In the Plant Environment, RFID solutions are ideal for identification of high-unit-value products moving through a tough assembly process. These processes may involve painting, baking, and in some cases chemical cleaning e.g. Engine manufacture. The impace to with stand the rigors of hostile environments is related to the construction and durability of the RFID tag whilst still using standard readers to read/write information. RF systems also offer the durability essential for permanent identification of captive products carriers such as:

Tote boxes, port containers, barrels, tubs, and pallets;
Tool carriers, tracking of chemicals and fabrics through production processes;
Forklift trucks, engine pallets, vehicles.

Primary product identification wherein the tag specifically identifies the item to which it is attached (e.g. by part number or serial number or, in the case of read/write systems, assembly or process instructions for the item). This is also used in engine manufacture after production because in some instances the FRID tag is located inside the engine clock offering a security check should the engine ever be stolen.

Carrier identification where content is identified manually (or with a bar code reader) and fed to the control system along with the carrier's machine-readable RF "license plate number." Process tracking being achieved by RFID readers located within the production line to record the relevant information.

The automotive industry uses RFID systems to track vehicles through assembly, where tags must perform even after repeated subjection to temperatures of 150 to 200 C, painting, etc. A primary objective for use of the technology in this environment is verification of vehicle identity and can even be a specific customer order ensuring the correct options are known prior to the assembly tasks. Also should it be necessary to ‘pull’ a particular automobile from the assembly process the vehicle is instantly detected at source and uniquely avoiding costly problems wrong identification.

Unlike bar-codes RFID tags need not be visible to be scanned, they can be buried within the product itself for example under the paint on cars to record chassis details etc. however the trade off of active and passive tags has to be taken into account. In operations such as metal casting RFID tags are attached to the stillages which travel through a variety of processes such as degreasing, etching and cleaning tanks - not a job for optical or magnetic identification media.

RFID systems are used for Fork lift truck and guided vehicle identification in a number of installations. One approach buries tags at strategic locations throughout the facility and verifies vehicle location via on-board DC-powered readers. Other users station readers at the ends of warehouse aisles to monitor lift truck activity. Here, throughput rates require multiple antennae per reader.