Smart Bolt Tracks Multi-Stage Manufacturing

Jan-04-14 To ensure each stage of manufacturing is completed correctly, GM has turned to smart bolts equipped with RFID tags that track the part through the many steps of the machining process.

GM has been using RFID technology for some years now to identify completed engines, but this is the first time the technology has been used to track the manufacturing process. The “data bolt” is shaped like a regular bolt, but its hollow head contains an epoxy-sealed RFID tag and a coiled bit of metal that functions as the antenna. The data bolt is attached to the engine block or cylinder head, where it records each step of the manufacturing process, receiving and transferring the data from around 50 different steps.

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