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Considerations When Picking UHF RFID

If you’ve attempted to implement an ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID system into your facility, you might have run into some headaches in the process of getting things to work properly. If you are looking to implement UHF RFID, but haven’t had the chance to set things up yet, then this blog might be beneficial to keep in mind during the process.

UHF RFID and what it can do

UHF RFID is a long-range system with a focus on gaining visibility in the supply chain or manufacturing process. It can track multiple ID tags in a set area/distance (depending on the read/write head you select). The RFID field is emitted by an antenna that propagates an electromagnetic field, which will “ping and power up” a tag with data saved on it. Commonly, warehouses use it for logistics, supply chain tracking, warehouse pallet tracking, equipment tracking, or even for luggage tracking. As amazing as this technology sounds, there are environmental factors that can cause the system to not work to its full potential.

Factors affecting RFID system performance

Different materials or environments can affect the performance of your RFID system. Each tag antenna is set to a specific frequency, and some materials or environments can influence the radiation pattern. This can be something as simple as the material on which the tag is mounted to something more complex, such as how the signal is going to bounce off the walls or the ground. Below are some common issues people run into when implementing RFID.

    • Absorption: Absorption occurs when an object in the field absorbs part of the radio frequency energy emitted from the reader antenna. Cardboard, conductive liquids, and tissue (human bodies or animals) are examples of materials that can absorb some of the RF energy. One way to think of this is to imagine a sound booth in a recording studio. The booth is covered in foam to absorb sound. This is a similar philosophy for UHF RFID. You need to consider materials that absorb that energy.
    • Reflection: When there are distortions of the RF field, reflection can occur. As you may imagine, certain materials, such as metals, can cause the waves emitted from the antenna to distort or “reflect” in ways that cause performance losses. This could be metal machinery or fixings between the reader and the tags, a group of metal pipes, and mounting on metal containers. If you choose to do a deeper dive, there are other performance factors that can be impacted by the path of the signal, such as zones in which the tag can’t be reached (even if the tag is in the reader’s field), or the tag and the reader are not aligned properly.
    • Detuning: Detuning occurs when the radio frequency between the tag and reader is changed in the process. Since you pair specific readers to specific tags at a specific frequency, you don’t want your environment to cause a change in the specific frequencies. Certain materials, such as cardboard, metals, tissue, and plastics, can cause an impedance that can “un-match” your reader and tags based on the RF not matching up.

Luckily for you, many companies who specialize in RFID can help ensure you pick the right system for your application. Some will even go visit your site to evaluate the environment and materials that will be involved in the process and recommend the right readers, antennas, tags, and accessories for you.

Although not all UHF RFID applications seem complex, there are many small things that can affect the entire operation. When you are picking your system, make sure you keep in mind some of these effects, and if you are unsure, call in a professional for some assistance.

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UHF RFID Versus UHF RTLS

Many companies new to UHF (Ultra High Frequency) RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) confuse it with UHF RTLS (Real Time Location Systems). While both indeed do use UHF RFID, they differ substantially in what they can actually do for you in your business.

Many companies new to UHF (Ultra High Frequency) RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) confuse it with UHF RTLS (Real Time Location Systems). While both indeed do use UHF RFID, they differ substantially in what they can actually do for you in your business.
UHF RFID

Standard UHF RFID systems can see multiple tags on equipment and products up to several meters away, if set up properly. With emphasis on “set up properly.” While UHF RFID works quite well, its unique characteristics require testing in the environment where it will be used to ensure success.

UHF RFID has several purposes:

    • To see if an item has passed a certain point, commonly known as a choke point. Examples of this are items being loaded on or off a trailer at a shipping door or items passing from one area to another in a plant.
    • To verify if something is within a certain area when using a scanning device, such as a handheld reader. If one is scanning shelves of parts or equipment, it will help locate those items.
    • To track usage of equipment in MIS systems.
    • The tags can also have data written to them if needed.

The big thing that UHF RFID cannot do is effectively track the exact location of something at any given time in a cost-effective manner. Generally, UHF RFID uses what are called passive tags for the antennas to read. These tags have no battery and get energized from the antenna signal. If you placed enough antennas all over a facility and enough of these tags, then you could possibly locate something within a certain proximity, but not exactly, and this is hardly cost effective.

UHF Real Time Location Systems (RTLSs)

RTLS, on the other hand, are specifically designed to pinpoint the location of anything with a tag or transponder on it. In fact, RTLS refers to any system that can accurately determine an item or person’s location. An important aspect of RTLS is how frequently assets must be tracked. This data can be used in different ways depending on the application. For example, some RTLS applications only need timestamps when an asset passes through an area, while others require much higher visibility, requiring constant updating of time data.

