CoreHW

RTLS for Manufacturing & Smart Factories

CoreHW CoreRTLS delivers high-accuracy 3D manufacturing RTLS for WIP tracking, tool visibility, forklift tracking, worker safety, bottleneck detection, and RTLS data for improving manufacturing workflows.

Request CoreRTLS-EVK4Talk to an RTLS Expert

Down to 10 cm

3D indoor positioning accuracy

WIP, tools and people

Factory visibility

MQTT and REST API

Integration ready

LIVE FACTORY MAP

Manufacturing RTLS

Why Manufacturing Needs RTLS

Modern manufacturing depends on real-time data, connected systems, and digital-twin visibility. CoreHW brings the missing physical-location layer to that vision: who, what, where, when, and for how long.

CoreRTLS is a manufacturing RTLS and indoor positioning system built on Bluetooth® AoA technology, designed to deliver 3D positioning down to 10 cm in demanding RF environments. REST API supports system configuration and management, while MQTT publishes real-time position and telemetry data to customer applications.

Manufacturing Use Cases

Top Manufacturing Use Cases

Work-in-progress tracking with CoreHW manufacturing RTLS

Work-in-Progress Tracking

Track parts, subassemblies, carriers, molds, and production orders through each step. Detect WIP aging between process steps, paint booths, test cells, inspection areas, or buffer zones before delays become missed output.

Tool and equipment tracking in a manufacturing environment

Tool and Equipment Tracking

Locate torque tools, gauges, fixtures, jigs, carts, calibration devices, and mobile test equipment. Enable a tool-zone interlock: verify that the correct tool is physically at the correct workstation before the operation starts.

Forklift and vehicle visibility with manufacturing RTLS

Forklift and Vehicle Visibility

Track forklifts, AGVs, AMRs, tugger trains, and material-handling vehicles. Improve routing, reduce search time, prevent traffic conflicts, and connect vehicle movement to production flow.

Worker safety and zone awareness with wearable RTLS tags

Worker Safety

Use wearable tags for zone awareness, emergency alerts, restricted-area notifications, lone-worker workflows, and PPE-related reminders such as helmet or safety-equipment compliance. Worker-safety RTLS is a recognized manufacturing use case, especially in high-risk areas.

Bottleneck detection using manufacturing RTLS flow analytics

Bottleneck Detection

Turn movement data into heatmaps, dwell-time analytics, cycle-time exceptions, and live flow indicators. RTLS helps reveal whether a delay is caused by missing material, unavailable tools, vehicle congestion, or WIP waiting too long in the wrong zone.

Foreign-object-debris prevention alerts in restricted build zones

Foreign-Object-Debris Prevention

In aerospace, automotive, electronics, and high-value assembly, trigger alerts when tools or loose assets remain inside restricted build zones.

Location Data Flow

How CoreHW RTLS Works

CoreRTLS Tags attached to work-in-progress, tools, vehicles, equipment, or personnel transmit Bluetooth® LE signals, including CTE data for AoA positioning. CoreRTLS Locators receive and measure these signals and forward the measurement data to CoreRTLS Software, which calculates real-time 3D positions for production visibility, safety, and connected workflows.

Partner-Ready Platform

CoreHW Architecture for Factories

CoreHW provides the RTLS foundation so partners can build the final customer solution on top.

1

Physical Layer

Ready-to-deploy hardware for asset and personnel positioning in factory environments.

CHW-LOC4000 CoreRTLS Locator
CHW-TAG4000 CoreTag asset tag
CoreRTLS-EVK4 evaluation kit
  • CHW-LOC4000 Locators
  • CHW-TAG400x asset and personnel tags
  • CoreRTLS-EVK4 evaluation kit
2

Middleware Layer

Position engine, APIs, and management for real-time factory location data.

  • CoreRTLS Position Engine
  • Scalable APIs
  • Management system
3

Partner Layer

Partner-owned experiences and enterprise workflows built on CoreHW RTLS.

  • Dashboards
  • MES / WMS / ERP
  • Customer UI
  • Alarms
  • Analytics
  • Reporting
  • Vertical applications
4

Factory Use Cases

Typical manufacturing integrations enabled by accurate real-time location.

