International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 33 Number 6- March 2016
#1
*2
#3
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Engineer
Technology Development Lab
BHEL Corporate R &D
Hyderabad 500093, INDIA
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Deputy General Manager
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General Manager
Technology Development Lab Technology Development Lab
BHEL Corporate R & D BHEL Corporate R & D
Hyderabad 500093, INDIA Hyderabad 500093, INDIA.
Abstract —RFID finds its applications many areas for tracking, locating and accounting of assets in closed stores, open yards and many other areas where accuracy on inventory management plays an important role. No attempts have been made till now to identify and track the metallic objects packed in wooden boxes which is essential for our requirements because many manufacturing units sends materials particularly small and machined components by packing them in wooden boxes. It has been the practice for the site people to open the box at the time of receiving, only to ensure the availability of the actual quantity of the material listed in the packing slip. This exercise can be eliminated if the items packed in the wooden boxes are assigned with RFID tags and the tags can be read by a stationary or a Hand-Held RFID reader to counter check the items packed in the boxes without even opening the boxes.
Keywords —RFID, Inventory Management, metallic environment, Asset Tracking, RFID for Boxed Items
I.
INTRODUCTION
RFID: Radio Frequency Identification or RFID is a non-contact, non-line-of-sight (LOS) type automatic identification & data capture (AIDC) technology, which uses radio frequency to establish communication & data transfer between a RFID transponder, a microchip fitted inside the RFID Tag
& RF antenna (Fig 1). A basic RFID system consists of three components:[1]
A reader (with decoder)
An Antenna
A transponder (RFID tag) electronically programmed with unique information
The antenna emits RF signals to activate the tag and read and write data into it.
Fig1 Working principle of RFID System
The RF antenna is connected to a RFID reader, which controls the communication & data transfer functions.
The transponder, generally called as a “Tag” is basically an integrated circuit with miniature RF antenna. The tag has its own memory and depending on its type, data can be written, re-written & read up to 100,000 times. RFID systems are distinguished mainly by their frequency ranges [2],[3] .
II.
CURRENT SCENARIO AND
PROBLEMS
Material packed in wooden boxes / crates are stacked in a closed store for dispatching them to various sites, based on the user’s requirement. There is a common opening/gate for the store for entry and exit of the materials through the same gate.
A. Type of box/Crate
The boxes are made up of dry/semi-dry wood
(thickness 20-25 mm) as shown in figures and filled with materials for shipment. The size of the box/Crates varies from 1 Meter cube to 3 meter cube
.(Fig 2)
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 33 Number 6- March 2016
Fig 2 different shape and sizes of Box
B. Type of material packed in the boxes
Materials are of different shapes and sizes packed in random order and they are made of steel, brass, copper, aluminum, ceramics, porcelain, alloys, subassemblies and sometimes galvanized components.
The components are for assembly of power plant equipment’s.
C. Handling of packed wooden boxes/Crates
The handling is done using small cranes / forklifts etc... based on their weight and size and shipment of these boxes shall be done through trucks / trailers etc..
III.
D. Weight of the packed boxes
The weight of the box including material varies from
1000 KG to a maximum of 2500 KG.
The box during dispatch from the manufacturing division has to be opened at the exit gate and all the items in the box have to be matched with the dispatch list. After reaching at the site the box has to be opened again at the entry gate of the site to re-check all the items just to ensure matching with the given list. This whole exercise is very much cumbersome and time consuming. With the use of RFID technology we can reduce the cycle time and human effort by 50%.
RFID SYSTEM SET-UP AND WORKING
The individual components / group of components shall be RFID tagged first. The box containing the items will also be RFID tagged and this RFID tag will store the packing list of the items packed inside it.All Components along with respective RFID tags shall be packed in wooden boxes for shipping to site.
An RFID portal containing 6 RFID fixed antennae
(the number of antennae depends on the exit gate size and read range of individual antenna) will be established at the exit gate of the manufacturing unit to read and capture the data from the RFID tags (Fig
3). A suitable wired/wireless communication system will established to transfer the data being read by the fixed RFID readers to a database system.
Fig 3: A typical RFID Portal with 4 Antennae.
At receiving station, similar physical arrangement of tag reading and database connectivity will be made to scan the box without opening it, with 100% accuracy of data.
