Even by standards, RFID technology differs significantly from plug-and-play technology. Control engineers can leverage RFID technology for collaboration or to develop IT supply chain empowerment. RFID design solutions prioritize delivery efficiency over cost control. Supply chain empowerment using RFID technology strengthens the role of control engineers, as they have long recognized RFID as a technology with benefits exceeding costs. Currently, there are two main types widely used. One is "slap and ship," which uses extremely low-cost RFID tags (i.e., transponders) to meet the needs of companies like Walmart, Target, and the U.S. Department of Defense, and then records the expenses for doing business with these customers. These RFID tags are often affixed to product packaging and, upon scanning, transmit the (product) information to the logistics software of the supply chain system. Inventory or transportation functions are often implemented by specialized IT personnel. Manufacturers might not spend money on developing such plans if it weren't for meeting customer needs. The other type of RFID technology is applied throughout the entire process, from manufacturing, assembly, inventory to transportation, with tags also affixed to internal components, conveyor belts, and even related tools and personnel. The cost of traditional RFID tags used in manufacturing processes (as opposed to transportation processes) has also decreased, with lifetime expenses quantified to reduce average costs. These efforts in manufacturing can be extended to inventory management by factory control engineers. How can RFID projects influence decisions made by suppliers, consulting firms, system integrators, data users, and budgets? While RFID has recently become a hot topic, RFID transponders and readers have been used in the manufacturing industry for over 20 years (first applied during World War II to identify Allied aircraft). Trends in RFID application development include: ■ Further leveraging integration services offered by RFID automation system integrators; ■ Developing universal readers suitable for different manufacturers and designs, capable of multiple reads of RFID tags; ■ Accelerating the integration of RFID technology into real-time cargo tracking (including connecting tools, materials, and processes) of control systems to improve process throughput and speed; ■ A more accurate understanding and more rational use of active and passive RFID tags from manufacturing to transportation; ■ Widespread use of relevant standards and certifications to reduce single-point costs and increase industry knowledge through widespread adoption; ■ Developing lower-cost, more secure, and shock-resistant RFID tags. [align=center]An RFID reader (yellow object in the foreground) reads a tag affixed to the side of a box on Universal Leaf. RFID antennas can be attached to or embedded in any surrounding object. Some systems can also receive multiple frequencies.[/align] In the process of bringing the technology to market, some RFID suppliers are focusing more on IT-driven, data-oriented, open supply chain retail. Others have a deeper understanding of the application of RFID technology in manufacturing. In this field, electronic tags are portable data warehouses (typically larger and more expensive), carrying information recorded as the attached item passes through various stages of production, rather than simply sophisticated sensors in a closed-loop process. Alex Stuebler, business manager at Siemens Energy & Automation, stated that Siemens has in-depth research in both directions and can meet the needs of a diversified global market, with a demand for billions of tags and tens of thousands of readers expected in the next 12 months. Driven by demand, the application of RFID products, services, hardware, and software is diversifying across the market, from top to bottom, bottom to top, and from the middle to both ends. Stuebler points out that the construction of the entire RFID application system, from sensors in the factory to the enterprise and then to the supply chain, is very similar to the software and network systems we are familiar with. Stuebler also says that, ranked from highest to lowest application level, RFID applications involve: ■ Achieving global uniqueness of EPC (electronic product codes proposed by EPCglobal) and global database integration; ■ Enterprise resource planning (ERP) at the middle level of supply chain management; ■ RFID-driven and data management control; ■ Data collection; ■ Sensor level, where the information carried by the tag can be read-only, or both readable and writable, and not necessarily visible. In many information exchange applications, such tags are generally more reliable than barcodes. Transformation: From Hardware to Services Most uncertainties in RFID hardware have been resolved in recent years. Mike Wills, Vice President of Intermec, says, “The long-term value, return on investment, and total cost of ownership of an RFID system largely depend on the initial process design and implementation.” Wills says that even by standards, RFID and plug-and-play technologies are actually quite different. He also emphasized the importance of system infrastructure planning; determining the required communication levels and integration for the main system; supporting current systems or designing new ones; establishing reliable standards to ensure successful system operation; using the most effective readers, antennas, RFID tags, and implementation standards; and ensuring the system can be put into use as quickly as expected. Wills claimed that the earlier