How RFID technology to manage Coffee inventory in Brazil Cooperative

How RFID technology to manage Coffee inventory in Brazil Cooperative


How RFID technology to manage  Coffee  inventory in Brazil Cooperative


Campos Gerais and Coopercam are using RFID technology to automatically manage their coffee bean stocks. Located in Camposlas, Brazil, where 600,000 bags of coffee beans are produced each year, Coopercam is co-located with other producers of livestock and poultry products, including coffee growers and milk producers.
Hendrix Brasiliense, a partner at BrasilSync, an RFID project systems integrator, said the technology increases process flexibility, reduces staff time spent on coffee storage, reduces costs and simplifies access to coffee bean-related information.

(RFID reader installed on the forklift to help warehouse automatically record the location of coffee beans)
Brasiliense said: "Managers need to keep track of everything that happens in the warehouse and RFID technology has also proven to be a viable option to improve processes and improve reliability."
The truck is equipped with an RFID reader点击打开链接 that identifies each coffee bag and ensures that it is placed in the correct position. After the coffee arrives at the warehouse, the coffee beans and their storage location information are bound with the bag label ID and stored in the system. Brasiliense said: "This information is transmitted in real time via WiFi and is easily accessible via a web-based platform."
RFID tags are used to store the storage location of each bag of coffee beans. Brasiliense explains: "The labels used to manage the location information generated the map of the warehouse, and each bag had a small packet for the label."
A passive UHF RFID tag点击打开链接 was also installed under the floor of the warehouse for reading by the truck's reader. If the bag is misplaced, a warning will be issued on the truck's screen alerting the driver to return it to the correct storage location.
The RFID system provides a warehouse map depicting the real-time location of each bag. The system also offers a filtering function to search for a particular type of coffee. Brasiliense said: "The system also solves the issue of certification of coffee beans, and we now have an intuitive view of the location of the coffee beans in the warehouse to simplify the audit."

(Each coffee bean has a Smartrac RFID tag in the packet)
The project's middleware was developed by BrasilSync. Brasiliense said: "The middleware is responsible for filtering the raw data collected by the forklift's reader antenna, adding business intelligence and updating system status."
Coopercam decided to invest in RFID systems to manage the receipt and storage of coffee beans in the warehouse. Brasiliense said: "Another important aspect is that we want to get accurate coffee bean inventory information."
After finding a solution that was available on the market, the company did not find a solution that would solve every problem. Finally, Coopercam concluded that the RFID solution was the foundation of a viable solution. Brasiliense said: "After the installation of the RFID system, we can automatically track the storage and movement of coffee beans."
Brasiliense said the technology makes the warehouse process simple and agile for Coopercam. "RFID helps locate about 4,500 bags of coffee beans stored in 1,200 storage locations in the warehouse," he said. "It's hard to manage such a large amount of data with error-prone pen-and-paper systems."
Each forklift is equipped with an RFID reader and a connected on-board computer with a screen. The computer communicates with the data server and displays process information to the operator. The data is updated according to the pre-configured configuration.
The project uses two models of readers: the M6e from ThingMagic and the Edge-50 from Acura Global. "Brasiliense said:" We currently have a total of four readers installed and plan to install another 20. The company is using Smartrac RFID tags are currently available, and there are currently 16,000 tags in use, up from 65,000 as the system expands.
RFID system installation is recommended by Coopercam's IT department after business analysis. Brasiliense recalls: "The board of directors gave the team the absolute right to find a solution."
Brasiliense said: "There are a total of three people in the warehouse responsible for managing the loading and unloading of coffee and using RFID technology, three employees can process 500 coffee bags in under 30 minutes."
Brasiliense explains: "The RFID system also shows the location and type of coffee (category, appearance, color, etc.) An added benefit is that the change is automatically updated in the system as the bag moves from the existing location to the new location