goods in the cargo position and completes the warehousing operation, and transmits the information about the goods and the cargo position to the warehouse system, and the rest of the personnel can inquire about the time of the goods’ entry and the specific cargo position through the warehouse system.

5. RFID technology-based forklift inbound operation method

In the above operation RFID technology forklift inbound operation method, the steps are as follows:

A1. The industrial computer on the operation equipment receives the operation instruction of the inbound shelf;
A2. Opening the cargo RFID reading antenna set in the direction of the electronic cargo tag on said operational equipment and closing the cargo RFID antenna set in the direction of the electronic cargo tag on said operational equipment;
A3. Searching for goods according to the goods information in said inbound operation instructions, said goods RFID antenna reading the information of the electronic goods tag and transmitting the information of said goods electronic tag to said industrial computer and warehouse system to complete the recording of the goods information;
A4. Said operational equipment loading and transporting the goods, turning off said cargo RFID antenna and turning on said cargo RFID antenna;
A5. Searching for the cargo space according to the cargo space information in said inbound operation instructions, said cargo RFID antenna reading the information of the cargo RFID tag and transmitting the information of said cargo RFID tag to said industrial computer and warehouse system, completing the positioning of the cargo space
A6. Said operation equipment places the goods in the cargo position and completes the warehousing operation.

Using the method mentioned above of warehousing operation can simplify the operation procedure of the operating personnel, save working time and improve work efficiency, and because the cargo RFID antenna, which is used, is facing the electronic cargo tag, therefore, it cannot read the information of the cargo position electronic tag, and can only read the information of the electronic cargo tag, which can greatly improve the accuracy rate of cargo information reading; at the same time, because the cargo position, which is used RFID antenna, is facing the electronic cargo tag, therefore, it can not read the information of the electronic cargo tag, can only read the information of the electronic cargo tag, which can greatly improve the accuracy of the cargo information reading; and then greatly improve the accuracy of the warehousing operations to ensure the smooth operation of the storage business.

6. RFID technology-based forklift operation method

RFID technology-based forklift operation method, the steps are as follows:
A1. The industrial computer on the forklift operation equipment receives the out-stocking operation instruction;
A2. Searching for the cargo position according to the cargo position information in said outbound operation instruction and the RFID antenna on said operation equipment reads the information of the electronic tag on the cargo position and transmits the information of the electronic tag on said cargo position to said industrial computer and the warehouse system to complete the positioning of the cargo position, and also transmits the cargo position information to the warehouse system and matches the cargo position information recorded by the warehouse system to confirm whether the outbound cargo level is correct or not;
A3. Searching for goods according to the goods information in said outbound operation instruction, the RFID reader on said operation equipment reads the information of the electronic tag on the goods and transmits the information of the electronic tag on said goods to said industrial computer, completing the positioning of the goods; also passing the goods level information to the warehouse system and matching it with the goods information recorded by the warehouse system, confirming whether the outbound goods If any of the cargo level information and cargo information does not match with the warehouse system record, the error message will be reflected on the industrial tablet computer to remind the warehouse operator to correct the error in time; if both cargo information and cargo level information are matched, the error will not be prompted, and the subsequent operation will be carried out;
By installing an RFID reader and industrial tablet PC on the forklift, the warehouse operator can complete the positioning of goods and the acquisition of goods information while operating the forklift, without the need for the operator to use the barcode scanner, get off the forklift, go to the vicinity of the goods barcode, scan the barcode, and then manually input the goods information to the warehouse management system to complete the management of goods information, and then return to the Forklift, operate the forklift and finish loading and discharging the goods. The operation efficiency is improved. At the same time, the synchronization of cargo flow and information flow is realized.
A4. Said operation equipment loads and transports the goods to complete the outbound operation.
It also includes the remaining steps: said industrial computer binds the information of said electronic cargo tag and the information of said electronic cargo tag to obtain the outbound operation information and transmits said outbound operation information to the warehouse management system.
The scheme of this paper can be used to support the interaction between warehouse personnel and remote warehouse systems by a simple client program in an industrial tablet PC. The warehouse management system is used to realize real-time management of warehouse goods status and the deployment of warehouse operations. Managers can send operation instructions through the warehouse management system. The warehouse management system transmits the operation instructions to the industrial computer and displays them on the industrial display computer. Warehouse operators see the operation instructions through the display and start operating the operation equipment to execute the instructions and complete the outgoing or incoming goods.
In the actual implementation case, it not only solves the difficulties encountered in the actual operation but also simplifies the operation procedure of operators, saves working time and improves work efficiency, and improves the accuracy of reading information on goods and cargo position to ensure the smooth operation of warehouse business, and also realizes the real-time management of warehouse operation information and improves the credibility of the warehouse operation process.

8. Attachment Figure and Description

Figure 1: a real installation diagram of the RFID technology-based warehousing operation device provided by the example of this paper;
Figure 2: a schematic diagram of the structure of the RFID technology-based warehousing operation device provided by the examples herein;
FIG. 3: a schematic diagram of the warehouse shelves and the cargo level tags provided herein;
Figure 4: an actual diagram of the relationship between the position of goods and cargo levels in the warehouse implemented herein; and
Figure 5: schematic diagram of the structure of the position relationship between the RFID antenna of the cargo level and the RFID antenna of the cargo;
Figure 6: Interface of the existing implementation project forklift system.
Figure 7: Diagram of the actual warehouse for the implementation project.

In the figure, the meanings of the symbols are as follows:
1: electronic tag, 2: operational equipment, 3: RFID reader, 4: industrial computer, 5: management controller, 6: cargo electronic tag, 7: electronic cargo tag, 8: cargo RFID antenna, 9: cargo RFID antenna.