RFID Solution Of Car Manufacturing:

A typical RFID solution would be to use industrial, metal friendly and RF noise friendly tags. This is because standard RFID tags may not function correctly in an RF noisy environment due to the large amount of welding machines, cutting machines and so on which generate a lot of Radio Frequency noise.

The tags would require a range of about 3 meters, sufficient for use at one workstation. This rugged tag is installed in the car body itself and fixed RFID scanners mounted on the workstation read the tag. The workmen use handheld RFID readers to quickly locate the parts that would go into the particular car with the read RFID tag number. The addition of these components is then recorded automatically at each workstation and this information is fed to the computerized Manufacturing execution system (MES) which tracks the cars and the components, as they move along the line.

The advantages gained by implementers are :

• A moving snapshot of the entire manufacturing line in real time.
• No stock Outs at workstations.
• Better quality controls at workstations, as very little possibility of the wrong parts being fitted into the car bodies.

Present Situation Of Car Manufacturing

Car frames move along a conveyor. There are several workstations along the conveyor. At each workstation, the conveyor halts, while workers add or modify the frame and add! fix components into it.

Once the activity is over, the conveyor moves again, bringing the next car frame to the workstation. Similarly, workstations which are downstream add their own components to it.How are the components correctly installed Each car frame has a bar code stuck or embossed on it. The bar code reader at each workstation reads the bar code and assigns components which are to be installed to this car. The workstation has a barcode scanner on it, The workers use a handheld scanner to identify the correct parts that would be fixed into this particular car. For example, a green colored car would have green or other matching colored door handles to be fitted on it. This whole information is captured by the central computer system and material parts are allotted to various workstations based on this data.

The problems with these kinds of systems are:

• One at a time reading. The worker’s handheld barcode reader has to scan one component at a time, to make sure it matches with the required type.
• Dirty, faded or torn barcode tags make the readings impossible.
• Incorrect or no readings on some workstations mean that wrong data is being stored and collected. This could lead to parts not being made available in time at a particular workstation.

There have been several pilot implementations, but not widespread use till now. The reason is definitely not ROl as the ROl for these systems is said to be in the region of 1400%, which is really good for any capital investment.The real reasons for slower adoption of this technology in the global auto industry may be that the present shaky financials of most of the auto majors.

Car Manufacturing