Industrial PCs turn to RFID duties

Mobile asset management company Trenstar is using new Simatic Microbox PCs from Siemens to track kegs on behalf of some of the UK's leading brewers.

Incorporated into a radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking solution, mobile asset management company Trenstar is using new Simatic Microbox PCs from Siemens to track kegs on behalf of some of the UK's leading brewers, including Coors, Carlsberg and Scottish Courage.

The usage cycle of a keg is more complex than many people might think.

First, empties are filled at the brewery before they are stored in the warehouse to await despatch.

Once required, vehicles will collect the filled kegs and distribute them to various depots before retail vehicles subsequently transport them to retail outlets.

It is here where empties are collected and the keg begins its return journey.

It's little wonder that the brewing industry suffered horrendously from lost kegs prior to RFID.

The list of breweries that have outsourced asset management in recent years is growing steadily.

Trenstar now owns a population of around 1.2 million kegs.

With fill rates averaging 5.5 weeks per keg, it means over 10 million Trenstar kegs get filled every year.

Using Trenstar's expertise, breweries obtain two main benefits: access to RFID tracking technology that can pinpoint the location of any particular keg at any specific time, and the divestment of container maintenance responsibilities and costs.

According to Pip Walker, Technical Analyst at Trenstar, the solution involves the use of Simatic Microbox 420 PCs to interface between the RFID reader module as well as the remote database.

"At present it has been implemented at Coors and Carlsberg, and Scottish Courage will follow before the end of 2005", he says.

"Before we sourced the Microbox 420 we failed to find a PC that met our requirements and had a reputable name in terms of reliability".

"However, we have been running diagnostic tests on the equipment for the past six weeks without any problems".

"We are very happy with the Microbox PC".

PC-based solutions in the automation environment require small, reliable systems that fulfil demanding industry requirements.

For use at machine level, key hardware platform selection factors include optimum ruggedness with regard to electromagnetic compatibility, temperature, vibration and shock.

The new Simatic Microbox 420 PC expands Siemens' IPC-Box spectrum in the lower segment.

The application spectrum now extends from fully TIA-integrated automation processors with WinAC (for example), through to "stand alone" general IT applications.

Microbox 420 is a flexibly expandable, compact, robust and fanless top hat rail PC for machine-oriented installation.

As well as being an integral part of Siemens PC-based automation, it also serves as an ideal embedded PC platform for optimised solutions.

It is adept in industrial environments for: measuring, open loop and closed loop applications; operator/display applications; data acquisition and subsequent data processing; and communications gateway and web server applications.

Typical end applications include warehouse systems, printing machines, pick-and-place machines, brake test stands, colour mixing machines, wind power plants, injection moulding machines, building management, industrial washing machines and vending machines.

Measuring just 262 x 134 x 47mm, the Microbox 420 PC is crammed full of high industrial functionality including performance up to Pentium III 933MHz, CompactFlash, battery backed buffered SRAM for secure storage of process data (128Kbyte), graphics output VGA/DVI, and expansions with PC/104-Plus.

Users have the option of Profibus or CANbus fieldbus protocols.

The RFID solution at Coors for the tracking of kegs is totally integrated with ERP, SAP, warehousing and transportation.

Kegs are scanned at various points of their usage cycle, firstly as an empty returning to the brewery.

Here it can be identified as container not fit for purpose and sent for maintenance if required.

It is subsequently scanned again: when it has been filled; when it is stored in the brewery warehouse; when it is loaded on to a depot distribution truck; when it arrives at a depot; when it is collected by a retail vehicle; when it is delivered at a retail outlet; and then several times again on the reverse journey once the retail outlet has used its contents and it is collected as an empty once more.

The solution allows Coors to know the location of each keg within its network.

The brewery can also monitor how long it takes each container to cycle, which is critical information in calculating the optimum number of kegs it needs to service its business.

The next step in improving the efficiency of breweries further still is known as "industry pooling".

This entails a population of kegs in circulation that are available for use by several competing breweries.

Coors estimates that this will cut costs by a further 25%.

Trenstar, along with the Siemens Simatic Microbox 420 PC, is sure to be at the centre of helping the breweries achieve this goal.

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