Case

Aertssen Logistics: automation of logistic processes with RFID

Thanks to RFID, stock is managed faster and more accurately, and the delivery of machines takes place flawlessly.

The customer

Aertssen Logistics is an expert in transport and logistics of various types of machines, from agricultural machinery, to cherry pickers such as scissor lifts and telescopic cherry pickers with tracks, to consolidation. In its distribution centre near the port of Antwerp they process every year 10.000 cherry pickers/machines for various customers.

The challenge

The pen and paper inventory was an intensive and error-prone task for Aertssen Logistics: not only because of the large number of assets to be processed, but also because certain types of machines are very similar. That is the reason why Aertssen Logistics was looking for a system enabling the automation of its logistic processes.

It quickly became clear that RFID would be the most appropriate technology to manage the stock in a faster, more accurate way and to accurately handle the delivery of machines.

The solution

Aucxis implemented the RFID Asset Management solution with the following building blocks:

Hardware: RFID labels, RFID hand scanners and RFID outdoor gates;
HERTZ RFID middleware for the communication between the hardware and the applications;
POLARIS RFID software: web portal and app for the handhelds

Wouter Clissen, Logistics Manager

"The exit control by RFID completely excludes human errors, thanks to which our employees can work more efficiently and with an easy mind."

RFID-Aertssen-Outdoor-Stock — Aertssen Logistics stores more than 5,000 units of machines and components, each of which has its identical reference.

RFID-Aertssen-RFID-Tag-Printer — The RFID labels are printed from the customer’s ERP system.

Registration, localisation and inventory with the Aucxis POLARIS software.

Phase 1: Manual registration, inventory and localisation at the yard

Upon arrival of the machines at Aertssen Logistics’ site, the ERP system instructs the RFID printer to print for each machine an RFID label containing product information and a QR code. All registered data are saved, managed and followed in the POLARIS software. Via filtering, the user quickly retrieves the desired information in the historical overview.

Phase 2: Registration of outgoing movements through RFID outdoor gates

Aucxis provided two waterproof and weather-resistant RFID outdoor gates for proof of shipment:

Fixed RFID gate: for the registration of passages of loaded trucks;
Mobile RFID gate: for the registration of passages when loading sea containers;
Alarm in case of exit of materials which may not leave the site

The result

Accurate and quick stock inventory;
Gain of time of 50% thanks to the automatic detection and control upon loading: a loading list is finished considerably faster;
Increased accuracy by using RFID outdoor gates before departure. No secondary deliveries with expensive, time-consuming corrections, and in turn satisfied customers;
Seamless integration with Aertssen’s systems.

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“RFID helps us to localise and make an inventory of the stored machines, with time savings of 50%.”

Wouter Clissen, Logistics Manager

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