INDUSTRY 4.0
❱❱ Harting Technology Group specialists, below, have developed on-board RFID technology in support of the principles of Industry 4.0; the Ha-VIS RF-R350 UHF RFID reader can interrogate embedded chips directly from PCBs in the production process, bottom
I4.0 embedded
Olaf Wilmsmeier of Harting Technology Group explains how printed circuits boards can play a role in Industry 4.0 production with embedded antennas
F
ar from being passive components making their way through a storage, production and distribution process while being externally monitored for progress tracking, printed circuit boards (PCBs) can take an active role
in the implementation of Industry 4.0 production, according to Harting Technology Group. “The raw circuit board is loaded with memory at
the time of its manufacture and can actively influence all other processes, not just in production, but over its full lifetime. It can achieve this due to a small embedded UHF RFID chip with a tiny antenna structure,” says Harting’s Olaf Wilmsmeier. During manufacturing, PCBs can be recognised
and the stored information can be read as well as updated or supplemented if necessary.
DIRECT ON-BOARD PROCESSING This is made possible by state-of-the-art UHF RFID technology comprising a coaxial cable-based Ha-VIS LOCFIELD antenna and the flexible Ha-VIS RF- R350 UHF RFID reader from Harting. The LOCFIELD is a space-saving antenna that enables data communication with circuit boards within the production line. The antenna array follows a coaxial conductor and therefore allows communication at full speed with multiple boards in a board panel. Thanks to flexible and standards- compliant data processing by the Ha-VIS RF- R350 UHF RFID reader-writer, data can be pre-
processed directly in the reader. The reader and antenna can be easily integrated
into new and old systems. The compact design and the high (IP67) degree of protection also make retrofitting easier so that full data integration into production systems is possible at any time, making the approach a very flexible one.
32 /// Environmental Engineering /// September 2018 The data storage on the RFID chip of the printed
circuit board conforms to both ISO and GS1 standards associated with commercial freight distribution. Not only the ID of the circuit board itself is recorded but also the process and manufacturing data, which are stored in the RFID chip’s user memory. Everything is transparent and can be easily used later by third parties as well. Embedding the UHF RFID chip directly into the
raw circuit board is certainly the most elegant approach, but not the only one. The embedded chip allows the entire lifecycle and the entire production chain to be mapped directly in the printed circuit board. During the placement process, the chip can be applied to the circuit board as an SMD component.
FULL LIFECYCLE MAPPING Once equipped with UHF RFID technology, this can, of course, be used on demand for an entire circuit board lifetime. In addition to warehouse logistics applications, other customer service applications such as field maintenance can make use of the information stored on the chip. Even if the printed circuit board no longer works and can no longer be switched on, the information stored on it, such as delivered firmware versions, can still be accessed. This ease of access of such information is also
maintained after the board has been installed in a finished product as a sub-assembly. As long as the housing is not completely made of metal and certain basic physical principles are adhered to, the information contained in the RFID chip can continue to be used and updated. The possibilities of the UHF RFID technology are available until the PCB is disposed of and can facilitate and improve various applications throughout the entire lifecycle, from production through to end of life disposal. EE
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