At the manufacturing unit’s dispatch cell the tags will be assigned to material using a Hand Held Reader and a list of material with all the appropriate details. (say List1).
The tagged items will be packed in the wooden boxes and one RFID tag will be assigned to each individual box containing the whole list of material packed inside it.
These boxes will be dispatched to site.
The wooden box will again be scanned at the exit gate of the manufacturing unit. The Fixed Antenna/Reader setup will read the tags (assigned to the materials packed in wooden boxes and the box) when the containers/boxes are moving outside the exit gates of the factory. A complete list of tags being read by the fixed antenna/ reader setup will be generated and displayed on the screen of the desktop. (Say List 2).
The two lists (List1, List2) will be compared by the system and if any mismatch is found, the system will generate an alert message. Then the box will be scanned using the HH reader to find the missing/extra item. If still there is mismatch then the box will be opened and scanned using HH reader to find the mismatch and the items in the box will be adjusted according to the packing list1.
The dispatch information along with the dispatch list will automatically be sent to the respective receiving end through server/ mail. And the same list will also be stored in the tag assigned to the box.
At the site entry gate, the box will be identified with the tag assigned to it. Each and every box will be scanned using the fixed reader portal against its unique ID (box tag) and a list will be generated. This list will automatically be compared with the list uploaded in the server and the list stored in the tag assigned to it (At dispatch end).
If any mismatching is found, then the system will generate an error message. Then the HH reader will be used to scan the complete box to find out
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 33 Number 6- March 2016 mismatch. If still mismatch is there then open the box and scan using HH reader to find the exact problem.
Report the mismatching to the respective Mfg. division through the software. (Flow chart 1)
For this application two different type of tags passive tags to tag individual item and battery assisted passive tags for tagging the box will be used. These tags are having following specifications (Table 1,2), the radiation pattern of the tags in the metallic environment has been shown in fig 3,4.[4]
1. Tags to be put on different items :
Table 1 :Specs of the tags to be put on material
Property Specification
Protocol EPC
Frequency Range (MHz)
Class 1 Gen2
860–960 (global)
Read Range (Fixed reader) Up to 8.0 (global)
Read Range (Hand held reader) Up to 4.0 (global)
Material Compatibility
Memory
Optimized for metal
Operating Temperature:
EPC - 96bits User 512 bits
–40 to +65 °C
Size (mm) 110 x 25 x 12.85)
Weight (g) 26.0 (ABS)
Flow Chart1: Working of system
HARDWARE COMPONENTS USED IN THE IV.
SYSTEM DESIGN
A.
RFID Tag
RFID tags come in three general varieties: passive, active or semi-passive (also known as battery-assisted).
Passive tags require no internal power source (they are only active when a reader is nearby to power them), whereas semi-passive and active tags require a power source, usually a small battery.
Fig 3. Radiation Pattern of the tag
2 . Tags to be put on box:
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 33 Number 6- March 2016
Table 2: Specifications of boxed tags
Property
Protocol EPC
Frequency Range (MHz)
Read Range (Fixed reader)
Read Range (Hand held)
Material Compatibility
Memory
Operating Temperature:
IP Rating
Size (mm)
Weight (g)
Specification
Class 1 Gen2
860–960 (global)
Up to 15.0 (global)
Up to 7.5 (global)
Optimized for metal
EPC - 96bits User -
512bits
–40 to +65 °C
IP68
140 x 66 x 14.0
79.0 (ABS)
Fig 4: Radiation pattern of tag
B.
Fixed Antenna Setup.
RFID fixed reader can be mounted on a wall or pole.
One fixed reader can be connected to one or more fixed antennae. In the present case each reader will be connected to two readers. A portal of 6 antennae two on top and two on left and right side of the gate will be established. The specifications of fixed antenna and reader are as follows: (Table 3,4)
Table 3: Specifications of Fixed Antenna[5]
Property
Dimensions(mm)
Connectors
Connector Position
Mounting Bracket
Weight
Casing
Frequency Range
Gain
VSWR(ReturnLoss)
Front to Back Ratio
Polarization
3db Beam Width
Max Power
Axial Ratio
Operating Tamp.
