As a result, Magna can now track the path of the molten metal from the furnace to the casting machine not only seamlessly, but also more easily than before - an important building block in quality assurance. At the same time, the new system also makes it possible to optimize transport processes, thus ensuring more efficient logistics processes in the foundry. At the touch of a button, the hot molten aluminum flows from the furnace into the ladle. The forklift driver monitors the process and first transports the molten metal from the furnace to the impeller, where the molten aluminum is treated.

He then transfers the molten metal to one of the casting machines in which the aluminum is formed. Magna processes different aluminum alloys in five melting furnaces and currently 17 casting machines at its casting plant in Soest, explains Oliver Telke. As team organizer in Soest, he is responsible for optimizing the transport process, among other things. "Our products make us a leader in lightweight cast aluminum components and we have made a good name for ourselves with many customers thanks to our quality and delivery reliability. This is one of the reasons why the foundry has been continually expanded in recent years. However, this success has meant that the transportation of the molten metal from the furnace to the casting machine has increasingly become a bottleneck. We were therefore looking for a way to better coordinate the journeys and make optimum use of our resources. In addition, the requirements for documentation and traceability of the processes in the foundry are becoming more and more stringent, so we were also looking for a modern and reliable solution for this. In the end, we opted for an RFID solution with communication via WLAN, with which we can now identify materials and equipment contactlessly and document all processes."

Robust system for complex logistics ...
When selecting a suitable system, the demanding environments were the main deciding factor, explains Telke: "We have high temperatures here in the foundry, and the transport vehicles are subject to shocks and vibrations. In addition, the numerous metallic components make radio communication difficult. That's why we were looking for a solution that would work reliably even under these conditions." All melting furnaces and casting machines have recently been equipped with the particularly robust Simatic RF620T transponders, and the impellers are currently also being gradually fitted with them. These UHF transponders can even be installed in the process - even directly on metal. The systems also have a large read/write distance.

"The system's readers and antennas are located on the forklift trucks used to transport the molten metal from the furnaces to the impellers and the casting machines. The fork with the melting ladle determines the minimum distance to the transponder on the equipment, so to speak - which is several meters. The system must therefore be able to work reliably even at this distance." This is why two Simatic RF680A antennas are installed on the roof of the forklifts - so the RFID system can read the transponders flexibly without the transponders always having to be installed on the same side of the oven or on the machine. The data captured by the UHF antennas is pre-processed in the Simatic RF680R reader and then transmitted to a server via WLAN. "The detection of the transponders by the antennas was one of the biggest challenges. On the one hand, we wanted to achieve a large read/write distance and fast detection of the transponders; on the other hand, the transponders should not be detected when the forklift truck simply passes by. We had to make some optimizations here. The configuration options of the Simatic systems helped us a lot in this respect, as we were able to adapt the time until the tags were recognized to our requirements," recalls Telke. "Now the system works really well and reliably, so we are gradually expanding the solution. The impellers are currently being integrated into the system so that we will then have a completely digital and wireless recording of the melt transport."

... as well as for the documentation and optimization of processes
AluProcess owner Manuel Brunner explains: "With our solutions, which are far removed from any standard, we are taking a big step towards digitalization." Telke explains: "Our customers expect and demand that we can prove the exact route of the melt if required. We used to create and file this documentation manually. However, we now have around 100 trips per shift - and a paper-based system is simply no longer practicable. Now we can simply call up the proof at the touch of a button."

The RFID solution is also helpful in the use of resources. "Our drivers now receive the orders from work preparation directly on the forklift, where they are shown a list. Each driver can see which truck is going where and which order is to be processed. This allows us to plan the routes better. We are currently planning to add a prioritization function to this list so that we can plan trips even better in the future," says Telke.

The forklift drivers have also accepted the system well. "The system actually does everything automatically, so the drivers only have to log serious errors manually," explains Telke. "We also have the option of linking the transport systems to our plant automation system via the forklifts' WLAN connection. This means that the drivers can now start the impellers for melt treatment from the forklift." Telke's positive conclusion: "The system has not had a single breakdown since commissioning. This is due in no small part to the quality of the hardware components, which are really exceptionally robust. We are even a little surprised that the hardware holds up so well in these environmental conditions!"