Mold life cycle management method and system based on RFID identification technology

Abstract

The invention discloses a mold life cycle management method and system based on an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology, relates to the field of mold management, and in particular relates to a method and system for realizing whole-process management of a mold life cycle based on data acquisition and analysis of RFID and PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) equipment collaboration. The method comprises the following management steps: step 1, initializing mold information and binding the mold information with an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device); step 2, RFID reader-writer deployment and station identification are carried out; 3, mold state sensing and data filtering; 4, collecting data used in the production process; 5, RFID and PLC data fusion verification is carried out; step 6, uploading the data to the cloud and a life cycle management platform; and 7, automatically judging the state of the mold and outputting management suggestions. The problems of low recognition efficiency, inaccurate state tracking, lack of life cycle management and the like in the existing mold management process are solved, and real-time sensing, automatic statistics, state judgment, visual display and intelligent decision support of the mold in the whole life cycle are realized, so that the efficiency, accuracy and intelligent level of mold management are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of mold management, and in particular to a method and system for achieving full-process management of a mold life cycle based on data collection and analysis coordinated by RFID identification and PLC equipment. Background Art

[0002] In modern manufacturing, especially in CNC machining (CNC), molds are key production tools, and their management efficiency directly impacts product quality and operating costs. As machining companies expand, the variety and quantity of molds used increase, and the frequency of use, maintenance status, and lifespan of molds become increasingly complex. Refined and systematic management has become an urgent need in the industry.

[0003] Currently, most companies still use traditional mold management methods, such as manual registration, spreadsheet-based records, or simple barcode scanning. These methods have the following significant shortcomings: manual inventory or registration is prone to omissions and errors, making it difficult to accurately grasp the real-time status of molds; traditional methods cannot accurately count the number of times molds are used and how long they last, making it difficult to make effective decisions about repairs and scrapping; molds frequently circulate between multiple production units, making it difficult to track their trajectory and lifecycle throughout their traditional methods; and as the number of molds increases, the operational pressure and labor costs associated with manual management rise sharply. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to address the defects and shortcomings of the existing technology and provide a mold lifecycle management method and system based on RFID identification technology, which solves the problems of low recognition efficiency, inaccurate status tracking, and lack of lifecycle management in the existing mold management process, and realizes real-time perception, automatic statistics, status judgment, visual display and intelligent decision support of the mold throughout its entire life cycle, thereby improving the efficiency, accuracy and intelligence level of mold management.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following management method: Step 1. Mold information initialization and RFID binding; Step 2. RFID reader deployment and workstation identification; Step 3. Mold status perception and data filtering; Step 4. Production process usage data collection; Step 5. RFID and PLC data fusion verification; Step 6. Data cloud and lifecycle management platform; Step 7. Automatic determination of mold status and output of management suggestions.

[0006] The step 1 of mold information initialization and RFID binding is specifically as follows: a high-frequency RFID electronic tag is configured for each mold; the unique identification information of the mold (mold number) is written into the RFID tag, and basic information such as mold type, factory time, rated life, current status, etc. can also be recorded; the RFID tag adopts industrial-grade packaging to ensure that it still has good recognition stability and anti-interference capabilities in a metal environment; after the initialization is completed, the RFID tag becomes the "electronic ID card" of the mold throughout its life cycle.

[0007] The step 2 RFID reader deployment and workstation identification is specifically as follows: RFID reader devices are set up in various key areas of the factory, including at least the following workstations: production workstations (i.e., CNC equipment areas); storage workstations (mold storage areas); maintenance workstations (maintenance and inspection work areas); each reader is fixedly installed at the workstation entrance or key entry and exit positions, and has the ability to identify the area and record passages; each time a mold enters or exits a certain workstation, the reader will record information such as the timestamp, mold number, workstation number, and workstation type; multiple readers can be uniformly accessed and scheduled through the edge gateway.

[0008] The mold status perception and data filtering in step 3 are as follows: the RFID reader reads the mold position information in real time and performs preliminary data processing through the edge computing gateway; the gateway has a built-in state recognition algorithm to automatically filter: repeated readings; interference data; determine the movement status of the mold; each effective cross-station behavior will be identified as a state change event.

