Databolt Archives - AUTOMATION INSIGHTS

Using RFID Databolts in an Engine Assembly Plant

There are many types of RFID processors and network protocols to keep in mind as you’re installing your RFID system in your automotive plant manufacturing line. This blog post focuses on RFID databolts. I’ll discuss best practices for installing them, how to use RFID technology to track engine parts and components throughout the production process and how to use RFID databolts to provide instructions and to document the finished process.

The RFID databolt is a threaded device that can be embedded into a blank engine block or other component prior to production. It includes a radio-frequency identification (RFID) tag, a microprocessor, RFID antenna, and a power source, such as a battery or a connection to a power supply.

When installing an RFID system, it is important to keep in mind the best practices for mounting the RFID antennas and data bolts. The antennas should be mounted away from metal as much as possible, as metal can interfere with the signal. They should also be mounted with Delrin or UHMW mounting plates, as these materials will not interfere with the signal, and they provide a secure mount.

This can be used to ensure quality production and to identify any potential issues that may arise during the assembly process.

RFID databolts can also be used to track engine parts and components throughout the manufacturing process. This allows you to monitor the production process and quickly identify and address any issues. This will help to ensure quality production and to reduce errors and delays in the production process.

RFID databolts are an important part of the automotive manufacturing process and can be used to provide instructions and document the finished process, as well as to track engine parts and components throughout the production process. It is important to keep in mind the best practices for mounting the RFID antennas and databolts, such as mounting the antenna away from metal and using Delrin or UHMW mounting plates. By following these tips, you can ensure quality production and reduce errors and delays in the production process.

RFID – It’s Not a Matter of Privacy

With the recent boom in RFID implementations by organizations all over the globe, there is a buzz in the on-line communities and social networking sites about how the technology is an attempt to invade the privacy of every “Jane and Joe” on the planet. I have to admit when I first started to come across these public concerns I just assumed this was the vocal minority being overly paranoid. However, as the technology has progressed into many different areas of our life it has become pretty clear that little has been done to address the concerns of the public. So, I am going to address a few of those concerns here.

Recently, the GM plant in Tonawanda, NY incorporated RFID into their engine production process. They simply attach a Balluff Databolt (a specialized bolt with an RFID tag embedded in it) to every engine before it goes onto the assembly line. As with many manufacturing processes the engine will go to many different stations to be assembled and tested. At each of these stations data from the previous station is read and new data is written to the tag to ensure everything in the process went as planned. When the engine is completed the information written on the tag is uploaded to GM’s database and stored. In addition, the tag is removed, its memory erased and placed on another engine that goes through the same process. The tag DOES NOT stay with the engine. And, even if it did there would be no way to secretly track your vehicle by “pinging” this tag.

The GM example is just one of tens of thousands of applications where RFID is used to ensure quality, manage the production process, and manage product recalls in the manufacturing world. So, what about other applications like in retail where clothing is tracked via RFID or the livestock or pet industry where a small RFID tag is implanted in the animal?

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RFID Journal Live…It was all about the “Bolt”

I have to be honest. It didn’t take much to lure me to Orlando following the Arctic winter which haunted pretty much everybody who lives north of Dallas. And, just as I had hoped, the sunshine was in full force and the bonus was Balluff being at center stage thanks to the Databolt and its recent success at GM.

If you missed this year’s edition of RFID Journal Live then you missed an opportunity to hear first-hand about the famous Databolt. Mark Chiappetta, The manufacturing Engineering Superintendent at GM in Tonawanda, explained to conference attendees how technology has improved overall efficiency in the manufacturing process at the plant. Of course, the Databolt was featured in his presentation which was followed by a wave of interest in the Balluff booth. Read the GM Databolt story: http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?11329

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WOW! It’s a bolt!?

Our Databolt never fails to grab the attention of everyone who has ever ventured to take a look in my sample case. In a kit of a hundred plus RFID tags which vary in frequency and form factor, it’s the one that draws the most questions, by far. Without a doubt, it is unique, it is rugged, and it is a pretty ingenious method of attaching an RFID tag to an item that needs to be identified and tracked through a process. However, I couldn’t help but think…it’s just a bolt.

If you have ever been to a manufacturing trade show then you know that the “wow factor” is pretty common in this industry. From Blackjack dealing robots to machines the size of a typical suburban home, you must admit there is some impressive stuff out there.

Never did I consider the Databolt a “wow” product until a recent issue of Popular Mechanics featured the Balluff Databolt in an article regarding RFID traceability at GM’s engine plant in Tonawanda, NY. After reading the article I realized that wow can mean different things. So when I see a friend I haven’t seen for fifteen years and the first thing they say is wow. Is it wow, I haven’t seen you for a long time? Or wow, you’ve gained sixty pounds and are losing your hair? I guess it is to be left open for interpretation.

My vanity aside, it is now pretty clear that when the Databolt produces a wow, it is not necessarily a wow, this is the coolest piece of technology I have ever seen. More accurately, it is most likely wow, this simple little bolt can save my company millions by:

Creating visibility into the production process
Helping to comply with regulatory and quality standards
Proactively managing product recalls with near-real-time corrective action
Improving customer safety and satisfaction
Reducing the cost of nonconformance

So, that is my take on what people really mean when they say “wow” in regards to the Databolt. Check out the article and determine for yourself how wow should be interpreted.

A Bolt For RFID

In many cases, RFID tags are only as good as the package that carries them. In recent years with the explosion in the use and acceptance of RFID, many different types of tag packaging have become available. In these cases, these new packages have been based around low-cost labels. But when it comes to the industrial use of RFID, strength and reusability are an absolute must and there is a package for that too.

This package is called the Databolt™. The Databolt is most likely what you might picture when you hear that name in reference to RFID. It is literally an industrial grade bolt with an RFID tag embedded inside. Usually the tag is located in the head of the bolt. The bolt body is usually made of a type of tooling steel which has been treated or hardened for maximum longevity. In several automotive applications today, the Databolt is screwed into a part, typically metal, programmed with data as needed and then erased and removed only to be taken back to the beginning of the process and used again. But there are new applications where a Databolt can be screwed into a part like an oil or gas valve, cylinder or plate as a bolt for example, and then used as a track and trace method for things like field servicing once the device is installed or in use.

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