Production routing
Confirm identity at a process entrance and provide the route, recipe or operating instruction associated with that WIP item.
Track movement without line of sight
RFID work-in-progress tracking systems
Capture controlled production movements, locations and process events using RFID read zones designed around the tagged item and factory environment.
Direct answer
RFID work-in-progress tracking systems
RFID WIP tracking identifies products, carriers, tools or returnable assets as they move through production. Unlike a barcode, RFID may be read without direct line of sight and can support multiple tags, but reliable results depend on disciplined read-zone engineering.
Metal, liquids, tag orientation, reflections, adjacent lanes and uncontrolled reads can change performance. Oxford Traceability therefore develops the tag, antenna layout, reader settings, shielding, triggers and exception logic as one system.
- Typical technology
- UHF or HF RFID selected by application
- Tracked objects
- WIP, totes, carriers, tools and assets
- Events
- Arrival, departure, route, hold and completion
- Controls
- PLC, edge logic, database, MES and ERP
System outcomes
What the application can deliver.
The scope is selected around the production question, the evidence required and the response the operation must take.
Location and status
Record controlled movements between stores, lines, cells and hold areas so the latest confirmed event is visible.
Returnable asset control
Track totes, racks, fixtures, tools or containers, including cycle count, maintenance status and last known process point.
Proof of process
Associate the RFID identity with completion, machine, inspection or operator events where the wider system provides those results.
Application method
Build evidence into the operating sequence.
Trials and process mapping establish how normal production and exceptions should behave before the system is released.
Survey the radio environment
Assess objects, materials, distances, adjacent processes and possible reflections before equipment selection.
Select and test tags
Compare tag constructions and mounting positions on representative WIP, carriers or assets.
Engineer controlled read zones
Position antennas, shielding, triggers and reader power to capture the intended event while avoiding cross-reads.
Design exceptions and recovery
Handle missing, duplicate, unexpected and out-of-sequence reads without losing production control.
Frequently asked questions
RFID work-in-progress tracking systems: practical questions
Clear answers to the questions that usually shape the first technical discussion.
Can RFID track metal components or liquid products?+
Often yes, but tag type, spacing, orientation and antenna design become especially important. Representative trials are essential before final specification.
Does RFID show an exact real-time location?+
A fixed-reader system normally records the latest confirmed read-zone event rather than continuous centimetre-level location. More precise locating technologies may be considered where that outcome is genuinely required.
Can RFID trigger a machine recipe or route decision?+
Yes. After the identity is validated, the event can be passed to a PLC or software layer to request the correct recipe, route or status action.
What happens when a tag is missed or read twice?+
The system should define time windows, duplicate suppression, expected sequence, operator recovery and safe process behaviour for missed or unexpected reads.
Discuss your application
Turn the requirement into a practical next step.
Share the product, code, process, line speed and data outcome. We will identify the right trials, technology and integration scope.