In their Gokseong plant, Kumho Tires is attaching RFID tags on raw rubber and half-finished tyres. The tracking system ensures the materials enter a certain order according to their First-In-First-Out (FIFO) System.
They’re using the Star System, a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) solution, which is capable of position tracking in real time. The Star System is also used by NASA and is able to read tags from up to 200m regardless of obstructions.
A representative of Kumho Tires said, “The utilization of raw material has been improved significantly after introduction of Star System because the previously produced raw material is processed in priority through the real time tracking of materials and semi-finished products.
The production efficiency has been improved so much by cost saving as well as product uniformed quality such as cost reduction for raw material disposal and re-production caused by use expiration”.
The tracking system was supplied by Qbit Co., Ltd., a specialized Internet of Things (IoT) company in the 4th quarter of 2014.
ChongWoo Kim, CEO of Qbit said, “In the case of Kumho Tires, the system has been introduced to Gwangju Plant, in addition to Goksug Plant, and furthermore, might be extended to 3 other local plants within 1-2 years and is expected its expansion up to the base for global expansion”, and added, “It is possible to increase productivity in diverse sectors, such as logistics, assets and safety, establishing an automated management system through the Star system with electronic tag of high recognition rate and position tracking.