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IN DEGREE PROJECT MECHANICAL ENGINEERING,SECOND CYCLE, 30 CREDITS
, STOCKHOLM SWEDEN 2018
Successful Digital Product identification
JESPER SCHRÖDER
MIKAEL WARWAS
KTH ROYAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGYSCHOOL OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT
Successful Digital Product identification
Jesper Schröder Mikael Warwas
27 June 2018
MG212X Master Thesis in Production Engineering KTH Industriell teknik och management
Industriell produktion SE-100 44 STOCKHOLM
i
Abstract The purpose of this master thesis project is to explore the different possibilities available today for Epiroc Rock Drills Tools AB to digitally identify their products, with primary focus on Down-The-Hole drill bits for blast drilling. This report provides a thorough investigation on currently available technologies that could be applied for digital product identification, a benchmark study of the strategies applied by other companies and in other business areas with similar goals and relatable conditions. Also, a review and survey on key performance indicators which could be connected to the product identification process to join data information to increase the potential value for both the customers and the company. Moreover, this project explores the challenges with implementation of such procedures. Based on theoretical research, the benchmarking study, practical learnings from an experimental test
as well as practical understanding and expertise from colleagues and suppliers, the following four
approaches have been identified as having the best feasibility for actual implementation, presented
in priority order from highest to lowest implementation possibility considering all factors:
1) Inserted tags into drill bits
2) Re-attachable tags
3) Printed data matrix labels
4) Surface inscription
A survey was conducted towards business line managers to identify customers current situation and
future needs. The responses revealed interest and motivation for this project.
A field test revealed that Xerafy Dot-iN XS tags placed in a top position of the bits had the best
survivability and chance for further developments of inserted tags into drill bits.
For future work the goal should be to find which approach that can best be implemented to the
entire product range. The best option for one product type might not be applicable for other product
types, therefore a combination of the presented approaches might be considerable to fit all
products.
ii
Sammanfattning Syftet med detta masterprojekt är att utforska de olika möjligheter som finns tillgängliga för Epiroc
Rock Drills Tools AB för att digitalt identifiera sina produkter, med primärt fokus på borrkronor för
Down-The-Hole för spränghålsborrning. Denna rapport ger en grundlig utredning av nuvarande
tillgänglig teknik som kan användas för digital produktidentifiering, en jämförelsestudie av strategier
som tillämpas av andra företag inom andra affärsområden med liknande mål och relaterade
förhållanden. Även en granskning av nyckeltal som kan kopplas till produktidentifieringsprocessen för
att ansluta datainformation som ökar det potentiella värdet för både kunder och företaget.
Dessutom utforskar projektet utmaningarna med genomförandet av sådana tillvägagångssätt.
Baserat på teoretisk forskning har jämförelsestudien, praktiska lärdomar från ett försöksprov samt
praktisk förståelse och kompetens hos kollegor och leverantörer, har följande fyra tillvägagångssätt
identifierats att ha de bästa möjligheterna för faktisk implementation, presenterat i pri oritetsordning
från högsta till lägsta möjliga implementationsmöjligheter med tanke på alla faktorer:
1) Infogade taggar i borrkronor
2) Avtagbara taggar
3) Utskrivna data matris etiketter
4) Yt-inskription
En undersökning genomfördes med frågeformulär gentemot företagsledare för att identifiera
kundernas nuvarande situation och framtida behov. Svaren gav intresse och motivation för detta
projekt.
Ett fälttest avslöjade att Xerafy Dot-iN XS-taggar placerade i ett övre läge i produkterna hade den
bästa överlevnaden och chansen för vidareutveckling av insatta taggar i borrkronor.
För framtida arbete bör målet vara att hitta den metod som bäst kan genomföras för hela
sortimentet. Det bästa alternativet för en produkttyp kanske inte är tillämpligt för andra
produkttyper. Därför kan en kombination av de presenterade metoderna vara betydande för att
passa alla produkter.
iii
Acknowledgements This master thesis would not have been possible without the knowledge, support and data received
from the team at Epiroc. Our supervisor of the company Fredrik Gabrielsson has helped us
tremendously to increase our understanding about the mining and rock excavation business as well
as keeping us up to date regarding similar projects conducted at Epiroc. His efforts and dedication
has helped us pinpoint the problem and to get the most out of this thesis.
On the academical part our KTH supervisor Per Johansson has at the same time with his excellent
advising guided us in the right way to produce a high-quality report and thesis project.
Also, big thank you for the commitment and input we received throughout the way from the team at
Epiroc including Alexander Beronius, Anders Carlsson, Anders Hjulström, Göran Stenberg, Joakim
Bergstrand, Johan Wessberg, Johan Zander, Niklas Jakobsson, Richad Johansson, Thomas Greijer,
Victoria Posazhennikova, Örjan Säker and other personnel contacted within the company.