Specification
(575.1 L x 259.1 W x 33.52 D)
2 x Type N female
Back
Integrated mounting holes
(1.9 kg )
UV Stable ASA
865-868 MHz
6 dB
<1.4 : 1
20 dB
1 x LHCP / 1 x RHCP
70° in both phases
10 W
1dB typical
-30°C to +70°C
DC Resistance
Environmental Sealing
DC Grounded
IP 67
Property
Dimensions
Weight
Housing Material
Visual Status
Indicators:
Sensitivity
Air Protocols
Specification
(27.3 cm x 18.4 cm x 5 cm )
(2.13 kg ± 0.05 kg)
Die-cast Aluminum
Multicolor LEDs: Power, Activity,
Status Max Receive
-84.5 dBm monostatic; -105 dBm bistatic
ISO 18000-6C (EPC Class 1 Gen 2)
ISO 18000-6B
(UHF Band) 865 Hz~868 MHz Frequency
Power Output
Communications
General Purpose I/O
Power Supply
+10dBm to +33dBm
Ethernet, USB, Serial
4 inputs, 4 outputs, optically isolated
+24Vdc
Antenna Ports
Operating Temp.
Memory Flash
Operating System
Firmware Upgrade
Network Services
4 monostatic or 2 bistatic ports
-4° to +131° F/-20° to +55° C
128 MB; DRAM 128 MB
Linux
Web-based and remote
DHCP, HTT PS, FTPS, SSH, HTTP,
FTP, Telnet.
IP addressing
API Support
Static and Dynamic
.NET and C
Table 4: Specifications of Fixed Reader [6]
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 33 Number 6- March 2016
C.
RFID Hand Held Reader:
An RFID reader is a device that is used to interrogate with an RFID Tag. The reader has an antenna that emits radio waves & the tag responds by sending back its data. Table 5[7]
Property Specification
Dimensions(cm):
Weight:
Keyboard:
Display:
Power:
CPU:
Operating System:
Memory (RAM/ROM):
Expansion:
Scan Engine Options:
WLAN:
Output Power:
Data Rate:
Antenna:
WLAN Freq. Range:
Bluetooth:
WLAN Security:
Standards supported:
27.3 L x 11.9 W x 19.5 H
.986 kg
43 key
3.7 in. VGA color
Removable, rechargeable 7.2 volt Lithium Ion 2200 mAh battery pack, 15.8WH
Marvell PXA320 processor at
806 MHz
Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5
256 MB/1 GB
Up to 32 GB SD/MMC card
SE960: 1D Laser, SE1524-ER:
1D Extended Range, SE4500:
2D Imager SE4500-HD: 1D/2D
DPM
802.11 a/b/g
100 mW U.S. and international
802.11g: up to 54 Mbps
Internal
802.11g – 2.4 GHz
Bluetooth Version 2.1
WPA2 Enterprise, IPv6
Nominal read range2:
Nominal write range2:
Field Antenna
Frequency Range:
Output Power:
Operating Temp.:
EPC Gen 2 DRM (DRM compliant up to 0.5w) up to 30 ft. /up to 9.14 m up to 4 ft./ up to 1.22 m
70-degree cone (approx.), linearly polarized
865-868MHz
2 Watt ERP
-4° F to 122° F/-20° C to 50° C
Environmental Sealing: IP64
Table 5 : Specifications of HH Reader [5]
V.
TESTS CONDUCTED AT BHEL R&D
AND THEIR RESULTS:
A series of tests were conducted at BHEL R&D premise using 4 antenna portal and 2 antenna portal to check the readability of the tags immersed in the metal inside a wooden box of size 1mX1mX1m.
Total 7 tags were used for the testing.
Antennae were mounted at a distance of a)
2.5m b)5 m.
The tests were conducted with open top and closed top.