a professional service provider is selected, the higher the chance of success, while also avoiding delays that could reduce return on investment. Furthermore, to become familiar with the technology, companies need to conduct more training, maintenance, and internal technical support, so they outsource integration and installation. Wills reached these conclusions after reviewing the Venture Development Corp. market research report "RFID Professional Services" from October 2006. The trade alliance Aim Global (Automatic Identification and Mobility Technology Association) stated that RFID tags can be read quickly even under harsh conditions, with typical response times of less than 100 milliseconds. The read/write performance of active RFID is significantly advantageous in interactive applications (work processing or maintenance tracking). Aim Global points out that low-frequency systems (30-500kHz) have a small reading range and low cost (used for secure access, cargo tracking, and animal identification). High-frequency systems (850-950MHz and 2.4-2.5GHz) have a large reading range (greater than 90 feet) and fast reading speed (used for tram tracking and automatic fare payment systems). Furthermore, high-frequency systems offer better performance but are relatively more expensive. Another industry organization, EPCglobal, suggests that establishing formal, legally recognized standards can accelerate RFID implementation. As of December 2006, it was reported that over 1,000 companies across 12 major industries and 51 industrial sectors worldwide would adopt EPCglobal's Electronic Product Code (EPC) RFID technology. Last year, EPCglobal certified 45 RFID hardware and software products and approved seven globally unified standards, including the second-generation UHF air interface protocol from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) (which has been incorporated into ISO 18000-6 Part C., a standard whose working group extended UHF logic and technical standards to the high-frequency band and developed security strategies for applying RFID tags to individual items). “At Procter & Gamble, EPC/RFID technology provides us with a way to visualize products moving from production to sales,” said Dick Cantwell, EPC Group Leader, Chairman of Procter & Gamble, and Chairman of the EPCglobal Management Board. “This technology allows us to see every step between production and sales, ensuring a more accurate, secure, and reliable supply chain.” The increasingly advanced RFID technology offers more powerful read/write capabilities and smaller sizes (like a coin). Furthermore, browsers can communicate with tags of different sizes. Moby (pictured) is an RFID-based product offered by Siemens. It features a small display, a cruise button (bottom, right), and flexible mounting points for the Pepperl+Fuchs Ident browser. More RFID Applications: Gabi Daniely, Vice President of Product Strategy at AeroScout, stated, “Discussions about RFID should focus on enabling RFID systems to meet application needs. Active RFID tags (i.e., active RFID, in contrast to passive RFID, also known as passive RFID) can easily achieve goods tracking (detailed processes of machines, tools, and work progress). Real-time goods tracking can integrate information into control systems, thereby enabling business intelligence solutions to improve system efficiency and throughput.” Turck and Balogh collaborated to provide an RFID system. A transceiver connected to a controller can communicate with tags at distances of 0.5 meters and beyond. Utilizing existing network infrastructure, such as RFID reader WI-IF (IEEE 802.11B) access points, can accelerate return on capital. "Network infrastructure can transmit data, voice, and RFID services, making RFID implementation easier, cheaper, and less prone to interference," Daniely said. Even in areas filled with metal, the battery can maintain a communication range of over 90 feet without the use of handheld "scanning" readers. Daniely added, "The tags can also embed sensors and be programmed to automatically trigger an alarm when a certain temperature is detected." Boeing has accelerated the assembly speed of its final aircraft using AeroScout's Wi-Fi-based active RFID. Previously, engineers spent time searching for necessary parts and tools across nearly 100 acres of factory space. Now, expensive aircraft components and equipment are tagged with electronic tags. AeroScout's MobileView software, which uses Cisco wireless network technology, speeds up the assembly process. Regarding high-temperature RFID applications , Turck stated that high-temperature RFID monitoring applications are costly because electronic tags fail under high temperatures. Furthermore, when RFID passes through high-temperature areas (such as automotive painting lines), it is often difficult to read the tags correctly, thus failing to record valuable product information at that time. In such cases, barcodes can only provide short-term or one-time use opportunities. To address these technical shortcomings, Turck developed the BL-ident RFID system. This compact 13.56MHz coded tag can withstand temperatures up to 210 degrees Celsius. To avoid the mechanical application of barcodes, tags that can be read and written without initialization are installed on the conveyor belt transporting the vehicle body to the painting process. The data transmission time of this tag is within 0.5 milliseconds (transmission rate up to 10 meters per second). Turck also points out that ferroelectric random access memory technology allows for 10^10 write operations and an unlimited number of read operations.