How to Use Traceability 4.0 Solutions
n AIAG B4 – Automotive Industry Action Group Parts Identification and Tracking n AS9132 – Society of Aerospace Engineers, Data Matrix Quality Requirements for Part Marking n EIA 706 – Electronics Industry Association, Component Marking n ISO/IEC 16022 – International Symbology Specification n ISO/IEC 15418 – Symbol Data Format Semantics n ISO/IEC 15434 – Symbol Data Format Syntax n ISO/IEC 15415 – 2D Print Quality Standard n ISO/IEC 15416:2016 – 1D Print Quality Standard n ISO/IEC TR 29158:2011 – Direct Part Mark (DPM) Quality Guideline n SPEC 2000 – Air Transport Association, Electronics Commerce, Including Permanent Part ID
n IUID – U.S. Department of Defense, Permanent & Unique Item Identification n UDI – FDA medical device identification
X-Mode algorithms that can read virtually any code on any surface, including shiny, textured, or curved. Using X-Mode can minimize so-called "no reads," minimizing delays and downtime. X-Mode uses advanced digital image processing and pixel
Where does traceability 4.0 fit? Traceability 4.0 is an integral part of industry 4.0. But not every manufacturing operation is an industry 4.0 operation. Other use cases, like retail and warehousing, don't require traceability 4.0. So, how did traceability 4.0 arise (Figure 1)? n Traceability 1.0 usually relies on barcodes to automatically identify products to improve accuracy and efficiency. n Traceability 2.0 moved into supply chain management using date and lot codes. It was designed to support higher levels of quality, and consumer confidence and support targeted product recalls. It's still used in the retail industry. In addition, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses it for unique device identifiers (UDIs) for medical devices. This is when the International Standardization Organization (ISO) began developing barcode quality specifications. n Traceability 3.0 marked the beginning of tracking individual devices instead of date and lot codes. Direct part marking (DPM) technologies for plastic and metal parts were developed for use in harsh industrial environments. The basis for anti- counterfeiting programs was developed to ensure product and component authenticity.
What about damaged barcodes?
analysis to make distorted, damaged, poorly printed, or
Barcode marking is subject to variations; it's not perfect. Even well-printed barcodes can become damaged or skewed as a part moves through the manufacturing process. Lack of contrast between the part surface and the barcode and highly variable lighting in industrial environments contribute to the challenges that must be addressed when developing a traceability 4.0 infrastructure. To address the challenges of accurately reading a wide range of barcodes under widely varying conditions, Omron offers its
skewed symbols readable. For DPM codes like inkjet printed codes on cardboard and other packaging or dot peen marks on reflective metal surfaces, X-Mode enhances contrast and sharpness of the image to reliably read and interpret codes in even dynamic environments (Figure 3). X-Mode also supports omnidirectional decoding, increasing the range of usable mount angles and simplifying the integration of barcode readers.
Figure 1: Traceability 4.0 is an integral part of industry 4.0 but does not entirely replace previous generations of traceability. (Image source: Omron)
n Traceability 4.0 is the complete implementation, including comprehensive part history and individual part geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T). GD&T is vital in precision manufacturing like aerospace and automotive manufacturing and enables the installation of parts based on their exact GD&T values, ensuring high precision assemblies and supporting high-quality systems.
Bar code types and standards
System integration
Real traceability 4.0 systems require multiple cameras integrated into an easy-to-use and easy-to-manage system. With these smart industrial imagers, process engineers can combine up to eight readers using an Ethernet switch to support 360-degree code reading and product inspection when a combined output of multiple codes is needed or when the code location is unpredictable.
Barcode types have evolved and expanded as traceability becomes more sophisticated. Today, there are multiple common barcode types, including linear, 2D (like Data Matrix, QR Code, and Aztec Code), and stacked linear (like PDF 417, Micro PDF, and Composite Codes) (Figure 2). They can be printed on labels attached or directly marked on the part. There's a wide range of standards. Examples include:
Figure 2: Traceability 4.0 can support using various barcode styles. (Image source: Omron)
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