Qualcomm Plasma Equipment RFID Tooling Error-Proofing System
Semiconductor
Built on RockPlus EAM and RFID technology, the system delivers automatic Tooling identification, changeover verification and equipment-start interlocking for Plasma equipment — upgrading manual error-checking to equipment-level forced error-proofing. Qualcomm RF Technology (Wuxi) Co., Ltd. is an enterprise focused on the R&D, production and manufacturing of high-performance RF (radio frequency) technology, with a production floor involving a wide range of high-precision manufacturing equipment and complex process flows. In the customer's JigSaw-related production lines and project scenarios, Plasma equipment must change the corresponding Tooling fixtures according to different product models and production programs. As product models and production changeovers become more frequent, the traditional reliance on operators to manually identify and verify Tooling creates risks of mis-installation, missed installation and model mismatch. To address this, Hegong Software built an RFID Tooling error-proofing system for the Plasma equipment on the basis of the RockPlus EAM (Enterprise Asset Management) platform , combining automatic RFID identification, high-temperature and anti-metal RFID tags, industrial control boxes and equipment signal interlocking — upgrading the process from "manually confirming Tooling" to "automatic RFID identification + systematic automatic verification + enforced error-proofing on the Plasma equipment". Project Overview Plasma is a key process equipment in this production environment. When switching products, the equipment must simultaneously replace several Tooling fixtures inside it; different products, programs and mounting positions correspond to different Tooling. Previously, changeovers relied mainly on operators preparing Tooling according to the current product model and completing installation and confirmation manually. Because some fixtures look very similar, relying only on personnel experience and checklists cannot mechanistically eliminate picking the wrong fixture, installing it in the wrong position, or model mismatch. This project deployed the RFID Tooling identification and error-proofing system across 5 Plasma machines on site. The system establishes a unique RFID identity for each Tooling fixture; RFID antennas inside the equipment automatically read the currently installed Tooling, and RockPlus EAM automatically compares each reading against the current product, equipment program and fixture mounting position. The project also upgraded the control circuit of the Plasma equipment : an industrial control box was wired into the equipment start/stop control signal, directly interlocking the RFID verification result with the equipment start condition. The Plasma equipment is allowed to start only after the Tooling at every specified position has been identified and verified correct. If any Tooling is not detected, mismatches the model, or is installed in the wrong position, the system locks the equipment start signal and production cannot proceed. This forms the forced error-proofing closed loop: Select product/program → RFID automatically identifies Tooling → position-by-position system verification → alarm and Plasma equipment lock on any mismatch → all matched → equipment lock released → Plasma equipment starts production





