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Avonwood is
RoHS Compliant
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The solution
Avonwood provided a solution based on the hugely successful
Eureka 411 Active RFID Tag. Pre-scheduled Mini Yorks are automatically
identified at each entrance to a lift without manual intervention.
These Mini Yorks are then sent up to the relevant mail centre
for sorting.
The Royal Mail Mini York software database has effectively logged
which lift the Mini York has entered and at which mail centre,
thereby providing important data on the number of Mini Yorks
at any mail centre at any one time. This means that Mini Yorks
can be quickly located and routed back into the system.
In the past Mail Rail staff would be aware of a shortage of
Mini Yorks and would have to locate the required number of Mini
Yorks needed to meet demand. This process would usually take
several hours to complete and have a serious impact on cost
and performance of a mail centre.
With the new automatic identification system a Mini York is
pushed into a lift and the tag fixed to the underside is interrogated.
The information programmed into the tag is related to that particular
Mini York and is entered into the Royal Mail Mini York software
database which keeps a track of where each one is. At the same
time the system will hold a tally of numbers and their whereabouts,
so that the operational staff can ensure no shortages occur. |
System Installation
An Automatic Mini York Identification System using the Eureka
411 Tagging system has been installed at over thirty lift entrances
in four mail centre locations in London; Mount Pleasant, Paddington,
Rathbone Place and EDO (Eastern Office). 1,300 411 Tags were
fitted to Mini Yorks at several mail centres throughout London.
Whilst each 411 Tag can be read at high speeds, it is limited
by the fact that a person is pushing the Mini York into the
lift. |
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The 411 Tag used at the Royal Mail is of
the read/write type, this means that data can be received from
the tag as well as transmitted to the tag. The tag can contain
up to 115 alphanumeric characters of data at any one time. The
speed at which tags can be read is dependent on the amount of
data being transmitted. In tests the 411 Tag was able to transmit
26 characters at 110km/h with a 100% read rate.
The system operates at low frequency (132kHz/66kHz) to communicate
with the transponders. The frequency used can penetrate all
non-conducting materials, and will operate around metals. This
meant that for the Royal Mail, the 411 Tags would operate in
most environments and will not be affected by oil, dirt, water
and dust. |
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| The use of low frequencies allowed flexible antenna
design. The antennas are installed in the floor at the entrance
to each lift. Simple cuts are made in the floor to the required
size, in most cases 2m x 0.5m, and a small inspection chamber
is mounted on the wall adjacent to the lift and cabled back
to the controlling decoder installed alongside it. Choosing
this type of antenna ensures low maintenance. |
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