Applications of RFID to Improve Traceability in Continuous Processes

To achieve traceability in discontinuous (discrete or batch) processes can be rather straightforward since identification markers, such as bar codes or serial numbers, can be attached to the product/batch or its package and be scanned at predetermined locations in the supply chain. However, continuous processes differ from discontinuous processes in a number of ways and these differences results in a number of difficulties concerning, for example, traceability. Traceability is important in continuous processes and the importance of traceability has been highlighted in, for example, the food and dairy industries due to food crises, such as, the BSE (mad-cow disease), foot-and-mouth disease, and the scandal of infant milk tainted with Melamine in China. This chapter presents a number of traceability methods that can be used to improve traceability in continuous processes with a special focus on RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification). We then exemplify how RFID may be applied and combined with other methods to improve traceability in continuous processes with two examples from continuous processes. The first example demonstrates how RFID can be used to improve traceability in a continuous refinement process of iron ore by adding transponders with similar physical characteristics as the product to the product flow. The second example is taken from the forestry industry and gives an example of how RFID can be used to improve traceability through the wood refinement process by tagging individual logs with a transponder at the felling site. In addition to the two examples additional RFID applications to improve traceability in continuous processes are described. Various benefits of using RFID to improve traceability in continuous processes are identified and discussed from the described RFID applications. Also, special challenges using RFID in continuous processes are identified and how to solve or avoid these challenges are discussed. Finally, we describe some ideas for future research projects and ongoing research projects.