Automotive commodity evidence has existed in one form or another for several years. Traceability refers to exposing and tracing each constituent that comprises every sub-system during a car. Traditionally, this has been achieved with direct part marking on mechanical or electronic components, using 1D or 2D barcodes or radio-frequency identification (RFID).
Since vehicle suspensions are costly, this process was commenced to capture the origins of complex components. Lately, manufacturing traceability has evolved from a defensive ethos of ‘minimizing recalls’ to a proactive posture of ‘compliance.’ As compliance mandates increase, so do the associated fines for non-compliance.
The Federal Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability and Documentation (TREAD) Act requires vehicle manufacturers to report back to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) any excursions on the reliability of the components. As a result, manufacturers believe traceability to stay au courant gaps within the value chain to satisfy end-user safety requirements.
Semiconductor content in vehicles is on the increase, making traceability of those components increasingly important. While there's no specific traceability standard for semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs), relevant work has been done by various stakeholders within the automotive semiconductor supply chain. For instance, the only Device Traceability Task Force that emerged from the SEMI Collaborative Alliance for Semiconductor Test (CAST) has identified the necessity for device traceability through the availability chain. This includes not just the traceability of devices but also semiconductor dies, lead frames, epoxy, bond wires, and computer circuit boards.
Two key automotive application segments—advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and electrification— are expected to undergo significant innovation enabling autonomous electric vehicle (AEV) programs at various automotive OEMs. Several mission-critical safety systems, including electronic stability control, lane departure warning, anti-lock brakes, adaptive control, and traction control, which may reduce the amount of traffic accidents, are parts of those efforts.