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福特卡車使用RFID跟蹤工具

文章出處：JADAK網(wǎng)責(zé)任編輯：作者：銓順宏人氣：-發(fā)表時間：2019-05-27 10:19:00【大中小】

機(jī)會

福特汽車(Ford Motor)是全球汽車行業(yè)的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者，總部位于密歇根州汽車橫跨六大洲。公司在全球擁有約21.3萬名員工和90家工廠公司的全資品牌包括福特、林肯、水星和沃爾沃。

2007年，福特對其卡車車主進(jìn)行了調(diào)查，詢問2009年的f系列卡車和e系列貨車可能會增加哪些有用的功能。一個常見的要求是幫助承包商找到并跟蹤他們的工具，以便在往返于工作地點時能得到最好的裝備并提高生產(chǎn)效率。福特聯(lián)系了總部位于馬里蘭州的工業(yè)電動工具領(lǐng)先制造商德沃特(DeWALT)，分享了承包商如何應(yīng)對維護(hù)工具庫存這一挑戰(zhàn)的見解。

福特開始評估技術(shù)，以解決其核心卡車客戶“未滿足”的需求。該公司研究了許多自動識別方法，包括條形碼系統(tǒng)。他們意識到，由于需要用戶手動掃描每個工具的條形碼，這些方法過于耗費人力。福特隨后將注意力轉(zhuǎn)向RFID，并發(fā)現(xiàn)被動EPC第2代UHF RFID標(biāo)簽具有吸引力，因為其易于使用和低成本。這使得福特公司成為領(lǐng)先的RFID技術(shù)開發(fā)商ThingMagic，包括提供高性能和標(biāo)簽讀取精度的嵌入式RFID閱讀器模塊。

福特,ThingMagic

解決方案

RFID是無線跟蹤工具的理想技術(shù)，施工人員帶著正確的工具和材料到達(dá)和離開。此外，RFID可以通過實時庫存更新來防止設(shè)備和用品的丟失。如果承包商去工地時忘記了一件重要的工具，就會浪費寶貴的時間和生產(chǎn)力。一旦卡車能夠幫助跟蹤自己的物品，丟失工具和其他物品就更難了。

福特、DeWALT和ThingMagic合作設(shè)計堅固可靠的RFID標(biāo)簽，使承包商能夠輕松地標(biāo)記和識別特定的、工具、設(shè)備和其他資產(chǎn)。隨后，兩家公司整合了DeWALT RFID標(biāo)簽、ThingMagic RFID閱讀器和天線，以及福特車載計算機(jī)系統(tǒng)上的工作解決方案和儀表板LCD顯示器，創(chuàng)建了工具鏈接RFID應(yīng)用程序。

然而，最初的原型遇到了障礙，因為金屬，比如卡車車身，往往會使超高頻信號發(fā)生偏移，使得被動超高頻RFID標(biāo)簽有時難以讀取。

利用其RFID技術(shù)，ThingMagic決定利用卡車的金屬車身來補充RFID天線。由于車架變成了一個金屬容器，信號在里面來回跳動，ThingMagic能夠讀取和解析信號，并提高了tis RFID天線和讀取器的能力，能夠準(zhǔn)確讀取卡車上的所有標(biāo)簽。

不同的氣候，包括雨、雪、酷暑和冬季的嚴(yán)寒，以及工作現(xiàn)場的情況，加上泥漿、建筑垃圾、松散的石頭和其他可能破壞解決方案的材料，構(gòu)成了額外的挑戰(zhàn)。通過加固RFID標(biāo)簽、讀取器和天線，該團(tuán)隊克服了氣候和環(huán)境障礙。通過設(shè)計，ThingMagic RFID閱讀器已經(jīng)支持-20°C到+60°C的工作溫度范圍，從而消除了極端溫度的障礙。

福特Dewalt工具鏈接

Thingmagic與福特汽車公司（Ford Motor Company）和DeWalt密切合作，開發(fā)了一種基于RFID的創(chuàng)新解決方案，用于跟蹤車輛上的工具。DeWalt™的Ford Work Solutions™tool link™使用超高頻RFID技術(shù)來識別卡車中的物品。

它是如何工作的?

