A factory line system includes a series of robot arms arranged alongside a
conveyor on which workpieces are transported. Each workpiece is fitted
with a data carrier and each robot arm is fitted with a reader/writer
that can wirelessly communicate with the data carrier of each workpiece
when the latter is in transit between the conveyor and a work station.
Specifically, when a first robot arm detects a workpiece, it removes the
workpiece from the conveyor to a first work station that performs work on
the workpiece and sends result data through the reader/writer of the
robot arm to the data carrier and replaces the workpiece from the first
work station to the conveyor. When the workpiece is transported,
approaching a second robot arm, the latter reads the result data through
its reader/writer from the data carrier. According to the result data,
the second work station performs work on the workpiece.