How to choose RFID application models and equipment in the logistics industry

How to choose RFID application mode and equipment? According to the specific application scenarios of RFID tags, the application of RFID system can be divided into two application modes. For the selection of application mode, one should be selected according to local conditions according to the actual scene environment and technical conditions. This article mainly introduces the application mode and equipment selection of RFID tags in vehicle logistics.

Introduction to RFID application models

Compared with the currently widely used barcode technology, RFID application mode can not only save manual operation, but also has the advantages of anti-magnetic and waterproof, high temperature resistance, long service life and long identification distance. In addition, because the data information on the label can be encrypted and modified, it is more convenient to use. The popularization and application of RFID will bring revolutionary changes to logistics and other industries.

Due to the particularity of RFID technology, the practical application mode of RFID is mainly the application mode of electronic tags. Generally, there are two modes, one is the "Tool-based" application mode; the other is the "resource-based" application mode.

In the tool-type application model, the RFID electronic tag is designed as a professional tool that supports the "application system" to provide functional services of data. Due to its "automatic identification" function, the basic value of RFID in this application lies in the automatic collection tool. Its value is fully reflected after the automatic identification of the marked object is completed. This tool-type application system is generally suitable for a single closed-loop operating environment, and its operation mode is generally "self-built, self-operated, and self-used" by the owner.

The services provided by the tool-based application system are mainly "functional services". The external correlation adopts the back-end or database-level interconnection and correlation method. The front-end RFID tags and reader-writer devices are not open to the outside world. In this sense, the system is A "closed loop system".

Tool-type application cases first appeared in Western developed countries such as "electronic wallets", "electronic Access Control", "identity recognition", "product identification", "electronic passes", etc. In recent years, they have also been widely used in all walks of life in my country. Applications, but most of them are market applications formed based on foreign inventions and the transplantation of established paradigms and operating models, with closed-loop tool-based applications as the main body.

In recent years, price sensitivity in RFID tag applications has gradually increased, and cost issues have attracted more and more attention from application owners, who simply rely on a single application entity to bear all costs. Under this circumstance, in order to realize the large-scale development and application of this closed-loop tool-type system, the key point is to break through the low-cost bottleneck of RFID tags in order to achieve people's expected goal of relatively low price, at least compared with the currently widely used ones. Barcode prices are similar.

With the widespread application of RFID in my country's manufacturing industry, the application model of RFID in the manufacturing industry has also attracted people's attention. People are trying to use the manufacturing industry as a breakthrough and at the same time form a "paradigm" of the "mode" of RFID in the application field. Promote it so that the model can be copied or transplanted to other industries.

The application of RFID in the manufacturing industry is divided into two modes (modes): horizontal distributed applications (along the physical, enterprise-wide space) and vertical distributed applications (along the information hierarchy). In the horizontal distributed application mode , there are three levels of selection for system deployment, namely centralized implementation, unit-level distribution and PLC device-level distribution, to realize the integration of RFID information in the high-level control MES client: In vertically distributed applications, RFID information is only in the control layer that needs to be used To be exploited, data does not need to traverse the entire system hierarchy.

Fundamentally, whether it is a horizontally distributed application or a vertically distributed application, the emphasis is on the deployment method or mode of the RFID system. The application scenarios of RFID are still limited to a single enterprise, and the role of RFID is still an information collection By means of this method, the collected information is not used as a source of information for the entire life cycle of the product. Therefore, in essence, these two applications are still closed-loop tool applications.

The resource application model is to develop the design and development of RFID electronic tags as "information sources", use the electronic tags as the "identity characteristic information" and "management basic information" of the marked object, establish an "electronic mirror" for the marked object and map it on In the "digital virtual environment" established based on RFID technology, it can realize the information description of the real scene of the marked object and support the development and utilization of "information resources" for the marked object.