iv
Abbreviations 3G Third Generation Wireless Systems 5G Fi fth Generation Wireless Systems
AI Arti ficial Intelligence
AIDC Automatic Identification and Data Capture ANN Arti ficial Neural Network
API Appl ication Programming Interface
ATEX Atmosphères Explosibles
BLE Bluetooth Low Energy CEPT European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations
DTH Down-The-Hole
EASA European Aviation Safety Agency ECC Electronic Communications Committee
EIRP Effective Radiated Power E-ki t Economy-kit (Equipment surrounding the bits)
EPC Electronic Product Code
ERC European Radiocommunications Commitee ETSI European Telecommunications Standards Institute
GSM Global System for Mobile communications
GUI General User Interface HF High Frequency
ID Identification
IEC International Electrotechnical Commission
IOT Internet Of Things IP Ingress Protection rating
ISM Industrial, Scientific and Medical
ISO International Organization for Standardization KPI Key Performance Indicators
LF Low Frequency
mAh Mi l liampere-hours
MIL-STD-810 Mi l i tary Standard MMI Mobi le Machine Integration
MWD Measure While Drilling
NFC Near field communication OCR Optica l Character recognition
PED Portable Electronic Devices POC Proof Of Concept
QR-code Quick Response Code
R&D Research and Development RCS Rig Control System
RFID Radio Frequency Identification RGB Red, Green, Blue
RoHS Restriction of Hazardous Substances ROI Return On Investment ROT Rotary dri lling tools
RPM Revolutions Per Minute RPN Risk Priority Number
THE Tophammer drilling tools
UHF Ultra -High Frequency UPC Universal Product Code
UWB Ultra -wideband
VBA Visual Basic for Applications
Wi-Fi Wireless Fidelity
v
Contents 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background ......................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Problem description............................................................................................................. 2
1.3 Mission ............................................................................................................................... 2
1.4 Limitations and delimitations................................................................................................ 3
1.5 Method ............................................................................................................................... 3
2 Current frameworks ................................................................................................................... 5
3 Internet of Things ....................................................................................................................... 6
3.1 Industry 4.0 ......................................................................................................................... 6
3.2 Predicted IOT value for Epiroc .............................................................................................. 7
3.3 Regulations ......................................................................................................................... 8
4 Performance monitoring............................................................................................................10
4.1 Certiq .................................................................................................................................10
4.2 Advanced analytics .............................................................................................................11
4.3 Data classification & mining.................................................................................................11
5 Available technologies ...............................................................................................................13
5.1. RFID ..................................................................................................................................13
5.2 NFC ....................................................................................................................................15
5.3 Bluetooth and BLE ..............................................................................................................15
5.4 Matrix barcode ...................................................................................................................16
5.5 Optical character recognition ..............................................................................................18
5.6 Wi-Fi ..................................................................................................................................18
5.7 Ultra-wideband...................................................................................................................19
6 Standards..................................................................................................................................20
7 Benchmarking technologies .......................................................................................................22
7.1 RFID ...................................................................................................................................22
7.2 NFC ....................................................................................................................................23
7.3 Bluetooth ...........................................................................................................................23
7.4 QR .....................................................................................................................................24
7.5 UWB ..................................................................................................................................24
7.6 Wi-Fi ..................................................................................................................................24
8 Positioning ................................................................................................................................25
9 Available products .....................................................................................................................26
9.1 Tags ...................................................................................................................................26
9.2 Printers ..............................................................................................................................29
vi
9.3 Reading possibilities............................................................................................................30
9.4 Reading methods compared ................................................................................................32
10 Model structures for digital product identification.....................................................................33
10.1 Adhesive labels .................................................................................................................33
10.2 Re-attachable tags ............................................................................................................34
10.3 Inserted tags and surface inscription ..................................................................................36
10.4 Architecture for KPIs and APIs............................................................................................38
10.5 Data Collection model .......................................................................................................39
11. Design of Experiment ..............................................................................................................41
12 Survey outcomes .....................................................................................................................46
13 Flow and model assessment.....................................................................................................55
14. Discussion and conclusion .......................................................................................................58
14.1 Discussion ........................................................................................................................58
14.2 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................61
14.3 Future work ......................................................................................................................62
References...................................................................................................................................64
Appendix .....................................................................................................................................70
1 Tag comparison .....................................................................................................................70
2 Matrix barcode developed .....................................................................................................71
3 Survey...................................................................................................................................75
4. Specification of damping material..........................................................................................81
1
1 Introduction This chapter is an introduction of the master thesis which has been conducted. Furthermore, the
chapter includes a background, problem description, mission, limitations and method section of the
project.
1.1 Background As Internet of Things (IOT) is entering the industry, businesses compete to accomplish fully
connected product portfolios. The latest trend with increased focus on digitalization of industrial
processes has shown evident benefits to operation efficiency. As competition becomes global so
does the demands. Mining and rock excavation businesses compete and many advertise themselves
upon productivity deliverables.
Epiroc Drilling Tools AB, previously Atlas Copco Secoroc AB, is a company within the Epiroc group
that manufactures and distributes equipment for the mining and construction industry. (Epiroc
2018):
"Epiroc is a leading productivity partner for the mining, infrastructure and natural resources
industries. With cutting-edge technology, Epiroc develops and produces innovative drill rigs, rock
excavation and construction equipment, and provides world-class service and consumables. The
company was founded in Stockholm, Sweden, and has passionate people supporting and
collaborating with customers in more than 150 countries."
Much unlike other sectors, there are particular challenges in mining and rock excavation as the
extreme working environments are problematic for any electronic equipment as they are subjects to
intense vibrations, moist, corrosion, magnetic fields, friction and loss of connectivity to the outside
world. However, those who could successfully achieve smart and connected products would
experience significant advantages as customers can track and respond to real -time working
conditions and product characteristics. Moreover, suppliers would be able to map and predict usage
of their products, allowing precise forecasts for manufacturing and logistics as well as valuable
information for sales and product development. Mining equipment available today is capable of
collecting and providing information regarding drilling parameters such as hole depth, pressure and
time. Any knowledge regarding which tools have been used at what time, their individual
performance to the drilling processes as well as service intervals and other valuable information is
today merely documented with pen and paper which is a time-consuming approach and has a lot of
room for error. An improved method for this should be highly desirable.
The production units in many companies have nowadays a good knowledge and traceability of their
products when they are produced, due to the controlled environment and the closed system which
include few parties. However, when the products pass to the customers, they are more difficult to
trace and evaluate. If detailed monitoring of products throughout the whole life cycle would be
possible and made in an easy and reliable way, the information could be very significant for future
developments of the products, manufacturing, logistics and after-market.
Automatization has in the latest years changed the production industry although in order to help
development, further digitalization is a fundamental part. The combination of automatization and
digitalization is crucial in tomorrow's industry and it will be important for new developing
technologies and tools to be used throughout the whole lifespan of the products. Moreover,
automatic identification and data capture (AIDC) is a common term when designing new improved IT
structure where the purpose is to gather information which will drive further innovation for
2
companies (Smith & Offodile 2002). This can include everything from managing quality and inventory
levels to development of new improved products from the understanding of the current situation.
Therefore, this project will investigate how better understanding of product related data can be
achieved from the consumers side and how it can prove beneficial for all involved stakeholders.
1.2 Problem description Epiroc drilling tools AB is a leading developer and producer of mining equipment and services. A
recent desire has emerged within the company to digitalize the company's product range. This
master thesis aims to discover the different possibilities and challenges of digitalization and what
value can be created from it for both customers and company. Furthermore, to identify performance
indicators which could be connected to the product identification and develop a data collection
architecture. The product identification part includes some form of tagging of the products to
increase the traceability. The task is especially problematic since the broad product range has an
extensive amount of design variations and the products themselves are subjects to extreme
environments during usage. The utmost challenging obstacle is the immense shock force carried out
on the drill bits during operation, often reaching up to 2 MN as plotted in figure 1.
Figure 1. Forces developed at the front of the drill bit. Negative forces represent compression and
positive forces represent expansion.
1.3 Mission The mission of the project is to find out methods to identify data needed for Epiroc AB and to make
suggestions on how to retrieve it. Moreover, approaches in other areas and of other companies are
explored to provide a view on how identification of products can be performed, what data is
collected and how this data can be beneficial. The project can be determined by five phases listed
below.
1. Investigate the procedures of other companies with similar goals.
2. Propose a method for tool identification.
3. Identify project value for stakeholders.
4. Identify required data to understand product performance.
5. Propose an application for data presentation and interpretation.
3
To improve the user experience, it is important to adapt the product data to different stakeholders.
