BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance’s Norwich Park Mine has successfully applied radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to its operations.
RFID is widely used in a range of industry, from security tags on consumer merchandise, to car remotes.
The mine used RFID for warehouse control and parts management. The solution involved three separate sets of identity tags, with one embedded in employees’ hard hats, a printable smart label attached to paperwork orders and one attached to every item stored at the warehouse.
The system tracks and records employees, the paper work and the items they take to fulfil orders. It can also automatically re-order more parts if existing stocks are low.
According to the operator, the new system means employees no longer have to manually log into the SAP system and enter the data. It also allows for a more accurate inventory.
