Antennas that are capable of transmitting radio waves turn components into intelligent objects. Researchers have now found a way to embed these antennas in fiber composites. As a result, the technology also works with carbon and glass fibers.
肉眼几乎看不到它：生产厅里的工作片看起来正常。但是第一印象是欺骗。飞机组件是“智能的”，可以与附近熟练的工人进行交流。他们不仅可以告诉他们他们是什么，还可以提供有关谁在为他们工作以及下一步工作的信息。
无线射频识别芯片(RFID)反式mits the information. It measures just a few square millimeters and transmits details about the component quickly, efficiently, and consistently to a receiver via radio waves. Until now, only a handful of companies use the technology for documentation purposes in production processes. Most often, RFID is used for access control purposes, or to record time, for instance on employee smart cards.
How well an RFID transponder works depends mainly on the material that surrounds it. The material can have a negative influence on the transponder antenna’s range, as well as on the quality of data transmission. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS in Nuremburg have now developed an RFID transponder whose antenna works reliably on fiber composites as well. Components such as glass or carbon fibers are both lightweight and robust, and are thus used increasingly in airplane and vehicle production. However, these fibers have a particularly strong influence on frequencies. Until now, their exact behavior with regard to RFID has not been well known on the wireless system, and this is why production steps are still documented with a pencil and paper.
碳纤维损害了RFID芯片的性能
“We took a close look at the frequencies relevant to RFID technology: 125 kHz (LF: low frequency), 13.56 MHz (HF: high frequency), and 868 MHz (UHF: ultra high frequency). We measured the extent to which glass and carbon fibers affect the reliability of the trans- ponder,” says Tobias Dräger, an engineer, in describing the work of the IIS team. The result: while LF, HF, and UHF work well with glass fibers, they showed weaknesses with carbon fibers. The high frequencies in particular compromised the performance of the RFID chip significantly. “Carbon fibers are, similarly to metal, conductive. As a result, they dampen radio signals considerably– especially at 868 MHz,” says Dräger’s colleague Dr. Iker Mayordomo.
But thanks to their relatively large range of up to 15 meters, UHF frequencies are very well suited to applications in logistics and production. In the past, if RFID was used with incompatible materials such as metals, a very expensive transponder was required to reach this level of performance. “The antennas and transponders required make these customized systems very large. At the same time, integrating them into fiber composites is difficult,” says Dräger in discussing the initial situation.
Together with partners from the aviation industry and research, his team has successfully developed a trans-ponder that can operate reliably within conducting components, which are also subject to physical stress. The scientists have designed an ultra-thin antenna that can be embedded in materials underneath a protective glass fiber layer. Together with Schreiner LogiData, a manufacturer of RFID transponders, IIS has already developed the first test series.
According to Eurostat, the statistics office of the European Union, about six percent of German companies were using RFID in 2011. In Europe, the figure was four percent. Maximilian Roth, an engineer and RFID expert at the Center for Intelligent Objects ZIO of the IIS in Nuremberg, is convinced that this is about to change. “New applications in the area of fiber composites, which is booming, will further increase the relevance of RFID for industry.
目前，市场上还有许多其他试点项目正在进行重大测试，以在物流，流量和生产中使用RFID。”Fraunhofer IIS已经在并行处理下一个项目，该项目是欧盟赞助的“ SmartFiber”计划。从事该项目的研究人员正在使用RFID技术将能量和数据传输到嵌入纤维材料中的传感器。例如，这使得监视风力涡轮机的整个结构是可能的。
有关更多信息，请访问www.fraunhofer.de。
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