Plant Services - July 2008 - (Page 19)

ASSET MANAGER Knowledge From a Distance Always on duty, RFID smart tags can minimize your data-entry drudgery type. A radio signal from a reader induces in the tag’s adio-frequency identification (RFID) technology antenna just enough power to awaken the tag’s chip to identifies the raw materials, spare parts and other transmit a weak response. Read-only passive tags are items entering your facility, the equipment that preprogrammed and the information stored in the chip processes them, the product leaving your plant, and even can be read, but can’t be changed. Other passive tags are the trucks and people that transport them. read-write, meaning their memory can be changed easWal-Mart encourages suppliers to identify their larger ily. Although they’re more expensive, they offer greater and more valuable products using RFID. So whether you flexibility. For example, they can be reprogrammed when think RFID chips away at our privacy or envision it entheir original asset is retired. abling higher levels of productivity, there’s no denying it’s An active tag can transmit a stronger sigsweeping the world. nal because it has its own power supply. It can RFID devices have been around since World identify equipment passing a checkpoint sevWar II, when they identified planes as friend RFID devices eral hundred yards away. These tags are larger or foe. RFID, along with bar codes and smart have been to accommodate the battery and last only as cards, fall under the automatic identification around since long as the battery functions, which can be as family of technology. Despite RFID’s history, long as 10 years. Active tags can be handy for it’s only recently that its cost has made it comat least storing and transmitting to your CMMS an mercially competitive. However, it’s unlikely World War II, asset’s condition-based data, such as temperayou’ll see tags on inexpensive objects. when they ture or vibration. When purchasing RFID The typical RFID system has three comidentified tags, consider these factors: ponents: the tag, the reader and supporting Working environment: If you’re working hardware/software. airplanes as in a harsh, hot or humid environment, select a friend or foe. tag that functions reliably. Tags are transponders Location: Another factor is the material in A tag has a tiny antenna and a chip to store inthe immediate vicinity of the tag. Many tags formation. Some tags can have a micro-battery. are weakened or rendered useless by simply wrapping them Like a bar code label, the RFID tag is affixed to an asset, but in aluminum foil. Location dictates what form the tag takes. the RFID tag is more versatile, albeit at a higher price. RFID For example, you’d use a different shape of tag for embedtags with a power supply can read information off of the tranding an RFID device on an employee badge than inside sponder with greater accuracy and from a greater distance. some production equipment. Another advantage over bar coding is that RFID uses raRange: The shorter the operating range, the less expensive dio waves, so you don’t need a direct line of sight with the the cost. Production equipment involves shorter distances reader. You can read multiple tags simultaneously; in harsh, because the readers and equipment are in fixed locations. wet and corrosive environments if necessary; and through Size: Long-range RFID tags are larger, especially if used materials if the tag is inside a vehicle or container. under unforgiving conditions. The flip side is that tags can be hidden for easy tracking. Frequency and regulatory compliance: Ensure that the This raises the ire of unions and groups that claim managefrequency ranges are acceptable for a given country or region ment could surreptitiously track maintenance technicians. so the tag is compatible with foreign interfacing devices. There are essentially two tag types: active and passive. They vary in terms of how signals are received and transmitted, although there are variations on these themes. Readers may write A passive tag can be read even though it has no interSome RFID readers, known as interrogators, are handheld nal power source. It’s the simplest and cheapest RFID devices for portability, such as for a technician conducting a July 2008 www.PLANTSERVICES.com 19 R http://www.PLANTSERVICES.com

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Plant Services - July 2008 Contents From the Editor Letters The PS Files Up and Running Crisis Corner Asset Manager Technology Toolbox Cover Story Compressors Power Transmission Flooring Web Hunter In the Trenches Product Picks Classifieds Energy Expert

Plant Services - July 2008

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