Autor: Dominik Stockenberger

The networking between companies in a supply chain becomes tighter. This applies for manufacturing plants and the supply with manufacturing equipment as well. Hence, the complexity of the flow of information, in particular for tool management, increases. Currently the exchange of information is mostly paper-based and tool data is not available continuously along the supply chain. By using a digital and cloud-based tool management system, breaks in the flow of information along the supply chain for machining tools can be overcome. Herewith tool data can be called and updated ongoing and location-independent. Furthermore, after clearly identifying a tool, required tool data can automatically be transferred into the control system of the machine.

On the technical level there are different possibilities to fight counterfeiting and to prohibit the use of counterfeited parts in machinery and equipment. The aim should be to enable the machinery and equipment to recognize the exchange of wearing or the assembly of additional parts automatically and to check their originality independently. RFID offers not only the conditions to realize the suggested functions but also the possibility to check the authenti-city of products along the whole supply chain. Of course, the checking of parts along the supply chain avoids that co-pies or counterfeited goods break into the original value added chain.

On the technical level there are different possibilities to fight counterfeiting and to prohibit the use of counterfeited parts in machinery and equipment. The aim should be to enable the machinery control to recognize the exchange of wearing or the assembly of additional parts automatically and to check its originality independently. RFID offers not only the conditions to realise the suggested functions but also to implement additional benefits for manufacturer and customer.