Wattro GmbH, based in Heidelberg, Germany, is a leading provider of solutions for tool and equipment management.
The company focuses on industries including construction, contractors, and manufacturing. Its solutions have been shown to drastically reduce search times, address issues of lost assets, and improve overall operational efficiency.
Wattro was looking at ways to enhance and automate the tracking capabilities of its solutions, and together with Cisper, it selected Xerafy’s RFID tags.
Challenges
Wattro’s customers face significant challenges in managing large number of tools and equipment across various sites and teams:
- Time Wasted Searching for Tools and Equipment: Employees spend significant time locating tools, disrupting workflows and productivity.
- Tool Loss: The frequent misplacement or loss of tools leads to increased replacement costs.
- Difficulty Managing Maintenance Schedules: Ensuring regular maintenance of tools is challenging without a reliable tracking system.
- Inefficiency of Traditional Tracking Methods: Reliance on manual QR code scanning leads to low efficiency. Workers often overlook the barcode scanning process, focusing more on their primary tasks. This results in chaotic management systems, increased operational costs, and higher incidences of lost assets.
Solution
To address these challenges, Wattro offers an advanced RFID-based solution built around four key components:
- Automated Check-Out Station: Based on the TSL 3417 reader, the station automates the check-in and check-out process, significantly reducing manual labor.
- Cloud-Based Platform: Accessible via smartphones and desktop apps, the Wattro platform stores all tool-related information, ensuring transparency and control over inventory.
- RFID Tags: Wattro uses RFID tool tracking tags designed for both metal and non-metal items, ensuring comprehensive asset tracking.
- Enhanced Algorithm: A patented algorithm utilizing RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) and phase values from the TSL 3417 module provides unmatched accuracy in tool identification.
Tools come in a variety of sizes and materials. Cisper recommended Xerafy RFID tags to Wattro for their reliability and suitability for both metal and non-metal items, and tool tracking applications.
“The customer selected the Xerafy RFID tags due to their unparalleled reliability and adaptability across various types of tools, including both metal and non-metal items. With Xerafy’s Cargo OUTDOOR and Flex OUTDOOR tags strategically placed on each tool, Wattro’s RFID solution ensures comprehensive asset tracking, empowering businesses with complete transparency and control over their inventory.” Said Jay Smeets from Cisper.
The Xerafy Cargo Outdoor and Flex Outdoor tags are customized with additional encoded and printed identification, and strategically placed on each tool and equipment to ensure reliable detection.
Xerafy offered its Cargo OUTDOOR and Flex OUTDOOR, two durable on/off metal RFID tags from its OUTDOOR series of all-weather tagging solutions.
The Wattro check-out terminals are positioned at the toolroom exit, where they automatically identify RFID tags on tools and machinery, ensuring full control over all items entering or leaving the facility.
Benefits
Wattro’s customers report significant benefits of deploying the company’s RFID tool tracking solution:
- Down from 10 to 2min: The time spent searching for tools is drastically reduced from 5-10 minutes per worker per day to about two minutes, resulting in considerable cost savings.
- 80% less time spent on inventory checks: Freeing up valuable labor resources.
- 99% Inventory Accuracy: Up from 70% accuracy with barcodes only, ensuring reliable asset tracking.
- Addressed Tool Loss: The system effectively addresses the issue of losing tools and the associated costs, providing significant annual savings on unnecessary replacements.
- Error Reduction: Minimize human errors in asset tracking, improving overall accuracy.
- Operational Efficiency: Improves operational efficiency by streamlining asset management processes, demonstrating applicability across different sectors.
- Cost Savings: Achieved significant cost savings due to reduced labor and asset loss, enhancing the overall bottom line.
Xerafy is a pioneer in Industrial RFID, bringing to market several innovations that enable advanced industrial identification and automation capabilities.
In addition to a complete range of field-proven RFID tags available off-the-shelf, Xerafy offers Custom RFID Tags services, covering everything from a personalization service bureau to custom-design engineering capabilities.