  • Automatic job-status updates
  • Zone-based alerts
  • Workstation verification
  • Tool-availability checks
  • Forklift-movement events
  • Safety-zone triggers
  • Production analytics

Enablement Across the Architecture

Training, project consulting, joint marketing, and dedicated support.

CoreHW enables solution providers and system integrators with the hardware, software, APIs, training, consulting, joint marketing, and dedicated support needed to evaluate, integrate, deploy, and scale customer-specific RTLS solutions while retaining ownership of their customer-facing applications, workflows, and services.

Industrial RF Performance

Harsh and Metal-Heavy Manufacturing Environments

Factories are difficult RF environments: metal racks, machines, tools, vehicles, cranes, walls, reflections, moving people, and changing layouts. CoreHW’s advantage is that antennas, RF design, firmware, and algorithms are engineered together. The platform is designed for accurate 3D positioning in demanding RF environments, with patented antenna technology and multipath-optimized angle measurement.

Metal-heavy manufacturing areas can create reflections, multipath, and signal distortion around machinery, vehicles, racks, and tools.
CoreRTLS locator placement and deployment tuning help maintain reliable Bluetooth® AoA positioning in demanding industrial environments.

Technology Comparison

Technology Comparison

Technology comparison for CoreHW Bluetooth AoA RTLS versus UWB, RFID, and Wi-Fi RTLS in manufacturing
TechnologyBest Fit in ManufacturingLimitation
CoreHW Bluetooth® AoA RTLSHigh-accuracy 3D asset, WIP, tool, personnel, and workflow tracking down to 10 cmRequires locator planning
UWBHigh-accuracy tracking where higher infrastructure and tag cost is acceptableOften higher cost and a more specialized deployment
RFIDPortal events, identification, check-in/check-out, and inventory gatesNot continuous 3D real-time tracking
Wi-Fi RTLSBroad presence detection using existing networksTypically meter-level positioning and less suitable for workstation-level automation

Vendor Evaluation

How to Choose a Manufacturing RTLS Vendor

The right manufacturing RTLS partner should provide accurate 3D positioning, low latency, reliable operation in metal-heavy areas, open APIs, integration support, security-first architecture, long-life tags, scalable deployment, transparent support, and a clear evaluation path.

Accurate 3D Positioning

Support the level of positioning accuracy required for workstation, WIP, tool, and safety workflows.

Low-Latency Data

Deliver location updates quickly enough for alerts, process logic, and operational decisions.

Industrial RF Reliability

Maintain dependable operation in metal-heavy, reflective, and changing factory environments.

Open APIs

Provide practical MQTT, REST, or equivalent interfaces for customer and partner applications.

Integration Support

Support connections to MES, WMS, ERP, dashboards, alarms, analytics, and automation workflows.

Security-First Architecture

Fit the customer’s security, privacy, deployment, and IT-governance requirements.

Long-Life Tags

Reduce maintenance effort with tag hardware designed for practical operating life.

Scalable Deployment

Expand from a pilot area to production lines, buildings, and multiple sites.

Transparent Support

Provide clear technical support, enablement, responsibilities, and partner engagement.

Clear Evaluation Path

Allow the solution to be tested through a practical evaluation kit and proof-of-concept deployment.

For solution providers and system integrators, CoreHW is partner-ready: you own the customer, UI, workflows, and services; CoreHW provides the RTLS infrastructure, software layer, APIs, and enablement.

Quick Answers

FAQ

RTLS for manufacturing is a real-time location system that tracks assets, WIP, tools, vehicles, and people inside factories, then turns location data into workflow automation, safety alerts, and production visibility.

Start with a Practical Pilot

Evaluate CoreHW RTLS with CoreRTLS-EVK4

Start with a practical pilot: four CoreRTLS Locators, CoreRTLS Tags, CoreRTLS Software on a Linux MiniPC, a PoE switch, WebUI, MQTT data collection, and REST API integration for proof-of-concept testing.

Request CoreRTLS-EVK4Talk to an RTLS Expert