As the laundry market worldwide becomes more competitive, operators must find ways to increase efficiency. The accurate identification of work combined with the ability to track and trace items throughout the production line and even on the customer’s site is one route to achieving this goal.
The introduction of radio frequency identification (RFID) solutions that can withstand the harsh laundry environment has done much to advance efficiency and productivity. Datamars, a specialist in laundry RFID products, points out that the technology is proving especially useful in garment collection and sorting areas where it allows large volumes of garments to be tracked and traced in just a few seconds. This not only speeds the whole process but also reduces manual labour and therefore costs.
In the past few years the technology has developed considerably and the applications in which RFID can be used have widened. The RFID system producers have developed smaller and smaller chips that allow the technology to be used not just in workwear, but also in flatwork. At this year’s Texcare exhibition, Datamars introduced the PersonalChip. It measures 11mm in diameter and just 2mm in thickness, with a reading distance up to 200mm. This allows nursing homes, hospitals and other institutions to introduce identification systems for patients’/residents’ personal garments as well those used for staff clothing and linen, says Datamars. Even smaller homes with OPLs will find it an advantage as the laundry has to deal with several types of clothing.
Using RFID for personal clothing could well become a trend as others are also developing tags for this type of application. Tagsys, another RFID specialist, has introduced a light coloured button-style tag that can be sewn onto garments, and measures 15.5 x 2.8mm.
Sokymat Automotive has a launched a miniature transponder, the S-Tag10 (10mm wide by 2mm), which is hermetically sealed and claimed to be highly resistant to aggressive chemicals including acid and to withstand mechanical and thermal stress.
Alongside development of the tags, the market has also seen advances in the readers and antennae. Multi-read – allowing items to be read in bulk – is now established, while antennae for reading bags of laundry on the move and linen on conveyors are available.
While RFID has strong links with automated processes, it can be brought into manual sorting and counting applications. The Datamars mid-range HF reader has been developed for such applications. It can be supplied in a package with table-top antenna and the PersonalChip, which would make it highly suitable for the nursing home market, says the company.
The ability to keep up to date with other IT technologies is also vital to the market. WiFi has been incorporated into the hand-held reader sector with the latest Tagsys reader, a lightweight tool with shoulder strap that can read multiple items and transfer data into the main system.
It is essential that companies producing ID systems keep up with developments in software, a point made by logistics company ABS. It explains that competition within the laundry markets is very strong, and those wanting to deliver ID solutions to the sector must not only provide the latest technology at the front-end user interface, but also support this with up-to-date logistics at the back-end. Technology is changing quickly here, says ABS.
As one of the leaders in the logistics market the company has invested in state-of-the-art software and is now offering its fifth generation systems. The company works with both large laundry groups and small single plant operations and says its customer base justifies on-going investment in developing its ABSSolute laundry management system. Its ASP concept allows the company to host applications for its laundry customers who can then use the internet to access their individual system from any location.
The ABSSolute system can handle information on a range of lines – linen, mats and workwear – in one database that allows the customer to invoice for different products simultaneously and supplies all the necessary management details.
The ABSSolute Dashboard brings all this together by combining management information from the ABSSolute system with data on time, attendance and productivity. This system provides standard key productivity indicators (KPIs) but can also allow the laundry customer to define its own KPIs and compare them with targets for different intervals.
While the logistics sector and the market for front-end ID solutions have their own separate providers,
co-operation between software and hardware suppliers can bring benefits to both companies and customer.
At Texcare this year, Datamars and ABS announced they had reached a non-exclusive partnership, which would allow them to work together to bring sophisticated solutions to small- and medium-sized laundry operations. The purpose of this partnership is to make RFID more accessible by offering turnkey solutions that meet individual needs and budgets. Such packages will provide a complete track and trace solution and the package can be scaled to suit the size of the business.
Datamars says that from its point of view, it will suggest a series of ABS software packages and integrate them into its existing product offering.
ABS says that the partnership makes sense. Both companies are leaders in their own fields. The concept will give access to ABSSolute software on the ABS ASP server via the net, and investment in hardware and maintenance to be minimised.
Solutions will be tailored, and each partner will decide the individual elements that it contributes to a specific application. Both companies will continue to serve customers outside this partnership.
The way in which the RFID concept has grown in the past four or five years is remarkable. From being a “new technology” it is gradually becoming an accepted solution and fresh applications are constantly being found as the providers’ portfolios grow.
Once seen mainly as a system for textile rental providers to use on their own site, it is now being used by them to read and identify garments at customers’ sites. Datamars can adapt the dimensions of its chute antenna so that it can be built into a clothes locker and check garments as they are deposited.
By collecting this data, arguments about missing garments or quantities collected can be avoided.
The whole field of identification hardware and logistics software is one that has changed rapidly. It will continue to do so as customers’ needs change, the technology is explored and further fresh applications emerge.
