A simplified solution model looks as follows:
RFID points are installed on objects and/or premises throughout the plant. Responsible employees conduct inspections in accordance with the regulations, aimed at monitoring and/or preventing equipment and/or system malfunctions. Once the task, as defined by the regulations, is completed, the employee scans the RFID point, and the information is transmitted to the central system.
Within the project, it is necessary to install 1000 temperature-resistant RFID points throughout the plant. The personnel responsible for scheduled maintenance tasks should be equipped with RFID point readers. In the initial phase of the project, 50 reader units will be used.
The choice of equipment is determined by the set tasks and the challenging operating conditions:
Project Implementation is divided into two phases:
Equipment installation
Implementation and software configuration, process optimization, and documentation.
System development
The client has been offered temperature-resistant RFID points with an operational temperature range from -20 to 200 degrees Celsius. The points are affixed to surfaces using fasteners. A rugged smartphone with IP68 protection class has been proposed as the reading device. Choosing a smartphone with Android OS and NFC technology support as the reading device allows for significantly expanding the system’s functionality compared to using a traditional RFID point scanner, at a relatively comparable cost. To optimize the enterprise’s server infrastructure expenses, software maintenance, obtain up-to-date updates, and provide a high-level technical support, a decision was made to host the software on the developer’s server resources.
For responsible client employees to access the system, there is no need to install client-side software on the client’s work computers. A modern browser (including mobile) is sufficient. To facilitate the transfer of information from the reading devices, several implementation options were considered, both using mobile internet resources and setting up Wi-Fi zones. Given the specific nature of the enterprise, the option with mobile internet was chosen. In production areas where it’s not possible to connect to the mobile operator’s network, Wi-Fi zones have been established. This way, the client achieved full information transfer from the reading devices in real-time.