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Steel Recycling Harmed by Some RFID Tags
RFID tags are being used to track a growing number of products. WalMart expects 600 of their suppliers to have RFID tags all pallets and cases shipped to every store by early 2007. This will aid in replenishing goods when they are out of stock, and reduce inventory. According to the WalMart website, by the end of 2005, more than 200,000 tagged pallets and more than 8.5 million tagged cases had been received. (Privacy rights activists worry that Wheaties boxes will be tracked to your house, but that's another debate.)
In our industry, one application is to aid in the tracking of stamped parts through to final assembly. There are times when a steel or stamping defect isn't caught until after assembly and sometimes even paint. An RFID chip would record the details of every processing step (or could be linked to a larger database), which would aid in seeing if other parts processed at the same time are also at risk. This would allow the problem part to be traced back to the incoming coil.
As great at this might sound, there is also a big potential downside. The antenna component of these RFID tags are made of either copper or aluminum. If copper antennae are used on RFID tags placed on steel products (car, washing machine, drum, etc.), the resultant end-of-life scrap may not be useable in future steelmaking because of the negative effects that copper has on properties. (Integrated mills typically use around 25% scrap in their furnace charge, while mini-mills use 100% scrap.) This problem does not affect aluminum-based RFID tags.
"Radio-frequency tracking tags pose recycling challenge"
www.GovExec.com; August 7, 2006
"Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags: Copper Content Detrimental to Recycling"
www.steel.org; April 2006
In our industry, one application is to aid in the tracking of stamped parts through to final assembly. There are times when a steel or stamping defect isn't caught until after assembly and sometimes even paint. An RFID chip would record the details of every processing step (or could be linked to a larger database), which would aid in seeing if other parts processed at the same time are also at risk. This would allow the problem part to be traced back to the incoming coil.
As great at this might sound, there is also a big potential downside. The antenna component of these RFID tags are made of either copper or aluminum. If copper antennae are used on RFID tags placed on steel products (car, washing machine, drum, etc.), the resultant end-of-life scrap may not be useable in future steelmaking because of the negative effects that copper has on properties. (Integrated mills typically use around 25% scrap in their furnace charge, while mini-mills use 100% scrap.) This problem does not affect aluminum-based RFID tags.
"Radio-frequency tracking tags pose recycling challenge"
www.GovExec.com; August 7, 2006
"Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags: Copper Content Detrimental to Recycling"
www.steel.org; April 2006