This kind of "resource-based" application system mainly provides "information services" and is closely related to background data storage. The core of the resource-based application system is the "information public service platform", which requires a commercial operation model, requires the collaborative cooperation of multiple links, and provides "socialized services" to the outside world. In this model, the boundaries of the original single application subject are broken. It involves a long value chain, many service nodes, a wide range of services, and rich service content. Therefore, its application costs are decomposed in many service links, and are divided into multiple service links. Each application entity shares the cost, so the overall system is "cost-effective".

This resource-based model application system is generally suitable for open-loop operating environments. Judging from the international application of RFID, this open application has not yet been popularized. It is particularly important to emphasize that "resource-based application" makes RFID technology a special information resource development and application technology, not just as an "identification" technology and "identification" technology. It focuses on cross-platform RFID. The construction of information service system and cross-platform exchange technology, and the establishment of an extensive RFID information collection system and sharing system, decentralized storage and unified exchange of information collected in all links, and the socialization of RFID application information in industries and regions public platform.

In the resource-based application mode, starting from the core value of RFID technology, the application value of the system can be constructed from two directions: front-end direction and back-end direction. The front-end direction focuses on the development of RFID tags as the information source of the marked objects. Through the design of multi-link, multi-purpose and multi-service objects of the tag, a value chain based on standard information sources is constructed. The back-end direction is reflected in the background of the RFID application system. It forms a resource database by collecting various information about the identified objects, and then mines these data to form "service information". Although the value chain construction model in the front-end direction is an ideal application model that maximizes the core value of technology, the application technology of RFID has high technical requirements and is difficult to implement. At the same time, because the back-end system development technology and data mining and analysis technology are relatively mature, it is relatively easy to encode and decode data in various formats.

How to choose RFID application mode

As far as vehicle Logistics Management is concerned, the inefficiency and frequent errors caused by too much manual intervention in the current business are largely due to the lack of information management methods. As analyzed above, there is an obvious flaw in the existing process. The disadvantage lies in the lack of a suitable information collection and management platform. The emergence of RFID can just make up for the lack of this information collection method. Although the introduction of RFID into the existing vehicle logistics management will bring about an increase in related costs, if the advantages brought by RFID application can be benefited to Various related management fields, that is, in addition to vehicle logistics management, also include product management in the manufacturing process upstream of the supply chain, as well as highway transportation management, port customs clearance management, parking lot management, community management and other fields, then the application value of RFID will be further improved, and the economic benefits of RFID applications will be greatly increased. In this case, the application cost of RFID is diluted by many links, and naturally the cost of logistics management of the vehicle will be significantly reduced.

In the life cycle of a complete vehicle, the complete vehicle goes through many management links from the time it leaves the factory to the final scrap. During this period, a large amount of management information is generated. There is production information about the complete vehicle from the perspective of the automobile manufacturer, and there is information about the vehicle from the perspective of the logistics company. There is vehicle transportation information from the perspective of warehouse management, traffic management information from the vehicle traffic management department, and vehicle usage information from the consumer perspective. (Maintenance status, billing status, etc.), etc. In this series of management processes, if each management process applies RFID independently, it will cause the use of RFID to form an "RFID information island" situation, which will not only increase the number of individual Management costs in the field will greatly reduce the overall economic benefits of RFID.

Although closed-loop tool-based applications are simple to deploy and require a relatively small amount of back-end system development work, from the perspective of various industries and enterprises as a whole, they are not conducive to the in-depth development and utilization of information resources, thus affecting the country as a whole to a certain extent. informationization process. Therefore, with the actual demand for RFID applications in the field of vehicle logistics management, the application of RFID should focus on the macro automobile industry chain. In addition to developing RFID identification applications, it is also necessary to promote systematic applications; in the development of RFID products At the same time as the manufacturing and logistics industries, we will strive to promote the open-loop application model; promote the transformation of "functional services" into "information services", so that the same electronic tag as the source of information can be comprehensively developed in various management fields. Provide different information services for each application subject. In this regard, as the first management link in the vehicle life cycle after leaving the factory, the application demand for RFID originates from vehicle logistics management, but it is not limited to logistics management.