An ideal RTLS can accurately locate, track, and manage assets, inventory, or people, and help companies make knowledgeable decisions based on collected location data.

Like regular UHF RFID, RTLS can use passive or active tags (tags with batteries), but they use triangulation of multiple antennas to determine the location of an object or person. The strength of the signal at each antenna, combined with the software attached to the antennas, allows the identification of the location of an object or person within less than 1 meter.

The system you choose depends on the needs at your location. They both work quite well when implemented properly by trained professionals.

Also, due to the inherent properties of ultra-high frequencies used in UHF RFID technology and RTLS, you should perform a feasibility study that actually tests the system in the real world environment of the plant prior to implementing these systems in any application.

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Lithium Ion Battery Manufacturing – RFID is on a Roll

With more and more consumers setting their sights on ‘Drive Electric,’ manufacturers must prepare themselves for alternative solutions to combustion engines. This change will no doubt require an alternative automation strategy for our electric futures.

The battery

The driving force behind these new electric vehicles is, of course, the battery. With this new wave of electric vehicles, the lithium ion battery manufacturing sector is growing exponentially, creating a significant need for traceability and tracking throughout the manufacturing processes.

Battery manufacturing is classified into three major production areas:

    1. Electrode manufacturing
    2. Cell assembly
    3. Finishing formation, aging and testing

These processes require flexible and efficient automation solutions to produce high quality batteries effectively. As such, there are numerous areas that can benefit from RFID and/or code reading solutions. One of the biggest of these is the electrode manufacturing process, specifically on the individual mother and daughter electrode rolls. This is a great application for UHF (Ultra-High Frequency) RFID.

The Need for RFID

The electrode formation process involves numerous production steps, including mixing, coating, calendaring, drying, slitting and vacuum drying. Each machine process generally begins with unwinding turrets and ends with winding ones. A roll-to-roll process.

Two of the three primary components of the lithium ion battery, both the anode and cathode electrode, are produced on rolls and require identification, process step validation and full traceability all the way through the plant.

During the slitting process both larger mother rolls are unwound and sliced into multiple, smaller daughter rolls. These mother and daughter rolls must also be tracked and traced through the remaining processes, into storage and ultimately, into a battery cell.

Solution

Working with our battery customers and understanding their process needs, a UHF RFID tag was developed specifically to withstand the electrode production environment. Having a tag that can withstand a high temperature range is crucial, particularly in the vacuum drying lines. This tag is capable of surviving cycling applications with temperatures up to 235 °C. Its small form factor is ideal for recess mounting in the anode and cathode roll cores with an operating range reaching 4 meters.

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The tag embedded in the roll core paired with an RFID processor and UHF antenna provides all the necessary hardware in supporting battery plants to achieve their desired objective of tracking all production steps. Customers not only have the option of obtaining read/writes, via fixed antennas at the turrets, but also handheld ones for all storage locations — from goods receiving to daughter coil storage racks within a plant.

This UHF RFID system allows for tracking from the initial electrode coils from goods received in the warehouse, through the multiple machines in the electrode manufacturing process, into the storage areas, and to the battery cell assembly going in the electric vehicle — ultimately linking all battery cells back to a particular daughter roll, and back to its initial mother roll. RFID is on a Roll!

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UHF making a big impact on manufacturing

RFIDUltra-High Frequency (UHF) RFID is quickly becoming the go-to identification system for flexible manufacturing lines around the world. While it was once considered to be a system designed primarily for distribution centers and retail stores, UHF technology has evolved to meet the rigors of the manufacturing environment.

Not long ago I was in a discussion with one of my customers who had been using RFID for almost 25 years. He was caught in a tough spot because he had an application which required reading tags from as little as six inches away to as far as two feet away. The HF system he had could easily meet his needs for the six inch read range, but reading at two feet away limited him to using UHF. When I explained that, his bewildered look indicated to me he was reluctant to consider UHF as a real option. He went on to explain that about ten years prior he conducted tests in his plant with UHF and found a host of limitations with the technology. His main concern was how the operators’ two-way radios interfered with the UHF operating frequency of 902-928MHz. Having heard this from other manufacturing organizations who were early adopters I knew right away that he wasn’t aware of how the technology has evolved over the last decade.

Frequency hopping has pretty much eliminated interference with other radio signals. In addition to overcoming radio interference, being able to read and write to tags which are mounted on or near metal and liquids has become a reality with recent advancements. These improvements have led to more flexible read ranges which are a requirement in today’s flexible manufacturing applications.

