Challenges and Opportunities of RFID Sensortags Integration by Fibre-Reinforced Plastic Components Production

Abstract In the past decade the use of Radio Frequency Identifcation (RFID) technology has become a substantial part in our daily live. Applications such as supply chain management, inventory tracking and access control has been influenced by this emerging technology. In the course of Industry 4.0, RFID technology is considered to enable smart production processes, where the work-in-progress can be monitored in real time. In addition RFID tags with sensing capabilities (RFID sensortags) can contribute to an in-process control during manufacturing processes. The integration of RFID sensortags in fibre-reinforced plastic (FRP) components during the production process offers many opportunities. Such as controlling the process of vacuum infusion with integrated pressure sensors. In addition to this, it would also be possible to control the internal curing temperature of the resin during the hardening process using temperature sensors. This paper shows the integration of RFID sensortags in FRP during textile preforming. Therefore, two FRP with integrated RFID sensortags were manufactured and as functional test the internal material temperature was measured. The FRP were made out of glass- as well as carbon-fibres. Furthermore a concept of an automated integration process of RFID sensortags during a FRP production will be described. The production processes of FRP are automated for the most parts. One of the challenges is to involve the integration process of the RFID sensortags during the production process of FRP. Another challenge is the handling of the RFID sensortags themselves which comes in the form of gripping, positioning and bonding of RFID sensortags on the textiles. Therefore the RFID sensortag design has to be optimized for the automated production process.