Hoist-Ring Manufacturer Using RFID to Carry Life-Cycle Data

Currently, Stapulionis says, each hoist ring has a laser-engraved serialized ID number. Its life-cycle data is recorded manually, requiring a distributor to take many hand-written notations that are highly prone to error.

Thus far, he says, Jergens' two largest distributors have been outfitted with the readers and Field ID software access they'll need to track the life-cycle data via RFID. However, the first RFID-enabled hoist rings won't be sold until early next year. "Some of the engineering is still ongoing," Stapulionis explains, in terms of finding a way to efficiently add the tags to the hoist rings.

Last year, Unirope, a Canadian distributor of chain and synthetic slings used for the industrial rigging of cargo onto crane hooks and other large machinery, also worked with N4 to develop an RFID system for cradle-to-grave life-cycle tracking (see Unirope RFID-Enables Inspections for Industrial Slings). Unirope, one of the two Jergens distributors already outfitted with RFID interrogators and the Field ID software, is ready to begin employing the system for life-cycle tracking of the hoist rings it distributes, as well as the synthetic slings it already tracks.

While deploying Unirope's sling-tracking system last year, N4 used low-frequency (LF) 134 kHz tags—at the time, N4 had not yet developed its metal-friendly HF tag. Unirope is now utilizing the same HF tags being used on the hoist rings to tag all new slings it distributes, explains Somen Mondal, president of N4, but the company is still in the process of switching out the LF tags on the Unirope slings with the HF tags.

Because of this, Unirope will initially deal with a mixed population of RFID tags—LF on some slings and HF on new slings and hoist rings. However, Mondal notes, Unirope will continue to use the Psion Teklogic Workabout Pro handheld devices it already employs to read the LF tags, since they can also support ISO 15693-compliant reader modules.