Automotive manufacturing has a history of leading factory automation innovation and the recent trend to adopt ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID is the latest example. For decades, factory automation has evolved from straightforward mechanized tasks that were previously done by hand, through the revolutionary phase of robots with highly configurable control systems implemented with computers and programmable industrial controllers (PLC), to the widespread automation of data collection and real time processing needed to implement modern processes like Lean manufacturing or Just in Time manufacturing.
Bar codes have enabled automatic data collection which has led to enormous efficiency gains for both supply chain and assembly line processes; however, bar codes require line of sight, short read distances and they are hard to use on fabricated metal parts. High frequency (HF) RFID also poses limitations of very short read distance which makes it impractical for use on large assemblies and body panels. UHF RFID is currently being adopted by automotive manufacturers in areas where bar codes and HF RFID just don’t work, and other manufacturing segments will likely follow.
UHF RFID Tracks Automotive Body Panels
Recent news coverage noted automotive manufacturing plants in Germany and the USA using UHF RFID on assembly lines for WIP (work in progress) tracking of fabricated metal parts (body panels). SICK readers are used at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Germany and Turck readers are used in USA factories.
Turck promoted the use of UHF RFID to track automotive body panels in their booth at RFID Journal Live in Orlando earlier this month, which is also evidence that UHF RFID is gaining interest in industrial automation. Body panels are usually large in size and subjected to harsh conditions that make it difficult to use bar codes or HF RFID for automatic data collection. Durable UHF tags can operate through acid washes, paint and high temperature baking; these tags can also be read several meters without line of sight, which enables automatic data collection at every process step on a production line. This visibility is critical to “Lean” or “Just in Time” manufacturing processes especially on automotive production lines because of the process complexity and high SKU count. UHF Gen2 RFID is the only practical technology that can provide end-to-end automatic data collection for WIP tracking and real time processing on automotive production lines.
UHF Gen2 RFID is likely to have a long-term home in automotive manufacturing due to the obvious value that the technology is bringing to the industry. The automotive industry has traditionally led in manufacturing innovation, so watch for UHF RFID to quickly expand into other industrial manufacturing sectors.
Come back soon to read more about the rapid adoption of UHF RFID in other areas of automotive manufacturing, particularly in tracking RTI containers (returnable transport items).
Imagine being personally greeted by a rock star, seeing a giant encouraging video clip from family members during a marathon or receiving your favorite drink immediately upon entering your regular bar? Businesses are bringing these dreams to reality with the help of RFID. From haunted houses to sports tournaments, the technology is improving many different types of experiences.
Logistics is nothing new. However, RFID has been growing steadily during the last few years and we forecast this trend to continue for the near future.
Balaji Suresh, the materials manager at the Climate, Controls and Security (CCS) division of United Technologies Corp., was one of many satisfied end users at RFID Journal LIVE! CCS provides heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration technology for residential housing. Named by IndustryWeek as the one of the nation’s top ten manufacturing plants, CCS’ Collierville, Tennessee facility uses RFID to track component assembly and shipment of finished goods in order to improve efficiency, safety and quality of their assembly line and shipping processes. 
After a successful 10-week pilot at a Toronto supermarket in 2012, Moxie Retail is now ready to roll out its short-term RFID solution with Canadian retailers. The technology was developed for Moxie by the Academia RFID Centre of Excellence, and is designed to help retailers track which displays generate the most customer interest, the customer dwell time at displays, and which items are then purchased. 
Impinj was honored to have its 
Best in Show Finalists: Indy RS500 Reader SiP and Speedway xArray reader system
The Indy RS500 SiP is a completely integrated reader solution in a small surface mount package that enables fast time-to-market with low development risk. Building on the market-leading Indy reader chip technology, the Indy RS500 SiP only needs three connections (DC power, UART communication and an antenna) to start reading tags. Unlike embedded reader chip solutions that require greater investment due to complexity in RF design, manufacturing and certification, the Indy RS500 has no external components, is fully tested and meets regulatory requirements. The Indy RS500 is designed to work as a SMT (surface mount technology) component in a standard PCB manufacturing process, which eliminates costly mechanical hardware and RF cables that are typically required with reader modules on the market today. 
The Speedway xArray is a game-changing RFID reader system—the first product designed to meet the requirements for wide-area monitoring applications while maintaining backwards compatibility with portal applications. The Speedway xArray system provides wide-area monitoring through its beam-forming antenna array, which delivers full power throughout a 40 foot diameter when ceiling-mounted at 15 feet high. The xArray system can distinguish 52 different antenna beams providing for location assignment within the read zone, and the antennas radiate a linear pattern in both the horizontal and vertical paths in order to read tags in any orientation. The reader itself is optimized to read many thousands of tags very quickly, and to distinguish tags of interest from the rest of the field .. Moreover, Impinj has added robust tag direction capability that has been proven accurate even in difficult, real world environments. 
Nissan Europe is utilizing an RFID-enabled solution to promote products at car shows via social media. RFID company dwinQ provided the system to TBWA/BEING, Nissan’s creative partner, who then integrated the system into Nissan displays into numerous events including the Paris Motor Show, a private Leaf Tour, the Geneva International Motor Show and the Paris International Marathon. 
The Richardson Police Department (RPD) of Texas is currently using an RFID-enabled asset-tracking solution to verify that all uniforms and squad car equipment are in place at the start and end of each shift.