[0009] The specific steps of step 4, which collects production process usage data, are as follows: each CNC device is connected to a PLC; the PLC records the actual usage data of the mold in the device, including: the start and end time of each clamping; the running time of each processing; and alarm status such as whether the mold is abnormally detached or misoperated. The above data is associated with the mold's RFID number to achieve dynamic accumulation of the number of times the mold is used and the length of time it is used.

[0010] The step 5 of RFID and PLC data fusion verification is specifically as follows: at the edge gateway level, cross-verification of RFID reading data and PLC collection data is implemented, and the steps include: matching the time when the mold enters and exits the production station with the PLC usage time interval; when the two times coincide, confirming that the mold is involved in the actual processing task during the time period.

[0011] The specific steps of step 6 of uploading data to the cloud and lifecycle management platform are as follows: the processed mold data is uploaded to the cloud database platform via a wireless network (such as WiFi, 5G or industrial Ethernet); the cloud platform includes the following modules: data storage module: classified storage of mold basic data, status data, usage records, etc.; lifecycle engine module: evaluates the health status of the mold based on parameters such as the cumulative number of uses, total usage time, number of repairs, historical trajectories, etc.; trajectory analysis module: visualizes the full process flow path of the mold in the form of a timeline; early warning strategy module: thresholds can be set to automatically trigger alarms, deactivation or maintenance reminders; visual management platform: displays the mold status dashboard through the WEB or APP interface for management personnel to view in real time.

[0012] The automatic determination of the mold status and the output of management suggestions in step 7 are specifically as follows: the system divides all behaviors of the mold into the following life cycle states: To be used: in the storage station; In use: in the production station, and the PLC records the usage data; To be repaired: in the repair station, or the warning threshold is triggered; Scrapped: The cumulative life span standard is exceeded or it can no longer be used after system evaluation; The platform automatically outputs management suggestions based on the life cycle status; Life extension evaluation and remanufacturing evaluation suggestions.

[0013] The operating principle of this invention is that it installs high-frequency RFID tags on each mold and deploys RFID readers at key workstations in the production workshop, enabling automatic identification and status collection at each stage of the mold's lifecycle. Simultaneously, by interfacing with the CNC equipment's PLC control system, it acquires real-time usage data during actual processing, including usage counts and operating hours. As the mold moves between workstations, the RFID reader records its location and entry and exit times. The PLC module records the mold's usage on the equipment. An edge gateway device aggregates, filters, and integrates this data to determine whether the mold is in "in use," "pending maintenance," or "pending storage." All valid data is uploaded to a cloud-based management platform via a wireless network. The platform further analyzes and visualizes the data, outputting a complete mold usage history, health assessment results, and lifecycle status. This system implements real-time sensing, automatic status determination, usage record statistics, visual trajectory tracking, lifespan warnings, and support for scrapping or repair decisions throughout the mold's lifecycle. It eliminates the need for manual intervention and comprehensively enhances the intelligent and automated level of mold management.

[0014] After adopting the above technical solution, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. Achieve closed-loop management of the entire life cycle of the mold, with transparent information from warehousing, use, maintenance, to scrapping; 2. Combined with RFID and PLC data dual verification, greatly improve the accuracy of mold usage statistics; 3. The system is highly scalable and can support parallel management of massive molds, adapting to the Industry 4.0 environment; 4. Significantly reduce labor costs and management errors; 5. Improve mold utilization and life prediction accuracy, providing a scientific basis for enterprise asset optimization configuration. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0016] Figure 1 It is a block diagram of the working principle of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 It is a management flow chart of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] See Figure 1-2 As shown, the management method adopted in this specific embodiment includes: step 1. mold information initialization and RFID binding; step 2. RFID reader deployment and workstation identification; step 3. mold status perception and data filtering; step 4. production process usage data collection; step 5. RFID and PLC data fusion verification; step 6. data cloud and lifecycle management platform; step 7. automatic determination of mold status and output of management suggestions.

[0019] The step 1 of mold information initialization and RFID binding is specifically as follows: a high-frequency RFID electronic tag is configured for each mold; the unique identification information of the mold (mold number) is written into the RFID tag, and basic information such as mold type, factory time, rated life, current status, etc. can also be recorded; the RFID tag adopts industrial-grade packaging to ensure that it still has good recognition stability and anti-interference capabilities in a metal environment; after the initialization is completed, the RFID tag becomes the "electronic ID card" of the mold throughout its life cycle.