The test results were found as:
Table 6:Test1
Scenario Conditions : 7 Tags in 1mx1mx1m wooden box, Open Top & Closed Top, Hand Held Reader
Result: 100% read of all tags
Reads in Feet No. of Tags Read
8
7
5
6
6,5,4,3,2,1 7
Table 7: Test2
Scenario Conditions : 7 Tags in 1mx1mx1m wooden box,
Closed top, Antennas mounted 2.5m apart, 4 Antennas
Result: 100% read of all tags on passing the gate
Scenario - I
Approach
Reads in Feet
11
No. of
Tags
Read
0
6
5
4
3
10
9
8
7
2
1
2
4
5
5
1
1
2
2
6
7
Scenario - II
Departure
5
6
7
8
9
Reads in
Feet
0
1
2
3
4
No. of Tags
Read
7
6
4
3
3
2
1
1
1
0
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 33 Number 6- March 2016
Table 8: Test3
Scenario Conditions : 7 Tags in 1mx1mx1m wooden box, Closed top, Antennas mounted 5m apart, 4
Antennas
Result: 100% read of all tags on passing the gate
Scenario - I
Approach
Reads in
Feet
No. of Tags
Read
13
12
11
10
0
1
1
1
Scenario - II
Departure
Reads in
Feet
0
1
2
3
No. of Tags
Read
All 7 Tags
Read
6
6
5
9
8
7
6
2
3
3
4
4
5
6
7
5
4
3
3
5
4,3,2
1
5
6
8
7
Table 9: Test4
0
Scenario Conditions : 7 Tags in 1mx1mx1m wooden box, Open top, Antennas mounted 2.5m apart, 4
Antennas.
Result: 100% read of all tags on passing the gate
Scenario - I Scenario - II
Approach
Reads in
Feet
15
14
13
12
11
No. of Tags
Read
0
1
1
1
1
Departure
Reads in
Feet
0
1
2
3
4
No. of Tags
Read
7
7
6
5
5
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3,2,1,0
6
6
7
2
4
4
4
5
10
11
5
6
7
8
9
0
5
4
3
2
1
Test 4:
Table 10: Test5
Scenario Conditions : 7 Tags in 1mx1mx1m wooden box, Closed top, Antennas mounted 2.5m apart, 2
Antennas Bottom
Result: 100% read of all tags on passing the gate
Scenario - I Scenario - II
Approach Departure
Reads in Feet
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
No. of
Tags
Read
0
1
1
1
4
4
5
5
Reads in Feet
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1 6
0 7
VI.
ADVANTAGES OF THE SYSTEM:
Using this method 50% of time can be saved which is being consumed in recording component details of materials manually while packing in to the boxes.
The system reduces the human effort by almost 50% by minimising errors.
Automatic matching of actual content of a packed box with the dispatch document, without actually opening the box, thus saving man hours spent in search & recordkeeping exercise.
Automatic generation of exception report, if any, for reconciliation or insurance claims as may be required
VII.
CONCLUSION:
No. of
Tags
Read
7
4
3
3
3
3
1
0
The above test results shows that to ensure 100% readability of all the tag a Fined Antennae portal of
4-6 antennae will be required.
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International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT) – Volume 33 Number 6- March 2016
From the above discussion it is evident that the RFID technology can be utilized to different kind of applications like automatic tracking, locating of material etc.
Since this system is yet to gain its popularity and user acceptance, pilot scale implementations will enhance our technical capacity and helps in improving our operational efficiency.
REFERENCES:
1.
Prothro, JOdel T.; Durgine Gregory D. & Griffin Joshua D
(2006). The effect of a metal ground plane on RFID tag antennas, Available from: http://www.propagation.gatech.edu/Archive/PG_CP_060710
_JTP/PG_CP_060710_JTP.pdf Accessed: 2006-06-09.
2.
Deepak Sachan , K. V. V. Raju, Subrata Biswas (2012)
Application Of RFID In Closed Stores To Avoid Physical
Theft And Locate Misplacement Of Materials http://www.ijird.com/index.php/ijird/article/view/35939/2912
1
3.
K. V. V. Raju, Deepak Sachan, Subrata Biswas (2012)
Application of RFID Based Inventory Management System in Power Project
Sites.http://www.ijird.com/index.php/ijird/article/view/35002
/28199
4.
www.omini-id.com
5.
http://www.motorolasolutions.com/IN-
EN/Business+Product+and+Services/RFID/RFID+Reader+A ntennas/AN440#specs_tab
6.
http://www.motorolasolutions.com/IN-
EN/Business+Product+and+Services/RFID/RFID+Readers/F
X9500#specs_tab
7.
http://www.motorolasolutions.com/IN-
EN/Business+Product+and+Services/RFID/RFID+Readers/
MC9190-Z+RFID#specs_tab
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