RFID in a production line RFID - EN RFID in a production line RFID in a production line J.-D. Chatelain

Start/End Station

The piece to be machined is fixed on a carrier A transponder is embedded in the carrier At the beginning of the production line, the instructions related to the machining of the piece are written into the memory of the transponder by means of a Read/Write Module Piece to be machined Piece to be machined Read/Write Module Carrier Transponder

Workstation

The proximity sensor has activated the gate when the carrier is passed in front of it The information in the transponder has been read in order to program the workstation accordingly The operation programmed by the transponder has been executed The result of the operation has been stored into the transponder Piece to be machined

Diverted track

As it has stored the operations to do on the piece to be machined, the transponder linked to this piece contains also the route the piece has to follow. The transponder is read when the device goes in front of the Read/Write Module and the deflector is activated accordingly

Fieldbus

Fieldbus

Production line working

The operation is performed. The operation to be performed is read in the tag and the machine is prepared accordingly. The result of the operation is written into the transponder and the gate is opened. The way which must be followed is read in the transponder and gate 3 is activated. The way which must be followed is read in the tag and gate 4 is activated (or not). The carrier is detected by a sensor which activates the gate af the workstation. The next operation to do is read in the tag and Gate 2 is activated accordingly. The carrier is detected by a sensor which activates the gate of Workstation 1. The way the transponder must follow is read. Gate 1 is activated accordingly. The instructions concerning the machining by Workstation 1 are read in the tag. The machining is done The result of the operation is written in the tag and the gate is opened. Writing the production instructions in the transponder

2 1 6 5 4 3

Reading or Writing in a Transponder

Low frequency RFID systems and Contrinex RFID system which can read/write through metal is relatively slow. In order to insure a successful communication, it is recommanded to stop the device during reading/writing. When a metallic object (the carrier for example) passes in front of the inductive sensor, it triggers a stopper which will stop the carrier. Conveyor Conveyor Fieldbus Inductive Sensor Read/Write Module Stopper

RFID in a production line End of this chapter RFID - EN RFID in a production line RFID in a production line End of this chapter J.-D. Chatelain