Traceability is essential in modern automotive manufacturing. Among existing technologies, RFID is the most promising choice for this purpose. However, due to the harsh conditions of production lines, especially in the paint shop, automobile OEMs would require expensive dedicated RFID tags and readers, which are incompatible with standard RFID technologies. Unlike the manufacturing industry, the logistics industry uses UHF label tags for track and trace, which provides high performance and a low price. Recently, this technology has improved to the extent that it can be used in harsh conditions such as on metal parts or in liquid. Herein, we assess the technical, operational, and economic feasibility of UHF label-tag technology for seamless end-toend traceability. Based on prototyping, lab/field tests, and cost-benefit analysis, we have proven that the single disposable UHF tags can successfully replace the problematic and expensive tags used in most domestic automobile OEMs today.
