The Role of RFID Technology in Automotive Manufacturing

How does RFID, the “smart label” in the car factory, help build cars?

Car manufacturing today is no longer like the past when it was all done by hand. With the advancement of smart technology, many “high-tech assistants” are used in factories, one of which is RFID tags. This small label is actually like an “electronic ID card” attached to cars and parts, which can help workers, robots and machines work smarter.

What is an RFID tag?

RFID, the full name is “radio frequency identification”. This label looks like a piece of paper, only 5 cm in size (50×50mm), can be made of paper, plastic, or even attached to metal. Don’t be fooled by its small size, there are chips and antennas hidden inside, which can be scanned by distant devices (up to 10 meters) and tell the machine: “Hey, I am this red car!”

These labels support thermal or thermal transfer printing, are compatible with various data formats (such as EPC Gen2 V2), and are very suitable for large-scale use in car factories. And they use high-quality glue, so it is not easy to fall off once attached, and can continue to work in dusty and high-temperature places such as car factories.

In the paint shop, RFID helps prevent mistakes and save materials

The color of the car is not just red and black. Sometimes a production line has to spray many colors. If the order is wrong, it will be bad.

As soon as the car body with RFID tags enters the paint room, the system immediately knows that it is a “blue SUV, number 301”, so it automatically selects the right paint and arranges the painting order. This can also help count the paint inventory and avoid waste.

In the assembly workshop, RFID ensures that “every screw is good”

The last step is assembly: install the seats, tires, steering wheels, etc. RFID tags can also record:

Which car does this part belong to;

Is the assembly order correct;

Check whether there are any omissions or wrong installations.

If there is a problem, you can go back and check the records to find out which step the problem is.

Summary: Small tags, big role

Don’t underestimate these inconspicuous small tags, they are helping car factories become smarter:

Make the car assembled faster;

Make the process more accurate;

Make each part have a “whereabouts” to check;

Also make the car safer and more reliable.