RFID becomes a digital game changer in the automotive industry
Germany’s most important industrial sector, with a total turnover of €564 billion (2023) and over 779,000 employees, is undergoing its biggest upheaval to date. 135 years after Berta Benz’s historic ride in the first automobile, German OEMs and their suppliers are under strong global competitive and change pressure: electric drives, connected, automated and autonomous vehicles are fundamentally changing the concept of the automobile.
The right basic technology
In addition, customer expectations characterized by digital-first and sustainability have just as much of an impact on product strategy as the mobility concepts required for large cities and legal requirements for CO2 reduction. With all these premieres that decision-makers in the automotive industry currently have to face, it is also important to take the right steps now in terms of digitalization.
Without a suitable blueprint for production, logistics and the after-sales market, the question remains: which technologies will be the right ones for the future?
RFID as a digital blueprint: avoid mistakes – gain data
Since the chip and battery shortage, the automotive industry has learned to make its supply chains more robust in the future.
RFID provides the necessary transparency about required parts, availability and locations in an international network of suppliers.
At production sites, RFID increases process reliability through the identification and tracking of parts, components, containers or tools and eliminates errors, e.g. due to incorrect parts being delivered to the assembly line. Even faulty parts can be quickly identified and replaced.
“RFID no longer has to prove itself in the automotive industry. It will be the technological game changer for the future of the industry.
RFID-based identification of parts also has advantages when it comes to inventory management: it is precise, error-free and cost-efficient. Expensive safety stocks or material bottlenecks are reduced, incorrect orders are avoided and automated stock control is possible thanks to permanent inventory.
Optimize your processes
- Bring transparency to your inventories
Avoid costly errors in inventory management - Optimize the material flow in production
- Even with complex product diversity
Know the location and status of vehicles, components
and parts at all times - Make your supply chains more stable
A resilient supply chain avoids production downtime - Implement high quality and traceability
Avoid recalls and damage to your image - Automate your intralogistics and logistics processes
RFID loading gates eliminate cost-intensive waiting times and loading errors
Application Examples
Consistent identification with RFID technology is the basis for high-quality inventory management in real time.VIEW module
In order to provide the required tools or containers in sufficient quantities at a specific production location at a specific time, information about their location and status is crucial. Production planning must know where which production equipment and tools are located at all times. They must be traceable in real time. RFID not only provides information about their location, but also about their maintenance status. 100% availability of production assets keeps production running and ensures its quality. RFID for asset tracking is equally relevant for OEMs and parts manufacturers.
Checking parts before they go into production is an important step in quality management. Employees use mobile RFID handheld scanners to record the ID of a part, including relevant information such as specifications, batch, test reports on quality standards and much more. The data assigned to the RFID tag can be dynamically updated at any time and provides important information for quality assurance.
RFID can make a decisive contribution to making supply chains less susceptible to disruption. In real-time supply chain management, RFID-tagged parts, assemblies or finished products can be tracked along their transportation route. Their location and status are known at all times. OEMs can thus react more quickly to delivery delays or quality problems and ensure that production runs smoothly.
Automotive: Tailor-made Auto-ID & RFID solutions
The RF KonSys strategy for automotive
First understand, then act. With our RF KonSYS strategy approach, we look at each customer process individually. We listen to your teams and analyze.
We then validate through proof-of-concept and simulations. Our approach is agile and flexible. When we design and implement your tailor-made RF KonSys solution, your teams will quickly appreciate its benefits in their day-to-day work.
Advantages
- Batch tracing
- Production tracking
- Real-time inventory
- Automated incoming and outgoing goods
- Guided order picking
- Supply chain track-and-trace
- Optimized replenishment control
Case Studies | References
