Article summary: Automotive manufacturers can realize greater asset visibility with RFID, ultra-wideband and Bluetooth Low Energy; however, each technology addresses a specific set of needs. Recognizing these distinctions enables manufacturing teams to choose the right option, determine how best to plan for its implementation and assess outcomes.
Byline: Alshifa, Intern at Goa Tek Inc
A reusable bin is checked off – but no one can locate it. An item is required at an assembly station – but it cannot be found. A manufacturing group is searching for items being moved around the plant – lost time that could be used on the next production step.
Such scenarios highlight why asset visibility is important for automotive manufacturers. It is not necessarily that data is lacking but that the systems in use cannot provide an answer to a real-world query as quickly as it is needed.
Asset-tracking tools can assist, but it's essential to identify what data the factory requires when selecting the right tool. How does the team want to use the data? Do they require each item's head count as it passes through a checkpoint, its exact position within the space, or an other aspect?
There is a variety of options: radio-frequency identification (RFID), ultra-wideband (UWB) or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) The most appropriate solution will be determined by the use case, the level of performance needed, the physical environment and the operating costs of the overall system.
- Define the Requirement Before Selecting Technology
Begin by defining the operational issue and the decision that better information is supposed to assist.
In a manufacturer's environment, requirements might include having to track incoming materials and components, track reusable packaging, find mobile equipment, and trace the flow of materials from one stocking point to another to a third location for assembly. These uses all have varying.
For instance, a reader at a receiving gate may give you enough evidence to prove a tagged container entered a warehouse. If that container was then located in a large production space, other readers or a location-tracking system may be needed.
Before comparing technologies, document:
- What asset tracking should be monitored and how many.
- Whether estimates are needed for checkpoint identification or location.
- How frequently information must be updated.
- Where employees will use the information.
- What level of accuracy and reliability are required to support the final decision.
- How the tracking events relate to existing systems within manufacturing.
These requirements ensure that teams aren't investing in capabilities that they don't need – or choosing a system that can't provide the answers employees are actually asking.
- Understand RFID, UWB, and BLE
RFID: Identifying Tagged Items
Radio-frequency identification involves tags and readers to identity items through radio waves. As general RFID systems, the item identities can be read by the reader at specific points in a process or at defined reading zones.
In automotive operations, the possibilities are: incoming, inventory check, container tracking, and tracking material movements through production stations.
RFID can cut down on the need for manual scanning if the system can consistently detect the event. However, a checkpoint reading alone won't show you where an asset has been between readers.
Performance can be affected by tag type, reader settings, tag location, media or proximity of any metal or other interference source; therefore a site test using representative assets is recommended.
UWB: The route to better indoor location
Ultra wideband may be able to enable indoor positioning via tags and suitably placed receiving structures. It might be the technology of choice for any use case where asset position in a defined space is critical.
Examples may consist of tracking mobile equipment, production tools, or returnable containers that can move throughout work areas.
The attainable accuracy is restricted by factors such as the system architecture and layout, infrastructure location, calibration, obstructions and site conditions. Performance shown in a test area can't be taken to imply performance throughout a whole factory.
Cost is a justification for use of UWB when more specific location data yields enough operational benefit to support the installation, integration, and maintenance cost.
BLE: Flexible Connected Applications
Bluetooth Low Energy can be used for identification and location sensing applications with compatible beacons and receivers.
Some implementations derive location based on measurements or observations of the signal obtained by multiple devices. Others might offer only an indication of presence within an area.
The performance is dependent on the technique, placement of receiver, environment, and how often updates are needed. BLE should be experienced against the real application and not considered one size fits all location solution.
It might be a viable alternative when the power requirements, infrastructure needs, and operating expenses, align with the plant's visibility needs.
- Compare the Complete System
There is more to technology than the tag or radio spec.
| Reason to decide | What the manufacturing team have to define |
|---|---|
| Is an identification event adequate, or do you require a location estimate? |
In what conditions are metal/other structures, field obstructions, moving equipment, and radio environment likely to impact performance? |
In which locations is tracking required, and do certain locations warrant more critical monitoring? |
| Rate of update | How quickly has new information to be updated for an employee or some other system? |
| Infrastructure | What equipment, receivers, anchors, network connectors, and software are necessary?
| Maintenance | What should we do with batteries, damaged tags, calibrations, and replacement of equipment? |
| Events Tracking | Will the events tracking be integrated with your inventory, warehouse and manufacturing execution systems? |
| Lifecycle cost | What are the costs of installation, licensing, integration, support and maintaining the solution? |
There can be instances where a mixed approach could work. For example, an RFID system can register the movement of containers through a checkout point, while another positioning system tracks individual mobile items in production areas.
The goal is not to implement all available technology. The goal is to fulfill the operational requirement with a reliable, maintainable design.
- Connect Tracking Information to Factory Workflows
Connect the data you collect to that which employees regularly access and use.
Imagine a container has parts for the next assembly step. A tracking event may tell you where the container was last seen. Inventory data will tell you what it contains, and production data will tell you when it will be needed.
Connecting these records, employees can see if the materials are available and if there are any delays. That alone does not ensure the inventory is correct or an out-of-stock situation can be avoided.
Key considerations for good integration include having ownership of data, using consistent identifiers, determining an update interval, and resolving duplicate or missing records. These are important factors when integrating both tracking systems and manufacturing execution systems (MES), enterprise resource planning (ERP), or warehousing applications.
Security must also be planned from the outset. Access controls, network segmentation, device management, and monitoring can all be used to mitigate the risks of integrating operational technology with other systems.
- Validate the Approach With a Focused Pilot
A pilot allows you to see if a solution would work in practice.
Choose one asset category and a well-defined location. Document the way it works today, set a baseline and define the end state you want to achieve.
Then, test the intended system on a typical shift or working scenario. Verify that the right events are being recorded and that location information is meaningful to the employees, monitor how obstructions and the environment affect the reliability.
Some useful measures are:
- The percentage of expected tracking events that were hit.
- Lethargy The time it takes for your employees to find certain assets.
- Level of missing or incorrect data.
- The maintenance effort of tags and infrastructure.
- The cost and complexity of incorporating the data into current workflows. https://oemnexai .com/
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