The global silicon chip maker TowerJazz not only produces high-memory RFID chips for the aerospace industry, but also uses WIFI-based RFID technology to track progress at one of the production sites. The solution is deployed at the TowerJazz manufacturing facility in Newport Beach, Calif., and consists of AeroScout's battery-powered (active) WIFI tags, sensors (triggers) that better pinpoint the position of the tag, and a The positioning information processing software can locate the position of the wafer during the processing process on the basis of reading the label information, and can share the read data information with the company's dispatch distribution system. The system was installed at different stages: the first phase of 2011 (identifying the location of the manufacturing station); the second phase of the end of 2012 (identifying the temporary support of the container filled with wafers). Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are now being installed to observe that a batch of wafers has reached a particular workstation.
TowerJazz provides integrated circuits to many semiconductor companies around the world. One of Tego Inc.'s customers, TowerJazz, manufactures high-memory passive ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID Tego chips that comply with the EPC Gen2 standard for tracking pressurized or non-pressurized parts in the aerospace industry. TowerJazz operates three processing plants: one in Israel (production of RFID chips); the second in Japan; and the third in California.
In addition to manufacturing Tego chips, TowerJazz produces dozens of batches of chips per day. Each batch contains 25 wafers, using different processes, with hundreds of unique steps such as etching and polishing. Each step is completed on a series of workstations in a specific order before being delivered to the customer. At the workstation, the worker must use a location-specific tool to complete a step during the manufacturing process and then move the wafer to the next intent to fill for a particular batch and sequence.
Dale Bogan, production director at TowerJazz, said the process was time consuming, if the operator had to manually schedule it, that is, for the next workstation to which a batch would be moved next, make sure it was properly programmed and not behind. The order is placed after it. “Our production line is not linear,†he explained. “So a batch can be dispatched to the next step anywhere in the production line.â€
While the company seeks to improve the system efficiency of the manual dispatch distribution manufacturing process, Bogan said that the high cost of installing a fully automated conveyor system makes it impossible to provide the investment with the high returns that the company needs. As a result, TowerJazz chose to continue to leverage existing scheduling systems—many of which were received, and specific sites were arranged to manufacture the chips—and RFID was used to read the data to ensure proper distribution. The company believes that adding RFID technology to the manufacturing process can improve efficiency and achieve on-time delivery.
TowerJazz puts an AeroScout T2 tag in the box where each batch of wafers is placed during the manufacturing process. When an order is received, the tag's unique ID code is linked to the order description in TowerJazz's existing Real Time Scheduler (RTD) system, and the tag sends its ID to the WIFI node installed in the entire facility.
The company also installed AeroScout's EX2000B and EX3210 triggers at the entrance and exit of each workstation to track the progress of each batch of boxes. When a batch is delivered to a site, the sensor at that location sends a low-frequency wake-up signal to the tag, and the tag sends its own unique identifier and sensor ID to log into the regional WIFI access point.
The AeroScout software updates the status of the batch by determining the location of the batch at a particular workstation and forwarding this information to the company's dispatch software. At any time during the manufacturing process, Bogan said that TowerJazz “can trace back to the history of physical locations†for each batch in the production process. He pointed out that "scheduling data is real-time and more accurate than manual methods."
When the manufacturing process for a batch is completed, the wafer is removed from the box and delivered to the customer, and the box and the RFID tag on it will be reused by another order.
Since the system was installed in July 2011, Bogan reports that TowerJazz can understand where each batch is located at any point in time and determine when a particular batch falls behind or is sent to the wrong workstation. “We have greatly improved the efficiency of the operators,†he said. He added: "We are able to reduce labor costs and deliver on time."
In the second phase, completed in late 2012, TowerJazz installed triggers on the racks between workstations to identify that a batch was on the rack and waited for the next designated workstation. More than 100 triggers are currently installed at the exit and entrance of their brackets, workstations.
For the next phase, the company will install a system for visual positioning. When a labeled batch enters the trigger reading range, the LED will illuminate, alerting the staff to the location of the batch.
TowerJazz provides integrated circuits to many semiconductor companies around the world. One of Tego Inc.'s customers, TowerJazz, manufactures high-memory passive ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID Tego chips that comply with the EPC Gen2 standard for tracking pressurized or non-pressurized parts in the aerospace industry. TowerJazz operates three processing plants: one in Israel (production of RFID chips); the second in Japan; and the third in California.
In addition to manufacturing Tego chips, TowerJazz produces dozens of batches of chips per day. Each batch contains 25 wafers, using different processes, with hundreds of unique steps such as etching and polishing. Each step is completed on a series of workstations in a specific order before being delivered to the customer. At the workstation, the worker must use a location-specific tool to complete a step during the manufacturing process and then move the wafer to the next intent to fill for a particular batch and sequence.
Dale Bogan, production director at TowerJazz, said the process was time consuming, if the operator had to manually schedule it, that is, for the next workstation to which a batch would be moved next, make sure it was properly programmed and not behind. The order is placed after it. “Our production line is not linear,†he explained. “So a batch can be dispatched to the next step anywhere in the production line.â€
While the company seeks to improve the system efficiency of the manual dispatch distribution manufacturing process, Bogan said that the high cost of installing a fully automated conveyor system makes it impossible to provide the investment with the high returns that the company needs. As a result, TowerJazz chose to continue to leverage existing scheduling systems—many of which were received, and specific sites were arranged to manufacture the chips—and RFID was used to read the data to ensure proper distribution. The company believes that adding RFID technology to the manufacturing process can improve efficiency and achieve on-time delivery.
TowerJazz puts an AeroScout T2 tag in the box where each batch of wafers is placed during the manufacturing process. When an order is received, the tag's unique ID code is linked to the order description in TowerJazz's existing Real Time Scheduler (RTD) system, and the tag sends its ID to the WIFI node installed in the entire facility.
The company also installed AeroScout's EX2000B and EX3210 triggers at the entrance and exit of each workstation to track the progress of each batch of boxes. When a batch is delivered to a site, the sensor at that location sends a low-frequency wake-up signal to the tag, and the tag sends its own unique identifier and sensor ID to log into the regional WIFI access point.
The AeroScout software updates the status of the batch by determining the location of the batch at a particular workstation and forwarding this information to the company's dispatch software. At any time during the manufacturing process, Bogan said that TowerJazz “can trace back to the history of physical locations†for each batch in the production process. He pointed out that "scheduling data is real-time and more accurate than manual methods."
When the manufacturing process for a batch is completed, the wafer is removed from the box and delivered to the customer, and the box and the RFID tag on it will be reused by another order.
Since the system was installed in July 2011, Bogan reports that TowerJazz can understand where each batch is located at any point in time and determine when a particular batch falls behind or is sent to the wrong workstation. “We have greatly improved the efficiency of the operators,†he said. He added: "We are able to reduce labor costs and deliver on time."
In the second phase, completed in late 2012, TowerJazz installed triggers on the racks between workstations to identify that a batch was on the rack and waited for the next designated workstation. More than 100 triggers are currently installed at the exit and entrance of their brackets, workstations.
For the next phase, the company will install a system for visual positioning. When a labeled batch enters the trigger reading range, the LED will illuminate, alerting the staff to the location of the batch.
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