Industry 4.0
The term Industry 4.0 is derived from the major upheavals in the history of industry. Industry 4.0 is seen as the fourth major technological revolution in this development. The era began at the end of the 18th century with the discovery of water and steam power (1st revolution). This was followed by assembly line and mass production at the beginning of the 20th century (2nd revolution) and the digital age in the 1970s (3rd revolution).
Industry 4.0 describes the fourth major upheaval for industry. Digitalization makes it possible: a cross-sector and cross-technology integration of processes and systems that networks everything together - production, services, logistics, personnel and resource planning. The real and virtual worlds are increasingly merging.
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The concept of the smart factory is essentially based on four principles: technical assistance, automated decisions, information transparency and full networking. When it comes to networking machines, devices, movable goods and people in particular, both RFID and NFC can be described as key technologies. With its expertise in both product areas, smart-TEC is therefore making a decisive contribution to the "smart factory" of the future.
Data transmitted using RFID technology forms the basis for Industry 4.0 functionalities. This tried-and-tested technology can be used not only to transfer information and identify locations, but also to uniquely identify objects worldwide. While the use of RFID was limited to discrete manufacturing until recently, the approach is now having an increasing impact on numerous processes and industries. As the demand for automation increases, RFID technology is gaining new momentum. The reason: Industry 4.0 requires digital identification of workpieces, tools, containers, machines and devices. These objects must also be able to exchange information with each other. Appropriate RFID solutions exist for almost every distance range. The RFID tag can also remain on a product, thus ensuring traceability, which is a key requirement in the manufacturing and process industry. RFID tags can be used to read out current machine data and then send automated status messages to defined recipients. Overall, it is clear that smart-TEC's expertise in the field of RFID technology supports a key objective of Industry 4.0: optimal digital communication between man and machine.
Near Field Communication, or NFC for short, enables the contactless reading of data with mobile devices and is also known in the consumer sector as "contactless payment via cell phone". In the future, all common smartphones and tablets will support near field communication. The technology also creates enormous added value for companies in the context of Industry 4.0. As with RFID, an object becomes an information carrier, but with NFC technology the reader is a mobile device such as an NFC-enabled smartphone or tablet, instead of an industrial reader as is necessary with RFID technology.
RFID and NFC can make objects intelligent. Materials to be processed carry RFID/NFC tags that contain all the information required for the production process. The data is read out using an industrial reader or a mobile device and tells the production equipment what to do with the material or how it should be processed. In principle, a barcode would also fulfill this purpose. However, it has a decisive disadvantage: information can only flow in one direction, as the barcode data cannot be changed. However, this is precisely what is needed for the "smart factory", which is a major component of Industry 4.0. The factory of the future controls the material to be produced individually during the production phase. With the help of RFID/NFC technology from smart-TEC, the workpiece is able to communicate bidirectionally with a reader. This means that the information on the attached RFID/NFC tag can not only be read, but also updated or added to. For this reason, the workpiece can provide information at any time about which steps of the production process have already been completed and which step must follow next. This is often referred to in this context as a digital product memory.
- Each chip has a unique serial number (UID) that is only assigned once worldwide, enabling clear assignability at individual product level
- visual contactless communication between RFID/NFC tag and read/write system. This results in insensitivity to soiling due to attachment in protected areas and an almost 100% first read rate
- Simultaneous reading of several RFID/NFC tags in one work step (bulk reading)
Not only products, but also machines are able to communicate with each other using RFID/NFC technology from smart-TEC. If a malfunction occurs, for example, a system can forward this information without delay. Thanks to such a message, it is not only possible to reduce downtimes. It is even possible to automatically select which machine takes over the job. Affected workpieces are diverted and the corresponding information is stored on the RFID/NFC tag. The result: production continues without interruption while the failed machine automatically requests maintenance.
RFID/NFC technology from smart-TEC can be used not only in production, but also in related areas. There, it also enables extensive automation of processes. RFID readers score points for speed, for example, and are suitable for significantly simplifying incoming goods. Several hundred RFID tags - from goods on a pallet - can be read in a matter of moments. If this data can be integrated into existing ERP systems, the recorded items can be compared online with the order placed. When goods are dispatched, the goods can be recorded again, which helps to identify critical stock levels at an early stage. Items with RFID tags can be clearly identified throughout the entire logistics chain, which in turn makes the material flow transparent along the entire value chain.
This networking of all parties involved in the product life cycle is another important component of digitalization. Technologies from smart-TEC therefore also help to fully control increasingly globalized flows of goods and complex supply chains - from production, sales and shipping through to disposal.
