SIEMENS: Using RFID technology to create higher efficiency-RFID technology in the automotive industry
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For Ford, the era of relying on only one “T-type” car to dominate the world has passed. The pressure of competition is increasing. New models and new technologies (such as hybrid power) are emerging in an endless stream. The quality requirements are getting higher and higher. More and more personalized requirements put forward before the car leaves the factory make the communication between component suppliers and car manufacturers more accurate, efficient automated production lines and highly optimized logistics systems in the factory. RFID technology is the key to meeting all these challenges.
The control role of RFID in the manufacturing process
Siemens has been an automotive RFID supplier for more than 20 years. The advantages of RFID are mainly reflected in two aspects.
First, because the RFID system transmits data through radio signals, there is no connection wire between the reader and the data medium (tag). In this way, even if the surface of the data medium accumulates dirt or is installed in the protective housing, it will not interfere. The normal function of the system.
Due to the advantages of RFID over optical systems (such as barcodes or two-dimensional codes), automatic identification of printed color marks can be realized. When the temperature exceeds 200 °C and protective measures are needed for the RFID tag, a special ceramic-plastic case can be used to protect it. It doesn’t matter even if the ink is sprayed more or less in the process of making the color mark. The second advantage of RFID over optical color codes is that the data medium can be reused many times, while the printed barcode can only be used once.
Due to the large storage capacity of RFID tags (up to 32Kbyte), it can be used to deploy distributed automation control architecture, thereby greatly reducing the cost of centralized data management. When in use, the RFID tag can be individually attached to a vehicle or object using as much production data as possible for programming. In the production process, these data can be read individually and processed directly by a programmable logic controller (such as Simatic S7). Although the product data is still stored in the back-end database, storing the most important data separately in the RFID medium can reduce the amount of database access and reduce its workload.
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At the beginning of the manufacturing process or production line, each workpiece conveying device is first equipped with RFID tags and programmed with relevant data suitable for a specific vehicle. In each process, the data is read and processed remotely by the PLC to complete the corresponding operation. Subsequently, before the workpiece enters the next process, the PLC writes the quality data or status information into the RFID tag. Since RFID tags can be reused after the entire manufacturing process is over, this process is called closed-loop application. If the system frequency and storage capacity allow, it is also possible to use gigahertz high-end RFID systems, such as Moby U, with a storage capacity of up to 32 Kbytes.
This technology has long been adopted by many world-renowned automobile manufacturers. For example, Dürr Systems in Germany, which is a well-known manufacturer of automobile coating and drying equipment, uses RFID systems to control spray robots and soaking workshops. In addition to high temperature resistance, this RFID tag has a major advantage that it can store production data.
RFID technology has helped Dürr implement a highly flexible production control system, making this Stuttgart-based company a great success: 60% of the world’s paint shops come from this company. Through Dürr, Siemens’ RFID system has entered the production workshops of many automobile manufacturers such as Volkswagen and General Motors.
Intralogistics: Deliver the right goods to the right place at the right time
But RFID can not only help optimize the production process-the internal logistics of the factory will also greatly benefit from this technology. In this regard, what we have to do is to deliver the right objects to the right place in the right quantity and at the right time-these objects include containers, production tools, raw materials, semi-finished products, and so on. Once an error occurs, it will inevitably (at least partially) cause a production shutdown accident,For example, if you can’t find the transportation tool for the relevant workpiece, you will not be able to produce the corresponding car. Furthermore, in order to reduce the capital occupancy rate, the inventory of such workpieces should not be too much, and solving such contradictions in the internal logistics system is the main challenge faced by automobile manufacturers.
BMW Group’s 1.1 plant in Munich is an example of a successful response to this challenge
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It uses RFID systems to control spray robots and immersion workshops, etc. (Source: Dürr AG)
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The BMW Group relies on Siemens’ Moby D radio frequency identification system to accurately and accurately complete the fully automatic identification of the wiring harness-including the entire process from the arrival of the goods to the immediate storage of the vehicle and the installation of the vehicle.