In this project the stakeholders are divided into four different categories due to the variety of
information they require. These groups of stakeholders are:
• Clients (high resolution of critical consumer data)
• Marketing and Sales (low resolution of overall data)
• R&D (high resolution of overall performance data)
• Logistics division (high resolution of product transparency data)
The resulting suggested method need a high acceptance level by operators to ensure correct usage.
Since the operator and the customer may not have the same objective, the method should be
designed for minimum amount of extra manual work for operators, and preferably value adding for
the operator as well.
1.4 Limitations and delimitations
The project aims to find a method and develop a fully working model of digitally identifying products
from the time when the products have been produced throughout their whole lifetime. The focus of
the project is primarily aimed towards drill bits for blast hole drilling in order to find a viable solution
for the most challenging and valuable scenarios. Therefore, the project limits to investigate the
possibility of automatic identification of down-the-hole (DTH) drilling bits. Since this may be the
hardest product line to find a feasible solution for, the chosen method should be feasible for the
major part of the product range.
The most suitable method should be selected based on the following criterions:
1. It must have a reasonable ROI and not be too expensive to implement in initial investments.
2. It must not be too expensive in terms of purchasing, manufacturing or operational costs.
3. It must withstand the extreme environments that the products are likely to suffer
throughout their lifecycles. These include: extreme vibrations, water, dust, heat, cold,
corrosion, scratches, magnetism, radioactivity and blasting.
4. It should ideally be applicable to as many of the products offered in the product range as
possible.
5. It must not be complicated or excessively time consuming for operators to use at site.
1.5 Method In order to investigate the different possibilities of successful digital product identification, the initial
focus was on understanding different ways of identifying products in different applications and
different industries and how these create value there.
A literature study was conducted to investigate different approaches and technologies which have
been used by other companies for digital identification. This market study serves as basis for
choosing a feasible identification solution. For those methods requiring acquisition of additional
parts, suppliers were contacted and their products were compared in order to ensure that the best
equipment would be provided for the project.
Expectations on the benefits from digitally identifying drill bits were explored. A survey was
constructed to acquire information and to explore the potential benefits further. The survey was first
sent to a smaller test group to ensure good quality in questions and answers before sending the
survey to the business line managers. Currently measured parameters were mapped and provided in
the same survey to review how today's measurements are managed.
4
Different approaches to implement the chosen model were considered. Since data frequency, data
flow and physical fitting were important aspects to accomplish, a proof of concept was made outside
Fagersta with real rig testing on one of chosen models and thereafter evaluated.
The general method of the project, which describes how the three different problem areas are
connected are explained in figure 2. The three circles, automatic identification, data capture and key
performance indicators are three independent sub-methods which are based on each other and
processed throughout the project. The project was initiated and progressed in two areas
simultaneously as indicated by figure 2.
Figure 2. The method of the project.
The first steps, marked in figure 2 with number 1, were to explore available technologies, methods
and to identify stakeholders which could be affected and benefited from any changes. Stakeholders
and key performance indicators are quite similar between different technologies. However,
differences occur in the amount of data possible to gather and the data frequency depending on the
level of automation in the technology.
After different identification technologies were investigated, evaluated and suggested, methods for
data capturing were explored to understand the approaches on a higher level. Thereafter, model and
connectivity could be decided for a final flow assessment. The flow assessment was based on all
building blocks in the figure 2 and analyzes the final concept before implementation. Thereafter,
model and connectivity could be decided in order to do the finally flow test.
This flow assessment is mostly theoretical and/or based on the field test so that the suggested model
structure could be assessed before building a system to reveal its positive and negative
consequences.
Due to this general method several types of models are introduced and suggested in this thesis to
fulfil implementation possibilities for the different needs of different products. Furthermore, if one
model will be dismissed because cost, manufacturing possibilities or other restrictions, the other
models still have chance to be applicable.
5
2 Current frameworks Products that are manufactured in the Epiroc plant in Fagersta are today attached with a barcode
sticker and in some cases with a punched serial code. These labels are utilized for supply chain
reasons to keep track of inventory and shipments and are discarded or ignored when the products
reach their final customers. Many customers are then using their own drilling data templates to
record drilling information manually, often with pen and paper at site before importing the
information from the sheets to a database later on.
A previous project developed together with ABB called Mobile Machine Integration (MMI) has
brought a system to monitor production and maintenance data. As machines operate they now have
the ability to collect and transmit data over Wi-Fi access points or pick-up points to a server that
analyses and provides relevant information to control room centers. For optimal utilization MMI
should be used on machines equipped with Rig Control System (RCS). The information collected by
the RCS rigs today includes for instance percussion pressures, feed pressures, penetration rates,
temperatures, drilling time, number of holes, total depth and the amount of time spent on different
drilling phases amongst other measurements (Atlas Copco 2014).
The intention is that customers will be able to access this information on a global level by simply
logging onto a web application. A number of services are available for customers to globally monitor
site operations and quickly receive detailed information regarding all drilling parameters. Surface
Manager, Rock Manager, Exploration Manager, Certiq and advanced analytics have been developed
to not only show the raw data, but also to compute the data to be presented and visualized in an
intuitive and practical form. By monitoring real-time information about the location of the machines
and each drilling process, operators, supervisors and managers can take direct actions to ensure the
highest efficiency of a mining operation.
A recently identified desire has been to receive more information to enable monitoring of
parameters related to the drill bits and other consumables. The current framework for monitoring of
drill bits and other consumables involves manual recording by typing or no recording at all.
In a previous project called MR Consumable Management 1 a pre-study was conducted to investigate
the current patent landscape in order to avoid any possible intrusions. Many patent claims regarding
oil field equipment were in risk to be infringed however according to the U.S attorney it was not a
problem if some of the parameters were changed. This project was given freedom to operate on that
basis.
An experiment was conducted in Consumable Management 1 with 3 robust RFID tags of the type
Xerafy Explorer which were placed into a drill bit, to test survivability during operations. According to
the results the first tag broke after 8 minutes of testing, the second tag was lost and the third tag was
still operational after 80 minutes of percussion drilling. A similar project called SmartBit was also
conducted and showed negative results.
Another project initiated at Epiroc is SMART Consignment which involves RFID tagging of the product
segment. Tagging of drill bits are desired as well although excluded from SMART Consignment due to
the challenges to tag drill bits.
6
3 Internet of Things As technology has advanced, means of communication has gradually moved from person-to-person
communication, to person-to-machine communication and now the latest direction of market
entering machine-to-machine communication, in other words, communication between things
(Measuring the Information Society Report 2005).
