Loxam tags over 300,000 Rental Machines with NFC

Process Requirements

In the more than 750 branches, the equipment is located in warehouses and in extensive outdoor areas. All equipment must be quickly located at all times in order to prepare it, make a contract after a reservation or document the return.

The devices to be identified have a wide range of different sizes and shapes. The challenge of a uniform labeling lay especially in the selection of the most suitable medium, which is compatible with all device formats. The devices are exposed to harsh conditions on a daily basis: outdoor use, often on construction sites with subsequent high-pressure cleaning.

Objectives

Implementation of a labeling solution that:

• is compatible with all device formats.
• permanently withstands the harsh environmental conditions and outdoor use.
• has no performance losses due to interference with metallic environments.

Solution

NFC technology is used for the identification of all machinery objects to enable identification by smartphone. The RFID frequency of 13.56 MHz prevents the metal of the tagged machines from influencing the capture. The robustness of the selected transponders ensures identification over the complete lifecycle of each tagged machine.

The transponders are attached directly to the outer surface of the machines and tools with a special adhesive. The chips used have a freely usable memory space in which data on the tagged object can be written.

The simplified identification of each individual machine allows Loxam to optimize the management of the equipment pool by providing efficient access to customer reservations, preparation documentation and equipment photos.

At the same time, an RFID application was installed on Loxam's company-wide smartphones. Using this app and after the identification of the devices, employees can prepare the devices and rental contracts and document the return. Most of the machinery is already labeled, so that the rental process will be gradually optimized throughout Europe.

Advantages

• Fast and clear identification of construction machinery
• Robust tags survive the complete device lifecycle
• Machine data directly available at the object
• Acceleration of the rental process
• Digital documentation of the return process

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