[0020] The step 2 RFID reader deployment and workstation identification is specifically as follows: RFID reader devices are set up in various key areas of the factory, including at least the following workstations: production workstations (i.e., CNC equipment areas); storage workstations (mold storage areas); maintenance workstations (maintenance and inspection work areas); each reader is fixedly installed at the workstation entrance or key entry and exit positions, and has the ability to identify the area and record passages; each time a mold enters or exits a certain workstation, the reader will record information such as the timestamp, mold number, workstation number, and workstation type; multiple readers can be uniformly accessed and scheduled through the edge gateway.

[0021] The mold status perception and data filtering in step 3 are specifically as follows: the RFID reader reads the mold location information in real time and performs preliminary data processing through the edge computing gateway; the gateway has a built-in state recognition algorithm to automatically filter: repeated readings (the mold remains in place but is repeatedly read); interference data (non-target molds in the same area are misread); determine the movement state of the mold (such as moving, stationary, and cross-station flow); each effective cross-station behavior will be identified as a state change event.

[0022] The specific steps of step 4, which involves collecting production process usage data, are as follows: each CNC machine is connected to a PLC (programmable logic controller); the PLC records the actual usage data of the mold in the machine, including: the start and end time of each clamping; the running time of each processing; and alarm status such as whether the mold is abnormally detached or misoperated. The above data is associated with the mold's RFID number to achieve dynamic accumulation of the number of times the mold is used and the length of time it is used.

[0023] The step 5 RFID and PLC data fusion verification is specifically as follows: at the edge gateway level, cross-verification of RFID reading data and PLC collection data is achieved, and the steps include: matching the time when the mold enters and exits the production station with the PLC usage time interval; when the two times coincide, confirming that the mold is involved in the actual processing task during the time period; if the RFID shows entry but the PLC has no record, it is regarded as "invalid entry" or "standby state" and is not counted in the number of uses; vice versa, which helps to identify abnormal equipment operation or mold reading errors.

[0024] The specific steps of step 6 of uploading data to the cloud and lifecycle management platform are as follows: the processed mold data is uploaded to the cloud database platform via a wireless network (such as WiFi, 5G or industrial Ethernet); the cloud platform includes the following modules: data storage module: classified storage of mold basic data, status data, usage records, etc.; lifecycle engine module: evaluates the health status of the mold based on parameters such as cumulative usage times, total usage time, number of repairs, historical trajectories, etc.; trajectory analysis module: visualizes the full process flow path of the mold in the form of a timeline; early warning strategy module: thresholds can be set (such as continuous use of more than 200 times, cumulative time of more than 1,000 hours, etc.), and alarms, deactivation or maintenance reminders are automatically triggered; visual management platform: displays the mold status dashboard through the WEB or APP interface for management personnel to view in real time.

[0025] The automatic determination of the mold status and the output of management suggestions in step 7 are specifically as follows: the system divides all behaviors of the mold into the following life cycle states: To be used: in the storage station; In use: in the production station, and the PLC records the usage data; To be repaired: in the repair station, or the warning threshold is triggered; Scrapped: The cumulative life span standard is exceeded or it can no longer be used after system evaluation; The platform automatically outputs management suggestions based on the life cycle status, such as: allocation plan suggestions; maintenance scheduling suggestions; scrapping and replacement suggestions; life extension evaluation and remanufacturing evaluation suggestions.

[0026] The beneficial effects of this specific implementation method are: 1. Achieve closed-loop management of the entire life cycle of the mold, with transparent information from warehousing, use, maintenance, to scrapping; 2. Combined with RFID and PLC data dual verification, greatly improve the accuracy of mold usage statistics; 3. The system is highly scalable and can support parallel management of massive molds, adapting to the Industry 4.0 environment; 4. Significantly reduce labor costs and management errors; 5. Improve mold utilization and life prediction accuracy, providing a scientific basis for enterprise asset optimization configuration.

