Digital marking of spare parts

Abstract

The main component that is most often subject to repair in auto-tractor engines is the cylinder-piston unit, the operation of which will determine the reliability and efficiency of all equipment. Currently, color marking is used for cylinder-piston groups, but this type of marking is not sufficiently informative. There is an urgent need to shift from human-readable markings to machine-readable ones. To introduce digital marking for spare parts and ensure digital transformation of repair enterprises, the authors considered the main quality indicators of spare parts of automotive tractor engines and selective assembly of “piston – cylinder liner” conjugation of ZMZ‑402 engines by ten units. When implementing the method of intergroup interchangeability of cylinder-piston units, it is rational to use machine-readable markings based on QR codes or radio frequency tags or to automate the assembly process and increase the accuracy of basic assembly conditions. The advantages of using a QR code as a machine-readable marking include low cost of equipment, fast readability of information, the ability to create a redundant QR code, high capacity, and the ability to read several tags simultaneously. Marking with radio-frequency tags (RFID, NFC) allows encoding and reading information without direct contact, it is more resistant to mechanical influences in comparison with QR code. Significant disadvantages of radio-frequency tags are difficulty in reading when the signal is shielded and high cost of implementation of this marking system. The use of digital marking will make it possible to predict demand, increase automation and ease of working with warehouse databases, increase the transparency of ongoing operations, more accurately predict the timing and cost of repairs. The use of QR codes in conjunction with the enterprise information environment (E-catalogue) will increase the collection rate during selective assembly and the probability of man-made errors.