Dana Achieves 100% Traceability in Automotive Manufacturing with RFID

APPLICATIONS
- Manufacturing;
- Work in progress;
- Construction And Mining;
- Logistics And RTI Operation.

CHALLENGES
- Reliable traceability through manufacturing process;
- Automotive part tracking;
- How to identify a part without having the operator and robotics or automation system orient the product in any particular direction;
- Saving significant work and cycle time while maintaining 100% traceability through production.

BENEFITS
- The operator doesn’t have to grab a 2D barcode or UPC scanner to identify the product;
- Saving significant work and cycle time while maintaining 100% traceability through production.

Traceability through the manufacturing process

After thoroughly testing a large variety of off-the-shelf RAIN RFID tags, DANA was unable to suitable solution for tagging of automotive parts. Off-the-shelf tags either failed testing or were too large and expensive to meet stringent product requirements and price targets. 
Dana commissioned Beontag Company, leader in industrial RFID tags, to develop a custom RFID tag which could meet Dana product requirements including high temperature washing and painting. Throughout the design process, DANA and Beontag teams worked closely together to ensure optimal read performance and adhesion of the final tag design.
Joe Hoerl, Sales Director of North America at Confidex Ltd, sees the value in wireless technologies like RAIN RFID, NFC, and Bluetooth making the difference in the automotive industry: “Dana has been a leading supplier in the automotive industry for more than a century. We’re excited to work together to innovate solutions which enable higher levels of automation and production efficiency.”

Results

The end result was success in achieving 100% traceability of each product despite the rigors of the Dana production including: high temperature washes, painting, and handling while also being read at any product orientation. RAIN RFID fulfilled these requirements with affordable pricing to tag every product.
Today, each product has a RAIN RFID tag which stays with the product through its full lifecycle. Brent Vetter, Sr. Process Engineer at Dana notes: “The primary business benefit realized at Dana has been that the operator doesn’t have to grab a 2D barcode or UPC scanner to identify the product. The tag is scanned without having the operator and robotics or automation system orient the tag in any particular direction. This saves significant work and cycle time while maintaining 100% traceability through production.”

About Dana Incorporated

Dana is a world leader in highly engineered solutions for improving the efficiency, performance, and sustainability of powered vehicles and machinery. Dana supports the passenger vehicle, commercial truck, and off-highway markets, as well as industrial and stationary equipment applications. Founded in 1904, Dana employs more than 30,000 people in 33 countries on six continents who are committed to delivering long-term value to customers. Based in Maumee, Ohio, USA, the company reported sales of $7.2 billion in 2017. Dana is ranked among the Drucker Institute’s listing of the 250 most effectively managed companies.