[0027] The above description is only used to illustrate the technical solution of the present invention and is not intended to limit it. Other modifications or equivalent substitutions made to the technical solution of the present invention by ordinary technicians in this field should be included in the scope of the claims of the present invention as long as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A mold lifecycle management method and system based on RFID identification technology, characterized by: Step 1. Initialize mold information and bind it to RFID; Step 2. Deploy RFID readers and identify workstations; Step 3. Detect mold status and filter data; Step 4. Collect production process usage data; Step 5. Verify RFID and PLC data fusion; Step 6. Upload data to the cloud and establish a lifecycle management platform; Step 7. Automatically determine mold status and output management recommendations.

2. The mold lifecycle management method and system based on RFID identification technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step 1 of mold information initialization and RFID binding is specifically as follows: a high-frequency RFID electronic tag is configured for each mold; the unique identification information of the mold (mold number) is written into the RFID tag, and basic information such as mold type, factory time, rated life, current status, etc. can also be recorded; the RFID tag adopts industrial-grade packaging to ensure that it still has good recognition stability and anti-interference capabilities in a metal environment; after the initialization is completed, the RFID tag becomes the "electronic ID card" of the mold throughout its life cycle.

3. The mold lifecycle management method and system based on RFID identification technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step 2 RFID reader deployment and workstation identification is specifically as follows: RFID reader devices are set up in various key areas of the factory, including at least the following workstations: production workstations (i.e., CNC equipment areas); storage workstations (mold storage areas); maintenance workstations (maintenance and inspection work areas); each reader is fixedly installed at the workstation entrance or key entry and exit positions, and has the ability to identify the area and record passages; each time a mold enters or exits a certain workstation, the reader will record information such as the timestamp, mold number, workstation number, and workstation type; multiple readers can be uniformly accessed and scheduled through the edge gateway.

4. The mold lifecycle management method and system based on RFID identification technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mold status perception and data filtering in step 3 are as follows: the RFID reader reads the mold position information in real time and performs preliminary data processing through the edge computing gateway; the gateway has a built-in state recognition algorithm to automatically filter: repeated readings; interference data; determine the movement status of the mold; each effective cross-station behavior will be identified as a state change event.

5. The mold lifecycle management method and system based on RFID identification technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specific steps of step 4, which collects production process usage data, are as follows: each CNC device is connected to a PLC; the PLC records the actual usage data of the mold in the device, including: the start and end time of each clamping; the running time of each processing; and alarm status such as whether the mold is abnormally detached or misoperated. The above data is associated with the mold's RFID number to achieve dynamic accumulation of the number of times the mold is used and the length of time it is used.

6. The mold lifecycle management method and system based on RFID identification technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: The step 5 of RFID and PLC data fusion verification is specifically as follows: at the edge gateway level, cross-verification of RFID reading data and PLC collection data is implemented, and the steps include: matching the time when the mold enters and exits the production station with the PLC usage time interval; when the two times coincide, confirming that the mold is involved in the actual processing task during the time period.

7. The mold lifecycle management method and system based on RFID identification technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: Step 6 of uploading data to the cloud and lifecycle management platform specifically involves uploading the processed mold data to the cloud database platform via a wireless network (such as WiFi, 5G, or industrial Ethernet). The cloud platform includes the following modules: a data storage module that categorizes and stores basic mold data, status data, usage records, etc.; a lifecycle engine module that evaluates mold health status based on parameters such as cumulative usage times, total usage time, number of repairs, and historical trajectories; and a trajectory analysis module that visualizes the entire mold flow path in a timeline format. Early warning strategy module: thresholds can be set to automatically trigger alarms, deactivation or maintenance reminders; visual management platform: the mold status dashboard is displayed through the WEB or APP interface for management personnel to view in real time.

8. The mold lifecycle management method and system based on RFID identification technology according to claim 1, characterized in that: The automatic determination of the mold status and the output of management suggestions in step 7 are specifically as follows: the system divides all behaviors of the mold into the following life cycle states: To be used: in the storage station; In use: in the production station, and the PLC records the usage data; To be repaired: in the repair station, or the warning threshold is triggered; Scrapped: The cumulative life span standard is exceeded or it can no longer be used after system evaluation; The platform automatically outputs management suggestions based on the life cycle status; Life extension evaluation and remanufacturing evaluation suggestions.

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