Traceability: Implementing the necessary technology to trace product components and process steps

Development of traceability system concepts for more transparency in production

Improved quality, safety and transparency with traceability: A traceability system captures and identifies individual product components and offers the ability to track them along the production and supply chain and capture the associated data and information.

Seamless and individual product or segment-specific traceability can pose a major challenge. In order to be able to respond to these challenges, we at Fraunhofer IPA work closely with technology providers in the Fraunhofer network to develop traceability systems. Customized traceability solutions help to gain precise knowledge and control in the production process.

Traceability system concepts can also be implemented under demanding production conditions, such as when it comes to manufacturing lithium-ion battery cells. Fraunhofer IPA works closely with the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques (IPM) on collaborative projects. At the Center for Digitized Battery Cell Manufacturing (ZDB), a marker-free system has been developed for continuous materials such as electrodes. The so-called track & trace fingerprint enables single cell segments to be identified and traced using existing surface microstructures.

Our services for developing and designing traceability system concepts:

• Structured recording of your requirements and goals
• Elaboration and development of individual traceability system concepts, taking into account various solution approaches within the Fraunhofer network and in cooperation with technology providers
• Comprehensive investigation of applicable technologies as part of technology studies and feasibility studies
• Proof and demonstration of applicability in the lab and production environment
• Support for implementation in the operational production environment 
   

Your advantages:

• Customized traceability solutions
• Precise control over the production process
• Safe and better quality products
• Ability to optimize and continuously improve processes based on data
• Track & Trace fingerprint: Traceability without the need to add or modify materials

In addition to the ability to react quickly to optimize manufacturing processes, such as identifying and resolving production problems and meeting required quality standards, traceability helps to comply with regulations that require the traceability of products and their various parts and components.

This allows safer and higher quality products to be manufactured and processes to be optimized in order to achieve continuous improvement and more sustainable production.