ThingMagic在設(shè)計系統(tǒng)的主要挑戰(zhàn)是了解RFID標(biāo)簽的性能工具和開發(fā)創(chuàng)新的方法來提高閱讀率,創(chuàng)建一個自定義M6e-based模塊能夠由一個汽車電池,和加固的生存和執(zhí)行在日常環(huán)境中福特汽車服務(wù)他們的客戶。

只需將所包含的RFID標(biāo)簽附加到要跟蹤的任何工具或設(shè)備上。將工具放入卡車或貨車中，使用工具鏈接系統(tǒng)進(jìn)行掃描。系統(tǒng)標(biāo)識每個標(biāo)記，您可以輸入項目的名稱。一旦庫存完成，系統(tǒng)可以跟蹤標(biāo)記的物品，無論它們何時在卡車上，并提供一個警報，如果他們失蹤。只要在工具鏈接屏幕上輕輕一觸，你的卡車就會確保你在上班前有你需要的工具。

有什么好處？

在你去工作之前檢查工具鏈接，確保你有你需要的工具。在工作日結(jié)束時再檢查一次，以確認(rèn)工作場所使用的所有設(shè)備都已恢復(fù)正常。您可以將newitems添加到現(xiàn)有的目錄中，甚至可以創(chuàng)建特定于工作的目錄。下班后，使用工具鏈接跟蹤用于露營、狩獵或其他愛好的物品。無論是跟蹤壓縮機(jī)還是滑車箱，工具鏈都是一項有用的技術(shù)。

結(jié)論

購買帶有RFID功能的福特卡車和貨車的承包商將DeWALT RFID標(biāo)簽放置在他們的工具或工具箱上，然后將每個標(biāo)簽的簡短工具描述輸入福特工作解決方案in-dash計算機(jī)。由一個保護(hù)性的堅硬的塑料外殼制成，如果標(biāo)記一個特殊的工具外殼有問題，標(biāo)簽可以通過一個膠背或一個小孔和拉鏈連接。

當(dāng)車輛啟動或用戶啟動時，一對安裝在耐腐蝕和耐沖擊外殼中的神奇RFID天線會自動掃描帶有RFID標(biāo)簽的物品。標(biāo)簽數(shù)據(jù)通過RFID閱讀器傳輸，RFID閱讀器將每個標(biāo)簽上的唯一編號與所附的工具相關(guān)聯(lián)。這些信息會立即在觸摸屏儀表盤計算機(jī)上顯示和訪問，幫助用戶完成特定工作所需的工具的自動清單。工具鏈接還可以用來收集關(guān)于離開工作地點時卡車底座上有什么東西的信息，并將其與到達(dá)工作地點時車上有什么工具進(jìn)行比較，以確保沒有留下任何工具。此外，車主可以為特定的工作創(chuàng)建工具列表，詳細(xì)說明在前往特定的工作地點之前需要在卡車?yán)锓判┦裁础?/span>

解決方案組件包括:

ThingMagic M6e讀卡器模塊和車載外殼

安裝在耐腐蝕和抗沖擊外殼中的RFID天線

耐用的超高頻RFID DeWALT工具標(biāo)簽

福特工作解決方案™車載計算機(jī)系統(tǒng)和儀表板液晶顯示器

最終用戶的好處:

高價值的工具和材料管理

減少與設(shè)備丟失相關(guān)的成本

提高工人的生產(chǎn)力

提高工作效率和安全性

福特汽車公司工作解決方案產(chǎn)品和業(yè)務(wù)開發(fā)經(jīng)理Bill Frykman說:“建筑公司和專業(yè)人士向福特卡車尋求堅固、可靠和技術(shù)先進(jìn)的車輛。”“與嵌入式RFID技術(shù)行業(yè)專家ThingMagic和專業(yè)電動工具行業(yè)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)者DeWALT合作，我們開發(fā)了一套RFID系統(tǒng)，‘打造福特朗德’，提高了客戶的生產(chǎn)率，為他們節(jié)省了成本。

可信的RFID部件

許多供應(yīng)商可以提供各種各樣的RFID產(chǎn)品可供選擇,但與大多數(shù)數(shù)據(jù)收集制造商,JADAK擁有廣泛的RFID產(chǎn)品組合,由工程師的資源和專業(yè)技術(shù)支持,幫助客戶實現(xiàn)解決方案來滿足他們的特定的需要和需求。

關(guān)于JADAK:

JADAK是諾萬塔公司的一個業(yè)務(wù)部門，在機(jī)器視覺、RFID、條形碼、打印以及為原始設(shè)備制造商提供的色光測量產(chǎn)品和服務(wù)方面處于市場領(lǐng)先地位。該公司設(shè)計并制造嵌入式檢測和分析解決方案，幫助客戶解決獨特的檢測、跟蹤、掃描和記錄方面的挑戰(zhàn)。公司已通過iso9001和13485認(rèn)證。

諾萬塔是oem在醫(yī)療和先進(jìn)工業(yè)技術(shù)市場值得信賴的技術(shù)合作伙伴，在光電子、視覺和精密運動技術(shù)方面擁有深厚的專業(yè)知識。

ThingMagic是JADAK的RFID產(chǎn)品和服務(wù)系列。

FORD TRUCKS USE RFID TO TRACK TOOLS

THE OPPORTUNITY

Ford Motor, a global automotive industry leader based in Michigan, manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 213,000 employees and 90 plants worldwide, the company’s wholly owned brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo.

Canvassing its truck owners in 2007, Ford asked what useful features might be added to its 2009 F-Series trucks and E-Series vans. One common request was to help contractors find and keep track of their tools, in order to be best equipped and more productive when traveling to and from job sites. Ford contacted Maryland-based DeWALT, a leading manufacturer of industrial power tools, to share insights into how contractors address this challenge of maintaining their tool inventories.

Ford began assessing technology to resolve this "unmet" need of its core truck customers. The company researched a number of auto-ID methods, including barcode systems, which they realized were too labor intensive as they required users to manually scan each tool’s barcode. Ford then turned its attention to RFID and found passive EPC Generation 2 UHF RFID tags attractive due to their ease-of-use and low cost. This led Ford to ThingMagic, a leading developer of RFID technology, including embedded RFID reader modules that offered high performance and tag reading accuracy.

THE SOLUTION

RFID is the ideal technology for wirelessly tracking tools and construction crews arrive at and depart with the right tools and materials. Additionally, RFID can be used to prevent the loss of equipment and supplies through real-time inventory updates. If a contractor goes to a job site and forgets an important tool, valuable time and productivity is lost. It's harder to lose tools and other items once the trucks can help keep track of their own contents.

Ford, DeWALT and ThingMagic collaborated to design rugged and reliable RFID labels that would allow contractors to easily tag and identify specific, tools, equipment, and other assets. The companies then integrated the DeWALT RFID tags, ThingMagic RFID readers and antennas, and the Ford Work Solutions™ on board computer system and dashboard LCD display to create the Tool Link RFID application.

Initial prototypes hit a road block, however, because metals, like truck bodies, tend to deflect UHF signals, making passive UHF RFID tags sometimes difficult to read.

Capitalizing on its RFID expertise, ThingMagic determined it could exploit the trucks’ metal bodies to complement the RFID antennas. Since the vehicle frame becomes a metal container in which the signals bounce around, ThingMagic was able to read and parse the signals and increase the ability of tis RFID antennas and readers to accurately read all tags onboard the truck.

Varying climates, including rain, snow, heat and the cold of winter, and on job site conditions, with mud, construction debris, loose stones and other materials that could potentially damage the solution, posed additional challenges. The team overcame climate and environmental obstacles by ruggedizing the RFID tags, readers, and antennas. By design, the ThingMagic RFID readers already supported an operating temperature range of -20°C to +60°C, thus removing the obstacle of extreme temperatures.

FORD TOOL LINK BY DEWALT

ThingMagic worked closely with Ford Motor Company and DeWALT to develop an innovative RFID-based solution to track tools on vehicles. Ford Work Solutions™ Tool Link™ from DeWALT™ uses UHF RFID technology to identify what is in a truck.

How it works?

ThingMagic’s primary challenges in designing the system were to understand the performance of RFID tags on tools and develop innovative methods to increase read rates, creating a custom M6e-based module capable of being powered by a vehicle battery, and ruggedized to survive and perform in the everyday environments where Ford vehicles serve their customers.

Simply attach the included RFID tags to any tools or equipment you want to track. Place the tools in the truck or van and use the Tool Link system to scan them. The system identifies each tag, and you can type in the name of the item. Once the inventory is complete, the system can track the items tagged whenever they are in the truck, and provide an alert if they are missing. With a simple touch on the Tool Link screen, your truck will make sure you have the tools you need before you leave for the job.

What’s the benefit?

