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sara S2 avatar image
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sara S2 asked Joerg Vogel edited

Is there RFID technology elements (Tags and reader) items in FlexSim ?

Is there RFID technology elements (Tags and reader) items in FlexSim? that I can use in my model

FlexSim 19.0.0
flexsim and rfid technologyrfid
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Joerg Vogel answered Joerg Vogel commented

You needn’t any special technology. Every item object has got labels. That is standard. You need sensors to get events to read the labels. These sensors can be on conveyors decision points or photo eyes, network nodes or any other objects that store, receive or release items.

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sara S2 avatar image sara S2 commented ·

Thank you Jörg Vogel for your answer.

In fact, I am trying to model “RFID enabled Two-bin system” for stock and inventory management. Each bin has a RFID tag that is placed on RFID board - when the bin is empty- to be read, for launching a replenishment order in the warehouse. So, I am just trying to model the real system on FlexSim and I don't know how to represent RFID tags and reader in this model.

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Joerg Vogel avatar image Joerg Vogel sara S2 commented ·

@sara S2, There are different levels of detail in a model. The data of an RFID tag can you store in labels. If you need a visual attribute at items, then you can move another item into the box or you add drawsurrogate object to the box. But both visual subjects won’t actively react if your box just travels through a gate or sensor. You must refer to the box and look for the stored data at the box (label)

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sara S2 avatar image sara S2 Joerg Vogel commented ·

Hi @Jörg Vogel.

I read about the use of draw surrogate, but I think this is not what I really need for my case because my goal is simple than this:

Actually, I just want to create an object that has the form of a ticket (that will represent the RFID tag) and then attach this ticket on the front of the tote (to be visible), and never move it (like if the tote and the ticket are one object). This is about the visual form of what I want to model. Concerning data, I am going to store it in the ticket label.

Below there is a simple model that I have elaborated to give you an idea of what I want to do.

1- I used the Item flow ‘Plane’ to model a ticket (source 2)

2- I used a combiner with combine mode: Join, but the ticket is destroyed.

Is there a way to use another fixed resource that could perform the task of the attachment of the ticket on the tote?

I would be grateful if you help me to model this.

exp.fsm

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sara S2 avatar image sara S2 commented ·

Thank you @Jörg Vogel for your reply. The pack mode does not allow to attach the ticket ON THE FRONT of the tote but INSIDE the tote. Please, is there any way that allows attaching the ticket on the front of the tote? like shown in the figure below.

fig.png

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Joerg Vogel avatar image Joerg Vogel sara S2 commented ·

The location of the packed item is just a matter of variation of values. The label item is the first of the tote. You can highlight the packed item and you vary the values of location and rotation in quick properties. You keep the values in your mind and then you can set the location and rotation in a trigger or in a change visual activity by those values.

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sara S2 avatar image sara S2 commented ·

Hello @Jörg Vogel

Thank you so much for your answer.

I tried to apply your instructions: I measured the position 'that I want' of the ticket on the tote, then I created on creation trigger in source 2 and chosen “set location, rotation, or size”. I selected firstly set location and entered the values I measured. After this, I selected set rotation and affected the suitable values. But, when I run the model, only the rotation measure is taken in consideration. X, Y and Z locations are not applied !

Would you please help me to fix this?

Thank you again

exp.fsm

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Joerg Vogel avatar image Joerg Vogel sara S2 commented ·
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Joerg Vogel answered sara S2 commented

An alternative is a drawsurrogate object at the flowitem.

  1. open the animation creator
  2. add an object
  3. hide or show the shape of the drawsurrogate

for 1:

You copy the tote flow item in the flow item bin (1b). You can rename the copied item. Highlight the new item in the 3D View and open its properties. On the General tab you open the Visuals/Animation by the Edit button (1c).

for 2:

The bottom time line window of Animation and Components contains on the left an empty list of Objects you can set an animation for. Or you add simply an Object (2a). You exchange the shape in the quick Properties for the new added object (2b). Then you change the color, rotation, size and location (2c).

for 3:

Hide and show of a shape is a function of the flags of an object. Items are objects, too. And drawsurrogate are also objects. The reference to the drawsurrogate object is a path inside of the attribute tree of the flow item. The object (3b) is the first subnode of the drawsurrogate node (3a).

A flag value of 0 is an off state, 1 is an on state.

You hide the shape on creation of the item in a source and, you show the shape at theprocessor where you attach the label.


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sara S2 avatar image sara S2 commented ·

Thank you @Jörg Vogel so much for your help.

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