IKEA Industry - custom glue-roller tracking built inside the Toolero ecosystem
For an IKEA Industry plant we built a dedicated module managing the full lifecycle of glue rollers - tools critical for veneer and panel production. Integrated with Toolero's records, services and history. Result: roller wear is visible ahead of time and replacement happens in a planned window.
What the module changed
About the plant
IKEA Industry is the global group of production plants supplying IKEA stores. Plants - including Poland - produce furniture panels, tops and fronts using paper, melamine and PVC films.
Glue rollers are critical: they apply adhesive with very tight weight tolerance. A worn roller outside spec = faulty batch and a line stop. Rollers are expensive (tens of thousands of PLN each), have a limited cycle count and require scheduled cleaning between series.
Challenge - wear tracking, process automation, planned service, audits
Glue rollers don't behave like standard inventory tools. Three core problems standard tracking wouldn't solve:
No real-time wear tracking
Rollers degrade gradually with each glue application - different glues wear differently (melamine, polyurethane, EVA). Without continuous wear measurement there is no way to see when a roller drifts out of spec - the replacement decision comes too late.
Manual, error-prone process
Operators logged series start, glue type, cleanings and replacements by hand on paper or in Excel. A typo = wrong data for service planning. Barcodes were considered, but rollers get coated with glue - labels rubbed off in days.
Reactive instead of planned service
Cleanings between batches and roller swaps happened "when somebody remembered" or "when quality dropped". A mid-shift swap stops the line, which is the most expensive moment to deal with it.
Quality audits - data collected by hand
Audits require linking every production batch to the specific tool and its state at the time. Without automated logging that means collecting paper cards from the shifts and matching them to batch numbers by hand.
What we built inside Toolero
Instead of forking Toolero or running a separate tool, we used its foundation (records, services, history, reports) and extended it with a custom module for glue rollers. Key tech choice: RFID identification instead of barcodes - Toolero is built to support multiple identification technologies (NFC, RFID, QR, barcodes) so we picked the one that fits the environment.
1. RFID identification (instead of barcodes)
Each roller gets an industrial UHF RFID tag, resistant to glue contact and heat. RFID readers on the line auto-identify the roller the moment it's mounted - no operator action, no stickers wearing off. Toolero handles QR, NFC and barcodes for other equipment classes in the plant - RFID was picked specifically for the gluing line.
2. Automated wear logging
Sensors on the line count glue application cycles and push data to Toolero via webhook. Each cycle is linked to a specific roller (via RFID) and glue type. Operators log nothing manually - data flows automatically and accurately.
3. Extended roller record
Every roller has a Toolero tool card plus extra fields: surface type, diameter, manufacturer, homologation number, max cycles before replacement, max cycles between cleanings, compatible glue types.
4. Automated reminders and service blocks
When a roller crosses the cycle threshold or glue type changes, the system instantly blocks the next series and issues a "cleaning required" work order. Operator confirms via RFID scan after the procedure - history records itself.
5. Predictive service plan
Based on historic wear (collected automatically from sensors), Toolero forecasts the optimal replacement date - targeting windows when the line is idle. No interrupting active series, no emergency mid-shift swaps.
6. Batch → roller → wear-state traceability
Every production batch in the plant's production system auto-links to the roller's record (via RFID reader ID) and its wear state at that moment. A question about a specific series - 2 clicks to full production history.
7. Audit reports as an export
Dedicated exports aligned with audit requirements: cleaning history, calibrations, wear per roller, batch links, schedule compliance.
Results
Planned replacement, not emergency
Wear is visible ahead of time, so a roller leaves the line in a planned window. A stoppage caused by an unexpectedly worn roller is no longer a scenario.
Fully automated wear tracking
Operators log nothing by hand - RFID + cycle sensors capture every roller use and glue type. Zero card errors, zero missing entries.
Rollers last longer
Better cleaning schedules (driven by real wear, not gut feel) let rollers log more cycles before replacement.
Planned, not reactive service
Cleanings and swaps happen in line-idle windows - never mid-shift. Toolero proposes the optimal time, maintenance manager approves with one click.
The audit is an export, not re-keying
Instead of walking the shifts and collecting paper cards - fifteen minutes to generate an export in Toolero.
Batch history at hand
A question about a specific series → 2 clicks to which roller, in what wear state, on which batch. Root-cause analysis instead of hunting for documents.
What we delivered vs. what was custom
Toolero - foundation
Tool records, history, permissions, cyclic services, web app running in the browser (desktop, phone, tablet), audit, exports, service module.
Toolero - multi-tech identification
Built-in support for QR, NFC, RFID and barcodes - pick what fits the environment. Here we picked RFID; in another deployment (Fiber4u) - QR codes.
Custom - RFID reader integration
Configuring readers on the production line, mapping tags to roller records, automated scan logging.
Custom - extended roller fields
Surface type, glue type, cycle counters, glue compatibility, homologations - attached without forking the codebase.
Custom - process automation
Sensor webhooks → automatic counter increments, service blocks, cleaning work orders generated without operator action.
Custom - predictive replacement plan
Algorithm proposing roller swaps in non-production windows based on historical wear and the plant's production plan.
Custom - production system integration + audit reports
A webhook from the plant's production system links batch → roller. Exports tailored to audit requirements.
Have a tool or process standard tracking can't cover?
Toolero is a platform - not a rigid box. If your specifics require dedicated fields, events or integrations, let's talk. Many of our customers get a custom module on top of standard Toolero.