rfid applications Archives - AUTOMATION INSIGHTS

Demand the Best from Your RFID Partner

That seems like a no-brainer statement, but often I find myself talking to customers who are frustrated with their current vendor for a myriad of reasons. An RFID project can require a pretty decent chunk of capital investment so when something doesn’t go as planned people start looking for answers immediately. This usually presents a great opportunity for us to go in and save the day, but it’s hard for me to ignore the time, money and resources that were wasted. Having witnessed this on several occasions I have concluded that there are a large number of RFID companies who are niche suppliers, but there are very few who can qualify as an RFID Partner. The RFID partner helps ensure success from idea to implementation to future expansion. That said, here is a list of things to consider prior to discussing your application with an RFID company:

Does the partner offer hardware that communicates over USB, Serial, TCP/IP, Ethernet/IP, Profinet/Profibus, CC-Link, Ethercat, etc?
Does the partner offer a wide range of form factors of readers, tags, and antennae?
Does the partner build hardware for multiple frequencies?
Is the partner willing to build custom equipment just right for your application?
Does the partner offer support before, during and after the project?
Does the partner have a core competency in the application?
Can the partner meet application specs such as, high temperatures, high speed reading on the fly, storing and reading large amounts of data, high ingress protection rating, etc.?
Does the partner develop and design products which are scalable and easily expandable?

If you can answer yes to all of these questions then chances are you are pretty well set. With such a mature technology there are many ways for RFID companies to set themselves apart from one another. However, there are only a few who are willing to do what it takes to be considered a partner.

To learn more about RFID technology visit www.balluff.us/rfid

“Team” Spells Success In Traceability

If you’ve ever considered a traceability project, like asset tracking for instance, you’ve probably also done some homework into the different technological ways to implement it, from barcoding to using RFID (radio frequency identification). And possibly, while doing that research, you may have seen some presentations or read some articles or whitepapers that have talked about the “team” of stakeholders required to implement these projects, especially if involving the scale required for a facility, or even multiple facilities. Well if you’re a manager reading this and involved with such an endeavor, I’m writing to tell you, take this stakeholder team thing seriously.

In many respects, there are rational fears in getting a stakeholder team together in the early stages of these projects, like the conceptualization stage for example. These fears include: Blowing the project out of proportion; Creating mission creep; Even derailing the project with the others self-interests. Again, all can be valid and even come true to a certain extent, but the reality is that most, if not all of the time, these same stakeholders will also identify the potential opportunities and pitfalls that will either help build the REAL ROI case, and/or help prevent the unseen wall that will prevent success.

These stakeholders can range from operational management (warehouse to manufacturing, depending on the target), IT, financial, quality, and engineering, just to get the ball rolling. You must always be careful of allowing the project to slip into “decision by committee”, so hold the reins and have the project lead firm in hand. But by bringing their input, you stand to satisfy not only your goal, but likely the shared goals they also have, validating and strengthening the real ROI that will likely exist if traceability is the requirement. You will also likely find that along the way you will bring improvements and efficiencies that will benefit the broader organization as a whole.

Once you’ve established the goal and the real ROI, reinforced by the stakeholder’s inputs, that is the time to bring in the technology pieces to see what best will solve that goal. This is many times were the first mistake can be made. The technology suppliers are brought in too soon and the project becomes technology weighted and a direction assumed before a true understanding of the benefits and goals of the organization are understood. Considering a project manager before bringing in the technology piece is also a great way to be ready when this time comes. When you’re ready for this stage, this will typically involve bringing in the vendors, integrators and so forth. And guess what, I’m certain you’ll find this part so much easier and faster to deal with, and with greater clarity. If you have that clear picture from your team when you bring in your solution providers, you will find the choices and their costs more realistic, and have a better picture of the feasibility of what your organization can implement and support.

Not to kill the thought with a sports analogy, but a team united and pulling for the same goal in the same direction will always win the game, versus each player looking out for just their own goals. So get your team together and enjoy the sweet taste of ROI success all around.

For more information on Traceability visit www.balluff.us/traceability.

Barcode and RFID, A one-two punch when it comes to sequencing

UHFRFID All too often I read about RFID replacing barcode as an ID technology. No doubt, there are cases where RFID is used to replace a barcode system due to a harsh environment or there is a need to “de-centralize” information etc., but more often than not I see both barcode and RFID being used together to address an application. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.

One application where the two live in harmony is sequencing. Sequencing is referred to by many different names and acronyms and is synonymous with automotive assembly plants and their tier suppliers. In a nutshell, the goal is to deliver the exact number of components in the exact order they will be used. When this is done efficiently the result is a WIN-WIN-WIN. A win for the supplier because they decrease the amount of in-process inventory and carrying costs; A win for the manufacturer because they maximize their floor space and spend less time hunting parts and components to complete a build; And a win for the consumer because they get their new car faster.

As one can imagine there is a great deal of communication and data sharing that must take place in order for this to operate smoothly. This is where the one-two punch of RFID and barcode come into play. The most common method is to identify the parts with barcodes and write the barcode data to the RFID tag which is fixed to the carrier. The information on the RFID tag identifies the carrier and identifies the components on the carrier. Rather than explain how this works, it makes more sense to look at a real-life example of how a major automotive supplier achieved their sequencing goals by using the one-two punch. Read Balluff’s Application Spotlight on UHF RFID Sequencing to learn more.

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.

Continue reading “A Bolt For RFID”