The international telecommunication union has provided the following explanation of Internet of
Things (IOT): "A global infrastructure for the information society, enabling advanced services by
interconnecting (physical and virtual) things based on existing and evolving interoperable information
and communication technologies."(International Telecommunication Union 2012).
This implies that our previously static objects progressively become connected to each other. Smart
homes and smart factories have successfully been transformed in the last decades which has made
our environment safer and more user friendly. For the industry this means great new opportunities
and further possibilities to introduce Industry 4.0. However, in the big picture, there are some
important steps to develop considering the varying stages in the products lifecycle. Many things can
be considerably difficult to connect because of product dimensions, properties and working
environment.
The values underlined in chapter 3.2 Predicted IOT value for Epiroc are assessments of possible
benefits for different parties achieved from digitally connecting drilling equipment.
3.1 Industry 4.0 In today's industrial appliances it is common to use digital representation of components, equipment
and systems. As computers however become more capable of storing and handling large amounts of
data and manufacturing systems evolve ability to communicate directly with each other, production
systems will in the future have real-time cyber-physical representations.
Industry 4.0 involves the introduction of a decentralized manufacturing process where products
communicate with the rest of the factory. Fully linked data and computers with decision-making
capabilities at every step in the production system could coordinate processes and provide quick
adjustments in order to operate at optimal efficiency (MacDougall 2013).
Since Artificial Intelligence (AI) will without doubt play a major role in Industry 4.0 it will probably not
only optimize production in terms of reliability and lean manufacturing but it is also likely to
unexpectedly discover new techniques (Deloitte 2015). Similarly, the same will likely occur in other
areas. A drill rig might be comparable with a factory since many systems work together. AI and the
repercussions of Industry 4.0 will undoubtedly provide helpful support and instant decision -making
functions to enhance productivity and product development.
7
3.2 Predicted IOT value for Epiroc Before a thorough investigation is conducted, the below statements were speculated as potential
benefits that could be earned from this project. These statements would then be brought up to
stimulate discussions with collogues and to serve as a basis for the survey.
Epiroc's customers should likely benefit from digitally connected products in the following ways.
♦ Traceability – Knowing what part has been used by which machine and in what operation.
♦ Hole diameter – The diameter of drilled holes depends on the outer diameter of used drill
bits to that specific hole.
♦ Rig adjustments – By automatically knowing the mounted drill bit, the rig can adjust its
drilling parameters accordingly for optimal usage.
♦ Upcoming service – Time for upcoming service occasion of a specific drill bit can be
approximated and optimized based on penetration speed, force, pressure and rock type.
♦ Service interval – Knowing service interval of drill bits is a productivity indicator. If the drill bit
is serviced much too often the customer might be using it wrong.
♦ Receive better feedback on product usage – Instructions for suggested drill bit usage could
easily be obtained from scanning the drill bit.
♦ Inventory management – Quick and easy identification of products on site will be a helpful
tool when managing inventory.
♦ Tool selecting assistance – If the team on site is uncertain of which drill bit to use in what
material, a built-in application can help select the correct bit. For instance, a warning
message can popup informing that the drill bit installed is not intended to be used for the
next rock type.
R&D should likely benefit from digitally connected products in the following ways.
♦ Customer usage information - Productivity at different sites/rock types/temperatures could
be useful for future optimization in equipment selection and product development.
Marketing and Sales should likely benefit from digitally connected products in the following ways.
♦ Sales forecasts – Knowing what tools are being used by what customer, when and where.
This would give valuable information for sales forecasts.
♦ Customer productivity – If one customer discards alarmingly many parts they might be using
the equipment inaccurately. Corrective assistance is probably a good selling point.
♦ Traceability – Parts from the same batch can be traced to investigate and prevent
malfunctions. Received feedback on failing batches can trace errors.
♦ Easier logistics – Customer and delivery information can be connected with product.
8
3.3 Regulations Regulations regarding Radio frequency identification (RFID) frequencies are mainly applied to
readers, UHF RFID active tags and in some specific cases passive tags if used in for example
hazardous environments. As seen in figure 3, the allowed frequencies vary significantly depending on
specific country regulations (Smiley 2014).
Moreover, other regulations can occur regarding specifically UHF RFID readers. For example, in the
European Union the maximum period of continuous transmission is 4 seconds and the transmission
power is limited to 2 watts. This is however an issue that will be dealt by the local operations since
they manage ordering of their own equipment (RFID4U 2018).
Figure 3. Map over UHF RFID regulation (RFID4U 2018).
As regulations are very country specific, this project focuses on Epiroc's four largest market which are
South Africa, Canada, Europe and Australia. The only concern then is the regional acceptance of 866
MHz-868 MHz (South Africa, Europe) and 902 MHz-928 MHz (South Africa, Canada, Australia).
However, passive tags are not the issue here since the regulations only target the readers.
Industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) equipment which transmit energy are by international
standard permitted to operate at the defined frequencies shown in table 1.
Frequency ranges
Regulation Application
125 kHz ISO/IEC 18000-2:2009 , 2006/771/EG 2013/752/EU LF, medical and inductive equipment 13,55 – 13,56 MHz ISM, ISO/IEC 18000-3:2010, 2006/771/EG 2013/752/EU HF NFC, inductive devices
866 – 868 MHz ISM, ISO/IEC 18000-6:2013, regional acceptance,
2006/771/EG 2013/752/EU
UHF RFID
902 – 928 MHz ISM, ISO/IEC 18000-6:2013, regional acceptance, UHF RFID 2,4 – 2,5 GHz ISM, 2006/771/EG 2013/752/EU Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 3,1 – 4,8 GHz ECC Rec 70-03/ ECC Decision 06(04) ETSI EN 302065 UWB
5,725 – 5,875 GHz ISM, 2006/771/EG 2013/752/EU Wi-Fi 6,0 – 8,5 GHz ETSI EN 302065, 2006/771/EG 2013/752/EU UWB 8,5 – 10,6 GHz ETSI EN 302065, 2006/771/EG 2013/752/EU UWB
*With special authorization.
Table 1. (European Commission 2013; European Radiocommunications Committee (ERC) & European
Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) 2000; Morrison 2011) .
9
When it comes to regulations of UWB, most countries allow transmission the ranges 3,1-4,8GHz,
6GHz-8,5GHz and 8,5GHz-9GHz except for a few countries (Decawave Ltd. 2015; Madjar 2014; Marc
2007).
For passenger carried portable electronic devices, (PED), on commercial airlines, it is up to each
airline to determine their rules. Since 2014, EASA has decided that all PEDs are allowed on aircrafts
regardless if they are transmitting or not. Each airline has therefore responsibil ity themselves to
verify that none of their components may be disrupted from PEDs and set their own rules accordingly
(Easa Europa 2018).