Of course, this open-loop resource-based application model requires innovative business models and industrial forms, as well as government guidance and information operator promotion. Based on the above considerations, in order to maximize the value and benefit of RFID, in vehicle logistics management, a resource-based application model is tentatively selected, and the value chain based on this model is constructed as a value chain based on the application background. . Although this article studies the application of RFID in vehicle logistics, the information collected by RFID about the vehicle is not limited to the application in vehicle logistics management. Its service targets can also be extended to dealers and consumers. Even the traffic control department. The RFID core value chain in vehicle logistics management can adopt a value chain based on the application system background in the back-end direction, as shown in Figure 1.

Logistics industry: How to choose RFID application models and equipment?

In the figure, the information of the identified objects collected by the RFID system is first Stored in a unified information resource Library, and then the services of each object are obtained through information mining and other means in the information resource library. Its distinctive feature is that it is based on the collected information and relies on data development technologies such as mining to provide multiple services. In each business link of vehicle logistics management, RFID information collection systems distributed in different spaces collect vehicle information into a unified database. After the vehicle information is processed, relatively unified transportation information can be obtained (order users and Dealers are concerned), warehousing information (logistics companies are concerned), etc.

How to select RFID system equipment

After determining the application mode, the next step is to select the RFID equipment. The selection of equipment should be based on a full understanding of the characteristics and principles of RFID technology and combined with specific application scenarios.

(1) Factors affecting model selection

Regarding the two application modes of RFID, no matter which mode is adopted, the RFID device type must be selected based on the actual application scenario, as a basis for data collection of the application. Currently, there is a dazzling array of equipment produced by various RFID manufacturers. As far as electronic tags are concerned, there are mining tags, two-way tags, search tags, etc. The design of these specific products is combined with the specific environment and has specific scene requirements. Therefore, for vehicle logistics management, before selecting various RFID equipment, it is necessary to understand the RFID application characteristics in advance, that is, the factors that affect the use of RFID systems.

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1) Tag recognition distance. The distance of identification should be an important factor to consider in RFID system selection. For different distances, the selection of equipment, especially electronic tags, is very different, mainly reflected in the working frequency of the tags. In vehicle logistics management, full consideration must be given to the distance range for vehicle identification when obtaining vehicle label information. The distance should not be too close, which may lead to "group reading", and it must not be too far, which may cause missed or wrong readings. . Among them, special attention should be paid to the distance between the RFID Reader deployed to read the on-board electronic tag information when the car enters and exits the garage, and the vehicle, because this link not only involves the acquisition of vehicle status information, but also involves the garage vehicle. Statistics of information.

2) Read the directionality of the tag. Taking into account the characteristics of vehicle logistics, whether the vehicle leaves the production line for final assembly or the vehicle enters and exits various roadways or dealers, the logistics operations and management of these vehicles are basically as continuous as the production line. Due to the technical characteristics of RFID, RFID can read multiple tags at the same time. However, this is exactly unfavorable for information collection in and out of various physical links of vehicle logistics. The reading of vehicle electronic tag information should also be based on the principle of order. Proceed one by one. Therefore, the directionality of tag reading must be taken into consideration. The higher the sequential requirements for reading, the stronger the corresponding reading directionality requirements.

3) Cost of use and lifespan. As a technology capable of automatic identification, RFID has been used for decades. In some developed countries such as Europe and the United States, RFID systems have been successfully used in a variety of fields, including manufacturing, logistics and other industries. example. However, there has not yet been widespread application. One of the main reasons is that the application cost of RFID has not reached expectations. Cost price is one of the main factors restricting the development of RFID technology. Moreover, tool-based applications make the application costs of RFID concentrated in the application business, making it difficult to share costs through application sharing. The application cost of RFID is also taken into consideration in vehicle logistics management, especially the cost of electronic tags. In addition, the life of RFID is also a factor that should be considered. When the total purchase cost is certain, choosing products with long service life can indirectly reduce application costs.