The wire harnesses are first put into different packaging bags, each of which is sewn into an RFID tag with a 112byte data memory, which is programmed in advance by the supplier according to all the data. Since the label media is protected by strong materials, it can be reused many times. After the goods arrive at the BMW factory, the process of inspection, warehousing, and entering the production area can be completed by checking the data in the label, so as to ensure that the correct wiring harness is installed on the correct vehicle.
For the supply of finished products, BMW also relies on the RFID system, especially in the middle zone between the production area and the shipping area. Reliably finding the location of the pickup vehicle has become one of the important guarantees for on-time delivery. After all, if the car is covered in snow outdoors orWhen parking, I accidentally remembered the parking lot number. How easy is it to find a vehicle customized for a certain customer in the vast sea of cars?And this is why BMW uses Moby R radio frequency identification positioning system in its production facilities all over Germany.
The system attaches an active RFID tag to the rearview mirror of the vehicle. The tag transmits a signal every 4 minutes (Figure 3). After receiving the wireless signal, the antennas installed in the storage area of the vehicle pass and time The information is correct, and the location of the vehicle can be accurately found. BMW staff can determine the exact location of the vehicle on the screen just by pressing a button. Through this set of devices, BMW has taken a big step towards its goal of achieving 95% accuracy of the delivery date of all factories in the world.
Make the application of EPC in the automotive industry a reality
In recent years, new RFID products have continued to emerge.
Recently, due to the use of UHF band signals, the cost of smart tags in the RFID system has been reduced to only a few Euro cents, and the signal range has also been increased (up to about 10 meters), which has attracted the attention of car manufacturers. Automobile manufacturers can allow component suppliers to affix RFID tags to the goods they supply, and transparently manage the entire supply chain. This is efficient and low-cost. For example, it can be determined whether the delivery vehicle is delayed due to unexpected events. Delivery time. If the production planner knows the information in advance, he can take timely countermeasures to avoid production shutdown accidents. For this reason, each conveyor unit (such as a pallet) needs to be equipped with an RFID smart tag when it leaves the component supplier’s premises, so that the location of the goods can be determined 100% through the GPS-related data of the delivery vehicle.
With this system, the car manufacturer itself can also inspect the delivered goods in a fully automatic manner. For example, a Simatic RF600 radio frequency identification system can be installed in the factory to detect each delivery unit, and the software can be used to compare the RFID data obtained by the reader with the delivery receipt, and any problems can be found immediately.
The software used in this process is very useful, because the supply chain will generate a lot of information due to the use of RFID systems. For this reason, Siemens integrated the RFID system with Simatic IT Manufacturing Execution System (MES) through multi-level data filters and processing rules. The purpose is to reduce the cost of centralized control and planning components by maximizing remote processing of RFID. load. Simatic Radio Frequency Manager (RF Manager) works closely with the detection layer to filter multiple read operations, collect and compress RFID data. Subsequently, the data is sent to the Simatic IT Production Modeler (Production Modeler), which allows the use of a graphical editor to define processing rules, such as defining what actions to take in case of problems. Finally, the processing results will be sent to different MES applications and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.
At present, several auto manufacturers are engaged in RFID pilot projects to test the role of RFID technology in the industry’s supply chain-and have achieved positive results.
In the view of logistics experts, the role of electronic product code (EPC) is also very important, because with it, even if the vehicle leaves the factory for a long time, it can be accurately identified. And plan to use RFID tags as electronic nameplates to automatically determine the identity of the vehicle-without any manual operation, thus avoiding the possibility of input errors or fraud. Its applications range from service to product warranty processing to vehicle recycling.
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RFID technology optimizes the logistics process: the actual flow of goods is synchronized with the data flow at all times
Siemens-a reliable partner with more than 20 years of experience in the production of RFID systems
For more than 20 years, Siemens has been a supplier of RFID systems, not only to the automotive industry. As a leading supplier of automated control systems, Siemens has a comprehensive range of RFID products, including tags, readers, and production and logistics application software. Around the world, there are more than 300,000 sets of RFID systems used under the names of Moby and Simatic RF. Their main feature is that they can be fully integrated into the automation environment and can be directly connected to Simatic S7 series controllers and Simatic IT MES solutions. Everything makes the application of RFID technology in the automotive field easy.
Contact Siemens AG
Email: [email protected]
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