No specific regulations have been found on PEDs in non-passenger cargo transfer, although based on
the above, it can be presumed that the same rules apply to shipping firms.
According to ETSI EN 302 065-5 V1.1.1 (2017-09), UWB is limited to maximum EIRP spectral density,
where the density depends on the altitude 'x' of the aircraft as table 2 shows.
Table 2. Limitations to UWB EIRP in aircrafts (ETSI 2017). [ETSI EN 302 065-5 V1.1.1 (2017-09)]
10
4 Performance monitoring To increase the efficiency of mining operations, a solid understanding of the equipment is essential.
In this chapter the currently monitored key performance indicators (KPI) are identified for different
types of drilling methods. Furthermore, there is a fine line between those parameters which are
monitored today, those parameters which the system can report but does not and those parameters
which are desired but not yet available. The thoughts and expectations of KPIs depends on the role of
whoever handles the data. Therefore, stakeholders where categorized into different groups which
received variations of a survey so that relevant information would be discussed.
The survey distributed can be viewed in appendix 3.
The focus, which is also stated in the limitation, is on the DTH drill bits, although in order to consider
any differences and data model complexity between the divisions, this chapter also identifies the
required parameters for THE (Tophammer drilling tools) and ROT (Rotary drilling tools) drilling.
4.1 Certiq Table 3 shows the currently logged KPIs extracted from the Certiq interface. Certiq is a telematic
solution made to increase the connectivity with the machines.
Site Average tonnes per box
Type Utilization %
Machine model Utilization hours
Machines Engine hours per day
Date Accumulated engine hours
Drill meters Pump hours per day Accumulated drill meters Compressor hours per day
Drill hours per engine hours Drill hours per day
Drill speed Accumulated drill hours
Drill meters per engine hour Transmission hours
Drilled holes Accumulated transmission hours
Total tonnes Fuel consumption
Accumulated total tonnes Accumulated fuel consumption
Loaded travel distance Fuel consumption per hour
Average tonnes per engine hour CO2 emissions
Average tonnes km per engine hour Accumulated CO2 emissions
Number of buckets Fuel consumption per drilled meter
Accumulated number of buckets Fuel consumption per tonnes
Average buckets per engine hour Pre-maintenance warning for engine
Average tonnes per bucket Pre-maintenance warning for impact unit Number of boxes Acknowledged services
Accumulated number of boxes Number of alarms
Average boxes per engine hour Alarm type trending
Table 3. Currently logged site parameters transferred to Certiq.
11
4.2 Advanced analytics Table 4 shown below presents the currently logged KPIs extracted from a measuring while drilling
(MWD) advanced analytics interface. The advanced analytics project is however only a
demonstration of how data could be classified and presented in the future and is not used today.
Hole # Depth
Rod # Time
Penetration rate Percussion pressure
Feed pressure Feed force
Flush air pressure
Flush air flow Rotation pressure
Rotation speed Rotation torque
Dampening pressure
Table 4. Currently logged site parameters in drill rigs equipped with RCS. This MWD data is then used
by the advanced analytics tool.
4.3 Data classification & mining The data received from performance monitoring could in different ways be classified to find patterns
to describe more of the current situation in the mining procedure. One part of the advanced
analytics is engineered to understand the different stages that the drilling rig might encounter. This is
found by the help of tools such as ANN, fuzzy logic or random forest machine learning as a mapping
method. The results can be divided in the stages collaring, drilling, rod change, air fill -up and delay as
seen in the example figure 4 below. Figure 4 shows how the stages can be interpreted from variables
like depth, penetration rate, feed pressure and percussion pressure.
Figure 4. Currently logged site parameters.
Random forest machine learning uses several decision trees which will result in different
classification of the data. The majority of the chosen decisions from the decision trees is chosen to be
Co
lla
rin
g
Dri
llin
g
Ro
d c
ha
nge
Air
fil
lup
Dri
llin
g
Dri
llin
g
Depth
Penetration rate
Feed pressure
Percussion pressure
De
lay
Air
fil
lup
Duration
Ho
le d
ep
th
12
the final decision. For example, if there are four decision trees and one decision tree classify the
stage of being drilling, another being delay and the last two of being rod change, the result of the
algorithmic pattern will then predict that the actual stage is rod change. This method is highly
dependable of training data (Hastie et al. 2009).
The method described above could in theory also be used to investigate the optimal time to service a
drill bit depending on different usage situations. The factors which then could be of interest are for
example flush pressure and penetration rate. If the rig could do a real -time prediction of remaining
time to service, the operators could predict how many bits they need to use for one day of
operation. This could serve as a helpful tool to increase productivity.
13
5 Available technologies For finding the best method of digital product identification, characteristics of different technologies
and methods that can be suitable for identification were investigated.
5.1. RFID Radio frequency identification is a technology that is today widely used in for example keycards,
congestion charge transponders, commodity labeling and much more with further potential in the
future as the technology and the materials behind the technology are becoming cheaper (Sempler
2005).
RFID tags can be divided into passive or active RFID based on how the operating mechanism
performs. Active RFID requires a connected power source in order to transmit information to a
reader device while passive RFID does not require any directly connected power source, instead the
passive RFID tags are powered by a nearby reading device through either electromagnetism or
induction, further dividing passive RFID into near-field or far-field units. The components which make
up a passive RFID tag consists of an antenna, a semiconductor chip and casing. Since the passive RFID
does not require an attached battery it does not need maintenance or battery change, thereby
prolonging its operational lifespan significantly while an active RFID is limited to the status of its
battery. The elimination of batteries in passive RFID tags also makes them much cheaper and
consequently more common than active RFID tags (Asif & Mandviwalla 2005).
Faradays law of electromagnetic induction states that a coil can receive a time-varying electric
current from the time-varying electric field produced by another nearby coil without physical
connection between the two coils (Johansson 2013). Near-field RFID devices work by utilizing this law
by having the reader and the tag act as two coils in order to power the tag chip, making it able to
transmit a signal back to the reader coil with load modulation as the reader coil records changes in
the magnetic field, seen in figure 5. In short, a near field RFID creates disturbances in the magnetic
field of the reader, which the reader records and decodes (Want 2006).
The main drawback of near-field RFID is however, as its description gives away, the physical range of
its communication capabilities since magnetic fields decrease over the distance r at a rate of 1/r^3.
Additionally, the strength of magnetic fields decreases as frequency increases. This makes the near-
field RFID limited to the scanning distance and the power capacity of the reading device as well as
the sensitivity of the reading device (Want 2006).
Figure 5. Near field HF RFID with load modulation mechanism.
