Syngenta is one of the world’s largest producers of agricultural chemicals. Its manufacturing centre in Grangemouth, Scotland, employs over 350 staff across five separate plants, producing crop protection products for farmers worldwide.
Four plants manufacture ‘active ingredients’, which are then put into bulk containers or ‘bags’. Some go on to the fifth plant to be made into finished products, while others are shipped to production plants overseas or stored in a warehouse until needed. Syngenta wanted RFID tracking for hazardous environments that could track bags of valuable ingredients around the site and give it better control over production. Given the risk of explosion within the plant, any system had to conform to ATEX standards.
“Replacing spreadsheets and manual data entry has minimized mistakes and provided greater visibility – we can see where everything is and how much of it there is. A paper system is just not manageable on the scale that we manufacture and doesn’t have benefit of ensuring right product, right place, right time.”
– Paul Johnston, automation and information systems manager at the Grangemouth Manufacturing Centre
Right product, right place, right time
RFID tracking for hazardous environments has given Syngenta much greater visibility, letting the company see the whereabouts of ingredients within the site in real time and ensuring the right product is in the right place at the right time. The automated system has enabled Syngenta to step up production and reduced the risk of error.
Tracking ingredients every step of the way
Syngenta previously used Excel spreadsheets to track the bags around the site, with data then manually entered into its ERP system. The company wanted to automate the process and integrate it with the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system it used to control production.
RFID offered the right solution, and CoreRFID worked with the company’s IT partner, Solutions pT, to design the system and supply the right products.
Every bag is fitted with an RFID tag and tracked at each step, from the start of the process, where it’s filled with active ingredients, to each time it’s loaded on or off a trailer, when it leaves or re-enters the site, and as it enters the final production line to be used in the end product.
The RFID tags are read by fixed readers at critical points where location matters, such as consumption points, or by staff using handheld scanners, with the database updated automatically each time.
The benefits of automation
The automated system has enabled Syngenta to step up production at Grangemouth, which now manufactures around 10,000 bags a year. It’s cut the time involved in data collection and freed up staff for higher-value tasks. Data uploads automatically into the ERP system via MES middleware, reducing the risk of errors. The system produces a wealth of data that can be analysed to improve production efficiency.
It also provides additional safeguards. On the final production line, machines recognise each bag and ensure only the right products are used at the right time, in the right quantities and strengths.
“We’ve always found the CoreRFID team to be very helpful, nothing was too much trouble. It really makes the difference and is why we’re still working together six years later.”
– Paul Johnston, automation and information systems manager at the Grangemouth Manufacturing Centre
RFID tracking for hazardous environments in explosive atmospheres
When producing chemicals in potentially explosive atmospheres, any electronic equipment must meet standards such as ATEX 137 or ATEX 95. This presents no barrier to RFID tracking for hazardous environments, since both tags and readers are available in fully encapsulated versions, preventing the risk of ignition. CoreRFID supplied Syngenta with a full range of ATEX-approved equipment to meet the regulations.
Keeping pace with the site
Syngenta has continued working with CoreRFID well beyond the original installation. In 2020, the company ordered 10,000 new tags to replace the originals, worn from years of regular use rather than any fault in the system itself. In 2025, Syngenta rolled out new reader infrastructure across the site, keeping the system current as its production needs continue to grow.
“RFID is a simple and very cost-effective way for manufacturers to keep track of materials or components and achieve better control of production. It has certainly proved very effective for Syngenta.” – Richard Harrison, Technical Sales Director, CoreRFID
For more info please contact Richard Harrison on 07752 389 745 or richard@corerfid.com
Find out more about integrating RFID with existing business systems and RFID in manufacturing.