Business Case Rental Industry: Managing Returning Cables
The construction Rental and Event industries have one thing in common – cables. Cables are literally the lifeline to most installations and projects – supplying energy, sound and communication – their technical condition matters. A specific problem we have spotted many times in the rental and industrial sectors is the management of cables – in general neatly supplied, rolled, tested and calibrated.
However, they’re often returned as a ‘spaghetti’ tangle in a different crate to the one they were dispatched in! A time-consuming job for the staff to unwind the tangle, test, possibly repair and calibrate, before recording these back in stock and ready for re-rental.
One practical solution is innovated by our customer Sijperda Verhuur BV (Rental Hire) in The Netherlands. They designed a cable winding machine for this specific purpose. RFIDdirect were invited to add the RFID scanning and system software to the solution. Tagging electrical cables in this sector with passive RFID tags is a challenge that RFIDdirect has met by using a small mount-on-metal tag – fitted on the cable and protected with an additional shrink sleeve. Here, RFID automatic Asset ID has the added value of checking status/condition of the cables, facilitating maintenance to ensure safety and good working order.
The Challenge
Knowing which cable unit, returning from which customer order, is where in the return process the challenge arose. The company was using a manual recording system for all cables returned. The paper sheets were returned to the office and data processed into their database software and (third party) main Rental (InspHire) software system. The cable winding machine, a standalone mobile device, has a simple test facility; the operator can check if the cable is functional, requires calibration and then winds it to a neat roll – recording notes on paper.
The Solution
Fitting a bespoke RFID (UHF) tag to all the cables – independent of size and functionality – programmed with the existing product code enables them to be read electronically and automatic data capture possible. The back office database holds the unique ID of each cable, complete with calibration and test specifications.
An Impinj RFID scanner with a single antenna was fitted on the cable winder, the system completed with a tablet, both communicating via WLAN (WiFi) with the database in the background to keep the unit mobile.
The operator places the cable connector on the winder, the RFID scanner reads the tag and passes this information on to the database, including the winder-ID (Location), date and time. The system records the cable as returned from the rental operation. The tablet fitted on the machine shows the cable product code, the specifications as stored in the database as well as its calibration and repair history.
The operator conducts a small, simple test and records based on his/her observations on the status of the returned cable. A message (email) to the technical department for calibration and/or repair is created if needed, and the item is booked into stock, ready for the next renting cycle.