In contrast to the near-field RFID, far-field RFID uses back scattering instead of load modulation
which allows the RFID tag to be read at a further distance from the reader. A reading device is in this
14
case attached with an antenna that variates its dipoles charges at both ends. The RFID tag is attached
with a smaller antenna which absorbs these variations and uses the differences in polarity to charge
a capacitor with power. The small antenna reflects some of the electromagnetic field as impedance
which the reading device can register. Adjustments can be made to the RFID tag to change the
frequency of the impedance reflected back which the reader can upon registration interpret
numerically into the programmed information (Want 2006). An illustration of this mechanism is
shown in figure 6.
Figure 6. Far field UHF RFID with backscattering mechanism.
RFID tags can handle information as read-only or read-write modules. The code format most
commonly used today is 96-bit EPC code where 8 bits are allocated to the electronic product code
(EPC) version, 28 bits to manufacturer identification, 24 bits to product identification and 36 b its to
item number. This gives tag ability to be identifiable for 16 million unique products and 68 billion
unique parts (Asif & Mandviwalla 2005).
RFID transmitters in presence of metals and liquids will suffer in performance as these interfere with
radio waves. High-frequency radio waves are more interfered by metals and liquids than low-
frequency radio waves, making low-frequency RFID tags more effective in proximity of metals and
liquids than high-frequency RFID tags (Asif & Mandviwalla 2005). However, by strategically placing
the tag between a reader and a metal source, the metal can act as a mirror to reflect some of the
radio waves, and thus enhancing the tag performance (Mitchell 2013).
RFID tags come in three different types which operate at the frequency spans: low frequencies (LF)
125-134 kHz, high frequencies (HF) 13,56 MHz and ultra-high frequencies (UHF) 860-960 MHz (RFID
Journal 2018).
RFID readers can recognize signals at frequencies between about 100 kHz to 5.8 GHz (Asif and
Mandviwalla, 2005). RFID readers in Europe are however limited to fifteen 200 kHz wide channels by
European radio regulations. This limitation in bandwidth might be problematic when scanning large
amount of RFID tags in close proximity as some distribution centers might (Floerkemeier & Lampe
2005).
The properties of RFID tags come with many variations depending on the manufacturer. Low-
frequency RFID tags need larger antennas which means larger and generally more expensive tags,
while high-frequency RFID tags can be made smaller and cheaper although require more expensive
reading devices (Li et al. 2006).
15
5.2 NFC Near field communication (NFC) was developed by Sony and Philips as a further development on
RFID-technology. It uses the same mechanism to power its electrical components in active or passive
mode for communication at the unlicensed frequency 13,56 MHz with speeds up to 848 Kbit/s at
distances under 20 cm (Curran et al. 2012).
Unlike RFID, NFC devices could change its operation procedure between read/write, peer-to-peer
and tag emulation. In read/write mode, an NFC device will work as a reader to read NFC tags that
transmit certain information just like a RFID reading device. Moreover, the NFC device has ability to
write onto an NCF tag to modify its content. In peer-to-peer mode NFC devices can establish
communication with each other to send information both ways. For example, pictures or music files
can be sent between two cellphones with NFC capabilities by holding them close to each other. In tag
emulation mode an NFC device can act as a tag to store and transmit data upon request. This mode is
for example used in smart cards to provide access or electronic payment in ticketing systems (Al-
ofeishat & Rababah 2012).
5.3 Bluetooth and BLE Bluetooth was developed by Ericsson foremost in an effort to eliminate cables in short range
communication between electronic devices. A Bluetooth connected device consist of a host device
(computer, cellphone, keyboard etc.), a bandwidth controller and a radio with an antenna. Bluetooth
applies a frequency hopping technique to transmit between 2.402GHz and 2.480GHz by rapidly
changing frequency and making 79 hops along the bandwidth.
Bluetooth devices in proximity to each other will interact either by one device taking control over
other devices. A network with a master Bluetooth device and one or several slave Bluetooth devices
is called a piconet, while a network of piconets connected to each other is called a scatternet as the
figure 7 states (Erasala & C. Yen 2002).
Figure 7. Scatternet
A master device is limited to a maximum of seven connected slaves in the same piconet. In each
piconet the master decides the frequency hopping sequence that the slaves must follow. In a
scatternet, the two or more piconets overlap by having at least one of the devices to act as a bridge
node, functioning simultaneously as a master in one piconet and a slave in another and thereby
connecting the piconets. Scatternets can be installed in different configurations depending on the
purpose of the system (Persson et al. 2005).
Bluetooth devices are like other radio equipment subjects to communication interference, especially
when many devices are in close proximity. However, since Bluetooth transmits short ranged signals
16
and uses frequency hopping to jump randomly between 79 frequencies at rates of 1600
times/second, interference should be low in theory. If two devices happen to share the same
frequency and interfere with each other, the interference will at least be very short (Goldtouch 2014;
Lee et al. 2007).
Battery powered Bluetooth devices have the advantage to operate at a data rates of 1 Mb/s and
within a nominal range of 10 m. Moreover, Bluetooth networks can be useful in industrial
applications where many machines have to communicate with each other simultaneously. Since
Bluetooth devices however constantly search for other Bluetooth devices they have to be active all
the time. This puts a strain on the devices power supply and therefore reduces their lifetime
significantly in comparison with other wireless communication technologies (Baker 2005).
In recent years a further development of the newer Bluetooth version 4.0 has resulted in the
invention of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) which is the Bluetooth alternative for low-power devices.
Similar to previous Bluetooth technology, BLE also applies frequency hopping which is very beneficial
when working in environments with much radio interference like in many industrial situations. Unlike
previous Bluetooth, BLE transmits 1Mb/s at much shorter 2 MHz signals instead of 1 MHz over a span
of 40 frequencies instead of 79, which requires less power and therefore saves battery life (Faragher
& Harle 2015). A study conducted in 2012 showed the differences in lifetime of a BLE device with a
battery capacity of 230 mAh depended much on connection interval and latency. With
measurements once every 32 second the slave device showed a theoretical lifetime of 14,1 years
(Gomez et al. 2012).
5.4 Matrix barcode The conventional barcode, known as UPC barcode, has been widely used in many industries. In 1994
a new type of matrix barcode was invented, QR code (Denso ADC 2011). QR code stands for Quick
Response Code, which is a two-dimensional barcode (Lx et al. 2008). This means that the amount of
information which a QR code can store is much larger than the amount in the regular one-
dimensional barcode, as shown in the figure 8.
Figure 8. How data contains in a one and two-dimensional barcode (Kieseberg et al. 2010).
