Application of RFID and QR codes in industrial production

The globalization of the production chain, the increasingly open market, the gradual adaptation of laws to the business system, and the high degree of comparability of goods due to the widespread promotion of the Internet have made users have higher and higher requirements for goods. For expensive technology products, customers are less and less satisfied with a ready-made product, so businesses always have to personalize products to the end and provide different versions of the same product for different consumers. The growing complexity of products and supply and demand requires companies to be able to seamlessly trace all components and raw materials in order to continuously improve processes and react immediately when quality issues arise. All products can have their own identity by programming serial numbers. In other words, mass-produced products have become unique products through data identification technology.

1 Industrial automatic identification technology

One way to deal with these challenges is to use information technology. However, some information is currently unavailable or of limited use. Therefore, it may sometimes be that only in exceptional circumstances the serial number of a device or component handed over to the customer is automatically displayed to the customer. This information is critical to using customer feedback to improve processes in a timely manner. On the other hand, in some areas data is still collected manually, which is expensive and error-prone. Therefore, there is a need for a technology that can automatically identify all industrial products. The previously dominant technology was barcoding. Now there are more effective alternatives: QR codes and RFID. In addition, optical character recognition technology (Optical Character Recognition, OCR) has now grown into a recognition technology suitable for industrial products. This way, production and logistics experts can choose different marking methods for different applications.

2 Special advantages of automatic identification technology

QR codes can be printed on labels at very low cost. Secondly, they can also be engraved or nailed on products such as castings that cannot be labeled by laser or rivets. These codes will be captured by a CCD camera, decoded and sent to an IT or automation system. The technology is now very mature and can reliably distinguish images even at oblique angles or in dim light. In addition, codes can be read even when the product is moving at high speeds, a feature mainly used in products packaged in machines or in the tobacco industry.

RFID technology is mainly used when the detection device and identification system cannot be effectively connected, when a large amount of data or a larger range of data needs to be processed, and when the saved information needs to be changed.

Character recognition technology is mainly used when information needs to be displayed for people to check, such as the production date or shelf life of a product.

3. High transparency, can optimize the process

Performing identity authentication on each component without implementing it can make the business process more transparent at a lower cost. The data collected can be used for everything from control of individual processes to full-scale data mining. Therefore, during the production process, you can switch to the production of individual components at will according to the contract requirements - through the RFID chip or QR code in the product, the machine equipment only needs to look up in the database to know what to do. In addition, automatic control of material flow can also be achieved. The benefit for enterprises is that in this way, enterprises can produce different products that meet various needs. The material and labor costs consumed are similar to those of mass production, but the production scope is much expanded. If all components and semi-finished products are identified by QR codes and these identifications are read at each processing step, a complete documentation is created for each part. This data forms the basis for manufacturers to monitor quality (such as which machine a certain part was produced on) and can be used for external quality management, such as when a product recall is required.

4. Improve internal processes

Product data from production to logistics also brings light to the supply process (supply chain management). Among them, data exchange between product freight forwarders and users is also very necessary. With this, shippers can provide the whereabouts of products at any time and calculate when customers can get their goods. This is especially important for the implementation of just-in-time production strategies and just-in-time sequential supply, because the implementation of these strategies requires timely access to any change information on products and processes in order to control production. Therefore, automatic identification technology also has the potential to improve internal processes. For example, the frequency and time of use of production equipment or transportation Tools can be monitored. On the one hand, it can better ensure the time for maintenance and repair, and on the other hand, it can also optimize product inventory. In addition to cost savings, it also makes the company's balance sheet more flexible.

  in conclusion

In the future, the applications of both technologies will become more and more widespread. QR codes are increasingly replacing today’s barcodes. As the supply chain is increasingly regarded as a part of production and a part of the product life cycle, RFID will be increasingly used in the goods supply process.