Honda Italy uses a combination of active and passive RFID technology to track motorcycle component assembly
chrispeng [ad_1]
Honda Italy is currently using tags that combine active and passive RFID technology to track the assembly of motorcycle components. This may be the first active ultra-wideband (UWB) RFID application since the Italian government amended relevant laws in early 2008. Italy had previously blocked the use of UWB RFID technology on the grounds that it would interfere with frequencies used by the Italian military.
Honda Motor
This RFID application is an extension of Honda Italy since its pilot in mid-2007. In that pilot, the company used 13.56 MHz passive HF tags on the chassis and certain parts of the motorcycle to track the entire assembly process.
The origin of UWB active RFID application
Italian Honda project manager Angelo Coletta said that the system designed by the company to participate in the first pilot was very satisfied, but workers were disturbed by antennas installed near the production line. In addition, the employees have confirmed that the tags have been successfully read during the production process. The RFID application mainly adds an extra step to the existing work process.
In order to eliminate this extra step and keep the antenna away from the production line, Honda Italy began to adopt active tags in April 2008 and initiated a project called “New Ariana”, inviting IBM to be a system integrator. Italian Honda temporarily installed UWB active tags provided by Ubisense and affixed them to the chassis of each motorcycle. A total of 13 UWB RFID readers formed a tag reading area around the production line.
“We found that active tags are more convenient to operate,” Coletta explained.
This system can ensure that Honda Italy installs the right parts in the right motorcycle frame. For example, the company must ensure that bicycles shipped to the United Kingdom have a headlight design that meets the requirements of this country (RFID radio frequency bulletin: in the United Kingdom, you generally drive on the left side of the road instead of the right side). Companies can also use RFID systems to track the production process of individual motorcycles, and this information is crucial when the bicycle is recalled for safe repairs.
System operation combining active and passive RFID technology
At present, the auto parts in the container adopt high-frequency passive tags and active UWB tags that meet the ISO 15693 standard and provide 1024-bit memory. Active tags allow operators to easily find specific containers in the production area, while passive tags can be used to store important information such as supplier codes, part numbers, batch numbers, and production dates. By labeling the container, Honda Italy can ensure that the parts are not mixed together, and can ensure that the appropriate components are installed on the appropriate frame.
In the first step of the production process, the workers stick an active RFID tag on the chassis of the motorcycle to be produced, and then use a handheld reader to scan the vehicle identification code into the RFID tag. The tag transmits signals to 13 antennas every 1 second. These antennas are arranged around the 80-meter-long production line. There are 38 sites on the production line that run different production steps.
A corner of the Honda motorcycle production workshop
In mass production, Honda Italy generally uses 60 units as a batch. For this reason, the company only affixes passive and active labels to the first and last containers of each batch of parts. All individual containers containing the same parts are equipped with an active tag and a passive tag. These containers are labeled in Honda’s factory warehouse in Italy. Passive electronic tags can be linked to active tags in the database, and the labeled containers are transferred to the production plant as required.
When starting a new mass production, workers move one of the labeled containers to the production area. Where the active tags are automatically read, the passive tags are used to store more information and connect the obtained data to the active tags through the database. Honda Italy attaches active tags to the containers, and with continuous readings, it can help confirm that the correct components are assembled on the correct vehicles. If a worker tries to put the wrongly labeled container on the production line, an alarm will be triggered.
As the motorcycle chassis passes through each production stage, employees add components accordingly. If the transfer process changes, or the manager suddenly chooses to change the production mode, the system will make it easier and faster for the employees to react and deal with it, because the manager will clearly know where each motorcycle is in the production line and the specifics. How’s it going.
According to the read data of the bicycle active tag, the system can automatically calculate the time required to complete a batch production. Before the company adopted RFID technology, managers had to go to the production line to estimate the time.
After the production, the active tags are removed from the motorcycle for reuse, and the production information about the vehicle is stored. Based on the data collected from active and passive RFID tags, Honda Italy will establish the corresponding motorcycle assembly status documents.
Customers can know when the motorcycle was assembled and which parts were assembled by viewing these files. In addition, the system can also enable Honda to complete automatic orders for parts because it can calculate the approximate time for mass production to be completed.
Honda Italy uses and re-uses about 3000 passive tags and 300 active tags every year. The company affixed low-cost passive tags to most containers, but only purchased enough high-priced active tags for daily production. Therefore, the active tag will be quickly removed and reused after the end of production.
[ad_2]