Also, the fast readability is a factor which makes the QR code an interesting technology. To increase
the reliability and the reading speed of the QR code different algorithm for decoding with a mobile
phones camera has been invented. The findings of efficient algorithms for reliable method of image
processing of QR has resulted in an ISO standard from 2015 which describes the structure, figure 9,
of the QR code (International Standards Organisation 2015).
17
Figure 9. QR code structure (International Standards Organisation 2015).
The structure of the QR code shown in the figure 9 above is a structure of a version 7 QR symbol.
There is a difference between the micro QR code, M3 version, and the regular size QR code, version
M7, regarding the structure components. The micro QR code symbol could be compared with the
upper left quadrant of the version 7 symbol without the alignment patterns (International Standards
Organisation 2015). Furthermore, the area which includes in the function patterns does not encode
data.
However, QR code is one of several invented two-dimensional barcodes which the market offers.
Several new and tailor-made barcode alternatives have entered the market in the last decades,
which needs a certain special software to be readable. Micro-QR and Data Matrix are two examples
of how information can be compressed into smaller areas, which can be valuable when marking a
tighter area or a smaller product.
Further, to attach barcodes on products has evolved lately. Nowadays, for example laser marking,
punching and dot peen (Stylus) marking is three commonly used marking methods above stickers
which figure 10 displays (TELESIS 2006; Etchmark 2018).
Figure 10. Stulys marking a data matrix on metal (TELESIS 2006; Etchmark 2018).
One concern with marking the drill bits surfaces is the damages occurring during operation.
Scratches, blasting, corrosion and wear on the drill bit can make the matrix barcode unreadable. To
counter this, the matrix barcode should be positioned on a surface of the drill bits that is somewhat
more protected during drilling. Moreover, the material at which the matrix barcode is printed on, can
be made of a very hard material that is not affected by any drilling environment. The same tungsten
carbide that the pins are made of, can easily be fitted to another part of the drill bit without much
adjustments to the current manufacturing arrangement.
18
Security of two-dimensional data matrix such as QR, are in one aspect not so high. The non-human
readable code makes it impossible for humans to distinguish between a real and fake or dangerous
QR code before the scanning process (Kieseberg et al. 2010). Therefore, the focus should be on
secure software solutions and on scanning only trusted codes.
Furthermore, a new generation of 3D matrix bar code is available but not fully commercialized yet.
The advantage of adding a third dimension, the same as adding a second, is to increase the amount
of data in a smaller size. Although creating good readability when adding a third dimension could be
a tricky challenge because of the contrasts (Peternikolow 2012).
Adding more physical dimensions and changing the encoding algorithmic method of a barcode is not
the only way of creating a more efficient and data dense barcode. Using RGB color will also result in
the same advantage and will in some cases increase readability.
The amount of information that a barcode can contain depends on resolution, size, dpi and reader.
Read length and lighting (contrasts) are also two factors which have effect on the reliability and
readability of a barcode with high data density. The more information the barcode needs to contain,
the bigger or denser the barcode will get. Therefore, the readability could suffer.
In order to test if a custom solution for a matrix barcode could be of interest, a creation of a suitable
two-dimensional barcode was made in excel using VBA. The algorithmic code is not optimized for the
output number in the figure 11 below.
Figure 11. Custom-made matrix barcode created in excel.
In this way the products can be marked and identified with straight line patterns. The borders are
designed to change the output which is calculated from the four quadrants. The highest number and
marking which could be made is shown in the green quadrant in figure 11. The quadrants are
calculated separately and then joined together.
5.5 Optical character recognition Optical character recognition, also known as OCR, is similar to barcodes but is also readable for
humans. This makes it easy for operators to read manuals by adding the code into the system if the
reader is faulty. The readers could in this case be a camera phone and this technology is used in
Sweden for automatically adding payment from account receivables in the bank application.
However, the number is only one-dimensional which means that the size tends to be bigger for an
OCR then a for example QR code (Nordea 2018).
5.6 Wi-Fi Wi-Fi is a well-known technology which is widely used around the world. The radio frequency Wi-Fi
operates on is mostly 2,4 GHz, the same as Bluetooth. However, to avoid interference a secondary
19
frequency using 5 GHz has in the latest years increased in application (Lee et al. 2007). Figure 12
shows a comprehensive explanation of differences between Wi-Fi and other similar technologies.
Figure 12. Overview of Wi-Fi compared with other technologies (Lee et al. 2007).
5.7 Ultra-wideband UWB is a communication technology which employs transmissions at 3,1-10,6 GHz, with very broad
bandwidths ranging from 500 MHz to 7,5 GHz, to spread out the radio energy. The low spectral
energy and broad bandwidths allows little interference, great data transmission speeds and very
detailed locating capabilities (ETSI 2018; Lee et al. 2007).
20
6 Standards When it comes to tags and readers there are a number of standards available for classification of
electronical products. To decide whether a product is suitable for a specific application, one first
need to understand the utilization limits of the certain product which preferably involves knowledge
on how these certifications have been developed and how they are intended to classify products.
The standards which are explored in this chapter are those that are of interest when investigating the
feasibility of implementing tags and readers in the extreme environment mining tools are used in.
One fallback is that even the standard with the highest degree is still not enough for the environment
the tags are operating in if inserted in drill bits.
The standard for degrees of protection provided by enclosures known as Ingress Protection rating
(IP) code is divided into several parts. The IP code is declared with the two letters IP which is followed
by two mandatory single numeral digits and one optional letter, for example IP67. The first di git
indicates in which level the product is protected from solid particles and the second digit specifies
the liquid ingress protection. Explanations of the IP codes only relevant for this project are stated in
the table 5 below (SVENSK STANDARD 2014).
IP code Solid particle protection Liquid ingress protection
IP67 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from immersion between 15 centimeters and 1 meter in depth.
IP68 Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from long term immersion up to a specified pressure.
IP69K (IPX9) Protected from total dust ingress. Protected from steam-jet cleaning.
Table 5. Explanation of different IP codes (SVENSK STANDARD 2014; Sealing Technology 2017).
The additional letter which is not mandatory is additional information about the protection of the
product (Sealing Technology 2017). This is shown in table 6.
Additional letter Meaning
K High temperature and pressure water test H High voltage protection
M Movement during water test
S Still during water test W Spec of weather conditions
Table 6. Meaning of various additional letters (SVENSK STANDARD 2014).
ATEX, ATmosphères EXplosibles, is type of directive which determine the protection from explosive
atmospheres for products and how a working environment is allowed in an explosive atmosphere.
The type of tests conducted gives an understanding of the sensitivity of the product. In this project
there is no explosive environment expected which means that this directive i s only good to have, if
the product might in the future be implemented in an application which include an explosive
atmosphere. However, the directive shows properties to withstand harsh environments which still is
a positive indicator for the products in the project. (Jespen 2016).