In a nutshell, the demands of flexible manufacturing have spurred advancements in the process as well as the supporting technology. As it applies to identification of parts or pallets in the manufacturing process, the flexibility of UHF RFID enables manufacturers to gain visibility in their process and provides actionable data that is used to make complex business decisions.

You can learn more about the technology in Balluff’s white paper, What Makes RFID Systems Industrial Strength? or by visiting our website at www.balluff.us. 

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

UHFRFIDAll 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.

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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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“Skinning cats” with RFID Technology at RFID Journal Live

Now that I have offended every cat lover on earth, just relax. I can assure you there were no animals harmed in the 2013 edition of the RFID Journal Live show in Orlando. I ‘m just borrowing a phrase from Mark Twain’s “A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” and countless other literary compositions. “There is more than one way to skin a cat” is the idiom I haven’t been able to shake from my thoughts since leaving the show.

gateway
Industrial gateway demo at the show

If you missed us, we were the guys displaying the industrial gateway/portal equipped with the ultra-rugged antennas and the 4 channel UHF controller that seemed fit to take on heavy artillery fire. In addition, you missed the flashing smartlight that indicated the presence and identified tagged items as they passed through the RFID portal, which was all powered by Transitionworks Software.

My first “cat skinning” moment came long before the start of the show. We have several elite middleware and application software partners in our RFID arsenal, but my challenge was to choose the best fit for the show demo. I had two basic criteria for selecting a partner: 1. …software partner must have extensive experience installing and deploying full traceability solutions in the industrial arena and is capable of producing an “off the shelf solution” as well as a highly customized, application specific solution. 2. …must be so user-friendly that even a marketing guy (me) can operate it. Transitionworks Software based in High Point, NC was the perfect fit. While performing my due diligence it became apparent that there are dozens if not hundreds of software providers who can design traceability applications. AND, they all have a different way of going about it (they all have a different way of “skinning a cat”…to keep with the theme). Transitionworks understands that conforming the technology around the customer’s process proves successful over time, opposed to interfering with the customer’s process in order to utilize RFID technology. I like the way they skin cats!

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RFID Marketing: Secrets Revealed

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”
-W.B. Yeats

At some point in everyone’s life, they find themself at a proverbial crossroads. They are forced to make a choice that will impact the future. These decisions could create personal fulfillment, affect the people around them, and influence their role in an organization. OK, maybe that’s a little strong for the blogosphere, but what I am trying to say is there is a crossroads where one must differentiate the benefits of a product when the companies that sell them all claim their product is the best and will definitely meet or exceed the needs of their customers.

These days, decision makers not only put their job on the line, but also the future of their company when they pull the trigger on buying new equipment.  And, let’s face it, those wacky marketing people  (I can say that because I am one) haven’t made it any easier to discern one product from another. Let’s use a UHF RFID system, for example.  One could pull spec sheets on 10 different controllers and conclude that “they’re all the same”.  I have heard that exact phrase spoken multiple times from customers who were considering the purchase of a system.  However, we all know that is very far from the truth.

As marketing folk, we have a great challenge in front of us in that we must try to make our product appeal to the whole market in which we are selling. Most of us fell into a monkey-see monkey-do mentality and our spec sheets are filled with speeds and feeds so we can compete with the next guy’s product. So, how is it possible that our customers can make an educated decision when everything appears the same?  We listened to the market, and we wised up.  Instead of just speeds and feeds we added words to help better describe our product. We added words like: “rugged”, “flexible”, “industrial strength”, “turn-key”, .etc.  Now most spec sheets and product descriptions include speeds, feeds, AND fancy buzz words.

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2 Solutions for Preventing Catastrophic Metal Forming Events

Have you ever heard the phrase, “Nine pounds of stuff in a one pound bag?”, or otherwise known as the “Blivet Effect?”

I’ve recently experience this, actually four incidences in three different companies to be exact. It revolves the wrong shut height.  When the recipe in a press doesn’t match die dimensions, or when the die dimensions are estimated, some bad things can happen.

In all of these companies, stamping presses of various tonnage ratings were run with a die that was over shut height dimension (the first hit caused a kaboom!).  Dies were locked up so badly, that they had to be torched, cut, and/or mechanically coaxed out.  In all cases, it took several days for this process to take place, causing lost production and significant down time (not to mention the financial loss and aggravation for a multitude of employees).

In order to eliminate these situations, here are two off-the-shelf electronic solutions that can be installed:
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