Products
Identifying – Asset Tracking
Tracking assets using RFID and barcode readers
Do you need to know the availability of your tool, it's condition and it's overall status? Furthermore, do you want to reduce downtimes and equipment failures, in order to increase your overall productivity? If so, we can show you how using RFID and barcode technologies can work for you.
Application examples
When information is needed about the status (e.g. current time of use, setting parameters), storage location or other data for a process tool, the use of an RFID tag glued into the tool will provide it. An RFID read/write head reads the data from the tag and passes it along tot he processor unit.
RFID tags are also attached to injection molds and punch tools. These data carriers provide information about the setting parameters as well as data for the use, maintenance and association with the machine in which the tools are used. An RFID reader/writer can read out the data and pass it along to the machine controller. This makes condition monitoring and predictive maintenance possible.
RFID technologies
Managing assets such as tools and molds place application-specific demands on the characteristics of the RFID components:
Data carriers are available in various form factors, memory capacities and with different material properties. Data carriers for tool identification in metalworking machines (Tool ID) are very compact, resistant to common coolants and lubricants, as well as cleaning agents. They have a large working memory for storing tool and machine parameters.
Read/write heads are available in a variety of product configurations in just the form factor you need. Asset tracking demands compact form factors, the ability to cover application-specific read distances, as well as ease of handling and mounting flexibility.
Processor units are the interface between the read/write head and host controller level. The availability of so many different variants allows you to link to all common fieldbus types. Up to four read/write heads can be operated at different frequencies on a single processor unit.
