Implementation of Radio-Frequency Identification in a low volume high flexibility assembly plant : item-level tagging

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-81).The implementation of an RFID checkpoint system in a low volume high flexibility assembly plant, aimed at tracking the flow of parts within the facility, was studied. A pilot revealed the suitability of the technology to the manufacturing environment considered. Results compared the performance of different 'arch' configurations, and a single-reader, 4-antenna layout was found to yield over 99% read percentage in all cases. The experiments also revealed the difficulty of placing RFID tags on metal surfaces and the importance of part container motion within the arch. A set of tagging and checking procedures was proposed in consequence, along with process modification recommendations aimed at smoothing RFID implementation and maximizing the technology's beneficial impact.by Cyril Koniski.M.Eng