RFID tool tracking Mechanism

[mark.duyvesteyn]

I work in a large factory, and we are continually have problems with missing tools. Screw drivers, spanners, crescents always goes missing. We probably spend 2-3K a year on tools.

My idea is this. Place RFID tags on each tool. These can be place under heat shrink for protection e.t.c. We have an almost unlimited supply of these tags as they come in with milk samples.

Behind the shadow board where the tools are kept would be the RFID reader. It would scan continually for all the tools on the board. The cooper coil would be enlarged to cover the whole area of the shadow board.

Each staff member would be issued with a RFID tag of there own. Only when one of these tags is present on the tool board could tools be removed without a annoying buzzer going off.

The information of when the tools are removed and who took it would be recorded to a SD card or USB stick, which can be plugged in to a computer to see when a tool was issued and to who.

Would a project like this be do able with a PICAXE??

What are your thoughts?

 

[slimplynth]

sounds good but how about an "inconspicous" geochron GPS to monitor where the tools are going hehe

I'd thought about a similar system for tracking parts in our factory, we pay 120K a year for 5 blokes who are supposed to know the where abouts of everything on the shop floor (factory is approximately 15,000 sq metres).

I wondered about RFID tags too, to have scanners at strategic positions to at least narrow it down to a single department. If only the resources to do it were at my disposal. Woe is the life of a lab monkey

 

[hippy]

Place RFID tags on each tool.

Each staff member would be issued with a RFID tag of there own. Only when one of these tags is present on the tool board could tools be removed without a annoying buzzer going off.

You can assume people aren't 'playing by the book' or you'd have no lost tools so you can bet they'll play this system as well. Unless you have some plan to thwart every trick there is ( for theft and just to be a nuisance ) it could well turn out to unworkable. And you really don't want to go round accusing people of theft on the basis of extremely dodgy evidence.

Before starting you'll need a very good operational specification which you will have tested on paper against every potential 'attack vector'. Start from the basis that there is such a system in place; how would you go about stealing a tool without getting blamed for that ?

A simpler solution is to put CCTV monitoring the tool board. It can be PIR activated so only records when someone is near the board.

 

[eclectic]

A “large factory” pays $3000 NZ for replacement tools.
Or c. £1100 per annum. £22 per week.
That's amazing. As in cheap!

Basic RFID readers ~ $30 + +
How many required / Increasing copper area = No idea.
Labour cost of fitting/wrapping tags = $ Lots.
Added. Or the Setup / Maintenance cost of other systems.

If I were Works Director, I'd buy a few “Stick-Magnets” .
Then ask everyone, nicely, to search under benches etc. for the missing tools.

Otherwise, I wouldn't Rock the Boat.

e.

 

[BCJKiwi]

There is also the issue of once someone has taken the tool out, what stops another person (re)moving it from the worksite?

 

[BrendanP]

"...A simpler solution is to put CCTV monitoring the tool board. It can be PIR activated so only records when someone is near the board...."

Just as an aside Hippy, Ive done quite few camera installation jobs. I use a card made by Geovision, plugs into a pc expansion slot, records only on movement in the cameras field of view, is sensitivity adjustable, records to hard drive Comes in a lot of variants. Number plate recognition etc.

I just did 11 cameras in a pub and more in the admin offices, I recommend these cards to any board members. Anyone into picaxe could do their own camera installation.

I don't work for them!, just like steering the guys here in the right direction because Ive had so much good advice here.