Manufacturers of complex products, such as engines and transmissions, have long been using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to error-proof their processes, document quality, and deal with high-mix production.
The product moves down the assembly line on a pallet equipped with an RFID tag. When the pallet stops at a station, a reader (attached to the conveyor) interrogates the tag and relays information about the product to a PLC. The PLC, in turn, tells an assembler or automated machine what to do.