Check Tool Link before you leave for a job to make sure you have the tools you need. Check it again at the end of the workday to confirm that all the gear used at the job site is back on board. You can add newitems to an existing inventory and even create job-specific inventories. Off the job, use Tool Link to track items used for camping, hunting or other hobbies. Whether it's tracking a compressor or a tackle box, Tool Link is a useful piece of technology.

CONCLUSION

Contractors who purchase RFID-enabled Ford trucks and vans place the DeWALT RFID tags on their tools or tool cases, and then enter a brief tool description for each tag into the Ford Work Solutions in-dash computer. Made with a protective tough plastic housing, the tags are attached through an adhesive backing or through an eyelet and zip tied if tagging a particular tool casing is problematic.

When the vehicle is started or when the user initiates, a pair of ThingMagic RFID antennas, mounted in corrosion- and impact resistant housings, automatically scan for RFID-tagged items. Tag data is transmitted via the RFID readers which associate the unique number on each tag with the tool to which it is attached.This information is instantly displayed and accessible on the touch screen dashboard computer, helping users complete an automated inventory of tools needed for a specific job. Tool Link can also be used togather information about what is in the truck bed when leaving a job site, and compare that to what tools were on board when arriving at the site, making sure that no tools have been left behind. Furthermore, vehicle owners can create lists of tools for specific jobs, detailing what needs to be in the truck before heading to a particular job site.

The solution components included:

ThingMagic M6e reader module & in-vehicle housing

RFID antennas mounted in corrosion and impact resistant enclosures

Durable UHF RFID DeWALT tool tags

Ford Work Solutions ™ on-board computer system and dashboard LCD display

The End-User Benefits:

High value tool & material management

Reduced costs related to lost equipment

Improved worker productivity

Improved worksite efficiencies and safety

“Construction companies and professionals turn to Ford trucks for rugged, reliable and technicallyadvanced vehicles,” said Bill Frykman, Ford Work Solutions product and business development manager of Ford Motor Company. “Working with ThingMagic, the industry expert in embedded RFID technology, and DeWALT, the industry leader in professional power tools, we’ve developed an RFID system ‘Built Ford Tough’ that increases our customer’s productivity and saves them money.”

A TRUSTED RFID PARTNER

Many suppliers can offer a wide variety of RFID products to choose from but unlike most data collection manufacturers, JADAK has one of the broadest RFID product portfolios in the industry, backed by engineers with the resources and technical expertise to help customers implement solutions to meet their specific needs and requirements.

ABOUT JADAK:

JADAK, a business unit of Novanta, is a market leader in machine vision, RFID, barcode, printing, and color and light measurement products and services for original equipment manufacturers. The company designs and manufactures embedded detection and analysis solutions that help customers solve unique inspection, tracking, scanning and documenting challenges. The company is ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 registered.

Novanta is a trusted technology partner to OEMs in the medical and advanced industrial technology markets, with deep proprietary expertise in photonics, vision and precision motion technologies.

ThingMagic is JADAK’s RFID line of products and services.

ThingMagic與JADAK（杰達(dá)克）的 RFID技術(shù)結(jié)合，將產(chǎn)生更為強大助力，推動RFID行業(yè)的發(fā)展。

深圳市銓順宏科技有限公司作為美國JADAK旗下ThingMagic的中國區(qū)總代理商，為您提供ThingMagic的超高頻RFID模塊、超高頻RFID讀寫器以及超高頻 RFID天線和標(biāo)簽。ThingMagic作為全球領(lǐng)先的RFID設(shè)備制造商，可以在保證穩(wěn)定性和準(zhǔn)確性的前提下，其核心產(chǎn)品具備750張標(biāo)簽每秒的讀取速度，強大的多標(biāo)簽防碰撞算法，高速的信息讀取與處理能力。深圳銓順宏以專業(yè)的技術(shù)支持，用心服務(wù)于每位客戶和用戶，幫助客戶將ThingMagic產(chǎn)品廣泛應(yīng)用于RFID服裝零售智慧門店、RFID醫(yī)療智能化管理，RFID檔案票據(jù)管理、RFID公檢法物證管理，RFID銀行款箱及票據(jù)管理、RFID電力電網(wǎng)和巡檢管理、RFID航空行李管理、RFID物流自動化分揀，RFID精準(zhǔn)農(nóng)漁業(yè)智能化等多個領(lǐng)域。