Embedded RFID Roofing Layers for Heat-Safe Product Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for identifying roofing products, such as asphalt or bitumen impregnated roof coverings, face challenges with fixed and easily damaged identification marks, limited variability, and difficulty in embedding RFID tags within layered products without causing defects or deformation during the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
A method of manufacturing roofing products that involves applying RFID tags between layers using a tamp-blow applicator to avoid contact with the hot and sticky surface, ensuring the tags are encoded and securely adhered, and using materials with matching thermal expansion coefficients to prevent deformation, allowing for durable and versatile identification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If RFID tags are applied to hot roofing material surfaces using conventional methods, then tags can be attached to the product, but the tags become damaged or deformed due to contact with hot and sticky material
Solution Approach 1:
The RFID tag is applied to the roofing material before the material cools down and before subsequent hot processing steps. The tag applicator positions and adheres the tag to the cooler surface, allowing the tag to withstand subsequent manufacturing processes without thermal damage.
Solution Approach 2:
A separate tag applicator device serves as an intermediary between the RFID tag and the roofing material. This applicator temporarily holds the tag, positions it precisely on the material, and applies it under controlled conditions, isolating the tag from direct contact with hot and sticky roofing material.
2Productivity
If roofing products are manufactured at high production speeds, then productivity increases, but the precision of tag application and encoding decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual or slow mechanical tagging methods with an automated tag applicator system that uses controlled mechanisms (such as roller conveyors, precision positioning systems, and automated encoding devices) to apply and encode tags at high speeds while maintaining consistent placement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The tagging process is integrated into the continuous manufacturing flow, with the tag applicator operating continuously as roofing material passes through the production line. Encoding occurs in-line without stopping production, maintaining both high speed and precision through automated synchronization.
3Ease of manufacture
If fixed character stamps are used for product identification, then manufacturing is simple, but the identification cannot be easily changed or updated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces static, fixed character stamps with dynamic RFID tags that can be electronically programmed and updated. The encoding device writes variable data (such as serial numbers, batch information, or unique identifiers) to the RFID tag memory, allowing identification information to be changed or updated without physical retooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The identification system transitions from fixed physical impressions to programmable electronic parameters stored in RFID tag memory. This allows the identification data to be dynamically changed by modifying the electronic parameters written to the tag, providing versatility while maintaining simple application through automated encoding.
4Reliability
If RFID tags are embedded within layered roofing products, then identification is durable and protected, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The RFID tag is applied to the roofing material at a specific stage in the manufacturing process, before final layering and sealing. This preliminary positioning allows the tag to be embedded within the product structure as layers are added, protecting the tag while maintaining a relatively simple manufacturing sequence.
Solution Approach 2:
The RFID tag is nested within the layered structure of the roofing product, with subsequent layers positioned over the tag. This nesting approach embeds the identification device within the product itself, providing protection and durability while integrating the tagging process into the existing manufacturing workflow.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of manufacturing an identifiable roof covering incl. the product thereof, comprising the steps of providing a first layer of material, providing a second layer of material onto said first layer of material and arranging a RFID tag onto the first layer of material prior to providing the second layer of material.