A New RFID‐Identification Strategy Applied to the Marble Extraction Industry

Abstract

This paper aims to improve the marble industry production chain by proposing new technological approaches using the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) systems. The dynamic capabilities of the RFID read‐write tags allow the storage of physical characteristics of stone blocks, according to electrical, ultrasound and three‐dimensional image characterization tests. These characterization non‐destructive tests allow the evaluation of important parameters of the original stone blocks, by analyzing the internal structure of the rocks. Then, these parameters can be stored in databases through RFID‐tags, in order to optimize their subsequent cutting and transformation processes. RFID identification technology when integrated into an ethernet communication network enables automatic communication with cutting and processing equipment, building an intelligent industrial platform, integrating PCs (Personal Computers) and PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers) within an Industry 4.0 environment. Another huge advantage of RFID technology is that it allows full product traceability, namely by enabling the end consumer to reverse the production path. A laboratory prototype was implemented and a detailed analysis and discussion of the obtained functionalities is shown at the end of this paper.