When it comes to shock and vibration two standards from IEC, the International Electrotechnical
Commission, have been investigated. The first one IEC 68.2.29 focuses on shock and the other one,
IEC 68.2.6, focuses on vibration. The tests for how these standards are conducted differ a bit from
each other. The definition of a shock according to the IEC 68.2.29 standard is a sudden acceleration
and deceleration. The definition of a vibration according to IEC 68.2.6 standard is that the product is
21
placed on a shaking table. The tags are usually tested with a force of 500-1000 N which is often
mentioned in the technical specification (Tricker & Tricker 1999).
Furthermore, RoHS is a standard that restricts from using certain hazardous substances in electri cal
products (Kemikalieinspektionen 2016; Samsonek & Puype 2017). Finally, MIL-STD 810 is a military
standard to test the product environmental limit such as pressure, temperature, humidity,
acceleration and shock (Standard & Specifications 2001).
22
7 Benchmarking technologies The project is in many ways unique, although several other industries are working in the same area
of tracking their products in a digital way. Transparency throughout the product lifetime has been
increasingly important in order to track the performance, but also where in the chain the product is.
7.1 RFID The U.S merchandise company Wal-Mart tried in 2004 to apply RFID on pallets of shipped and
received goods from suppliers. However, the attempt was not successful as suppliers failed to see
the benefits of supply chain efficiency and only saw the new system as an additional cost. A new
effort to implement the technology has begun where Wal-Mart is focusing on slow-moving items
where RFID can create most value. Moreover, Wal-Mart is aiming to have closer communication and
transparency towards suppliers and aiding the suppliers in the purchasing process of labels (Roberti
2010).
Scottish Courage which is one of UKs largest beer manufacturer have been using RFID since 1998 on
their kegs to improve supply chain visibility. They have since then experienced a reduction of pro duct
losses from 4% to 2%, reduced inventory levels and reduced total overhead costs as logistics
efficiency has increased (Wilding & Delgardo 2004).
Truck tire retailer Michelin is currently exploring on equipping their tires with RFID tags with the
purpose to make every tire identifiable throughout its whole lifecycle. The ambition is then to create
a fleet management tool for customers to track their assets and collect information on further tire
operating parameters (Tire Business 2017). However, there is no indication that Michelin has
succeeded with their realization of this. Furthermore, the mechanism does not seem to be fully
automatic, instead manual procedures are included where the manual measurements are only
coupled automatically as figure 13 shows.
Figure 13. Michelin Tire Care (Michelinmedia 2017).
Ford Motor Co. are using passive UHF RFID in their manufacturing processes. The Omni -id Adept 850
tags are attached to the metal motor blocks to track their progress throughout the assembly line and
write onto the tag after each process, to distinguish different motor types and to ensure that no
process has been overlooked. The tags contain 64 kbit of memory which store component data
instead of a central database to ensure production uptime if the network system would malfunction
(Swedberg 2015).
23
Holt Cat is a supplier of heavy duty machinery for construction, mining and agricultural applications.
The company has recently moved to a tool tracking system with no manual interaction, by
implementing RFID technology into their equipment and employee cards. Employees who need new
tools from nearby storehouses pass RFID readers that registers their personal cards with HF RFID.
When the employees exit the storehouse, UHF readers, figure 14, register the UHF RFID tags fitted
onto the tools. This new procedure has eliminated unnecessary man hours of manually logging tools
checked in and out and significantly reduced the amount of lost or stolen tools (Omni-ID 2009)
Figure 14. UHF readers in Holt cat storehouse.
Omni-id is a supplier of RFID solutions who claims to have embedded RFID tags into golf balls to track
the location and distance fired golf balls (Omni-ID 2018). Upon impact the golf balls and the RFID tags
experience great forces, normally around 10kN (Penner 2003).
Sandvik is a leading manufacturer and supplier of industrial cutting and mining tools. They have
involved an RFID system to increase logistics transparency. When goods are shipped to one of
Sandvik's factories they are attached with RFID tags. Upon arrival to the factory the shipment passes
gates which register the attached RFID and sends this information to a central server, thus
eliminating any need for manual labor to track shipment status (Turckvilant 2018).
Statoil is a leading company in the oil and gas sector which has implemented LF RFID into their down-
the-hole drilling equipment. This allows information to be gathered regarding usage of equipment
and expected remaining lifetime (Swedberg 2012).
7.2 NFC One example of NFC technology utilization is in Apple Pay. The purpose of this application is to
digitalize the wallet so credit cards could be saved and secured in personal mobiles, tablets, watches
or computers and to execute e-payment or payment though a terminal with hardware which has NFC
functionality. The NFC technology is feature in the latest mobile hardware from apple and all of their
watches. For example, when a payment should be executed in the store though a terminal you only
need to double-click on a button on the watch and the hold it close to the terminal (Apple 2018).
7.3 Bluetooth A new pilot project has been started by Husqvarna in 2107 where tool could be rent though a app
and then pick up in a container. This has been developed due the fact that many of the tools
customer uses for the garden are used less frequently. Therefore, this project has driven the
innovative and sustainable solutions for garden space. Husqvarna uses Bluetooth in order to identify
the customer when a tool is chosen in the battery box and then authorized the customer though
mobilt bankID, a Swedish solution for a secure personal identification. The pickup and drop-off are
working in the same way which involved that a designated locker in the battery box opens when a
customer has authorized themselves (Husqvarna Group 2018).
24
7.4 QR The Alibaba Group has launched a digital wallet called Alipay which intends to replace current
payment methods by having merchants, customers and peer-to-peer transactions using smart
phones. All necessary transaction information can be translated simply by scanning a QR-code (Alipay
2018; Rizwan 2018).
QR-code has grown bigger in everyday merchandise to provide information or to take opportunity of
further advertisement. QR-code has also become an addition to the conventional barcode, or even
replaced the barcode in many cases as it contains more information about the product than barcodes
can (George 2015).
7.5 UWB Voelstalpine is a leading European steel manufacturer and provider of metal solutions. The company
has implemented Ultra-wideband technology in its Austrian steel plant for the purpose of real time
tracking of their employees within the plant. In case of an emergency, employees can much easier be
located by rescue personnel by tracking their UWB badges, which is especially helpful around the
furnaces where dense smoke might occur.
Washington hospital center uses UWB-badges similarly too track people and objects at their hospital
in order to trace interactions at the hospital and thereby respond to and minimize any contagious
exposure. Moreover, important hospital equipment has been fitted with UWB-tags for quick and
easy locating purposes (Zebra Technologies 2016).
7.6 Wi-Fi Mobilaris Group is a company which has help firms like Boliden and LKAB with mining intelligence.
This includes Wi-Fi technology to be able to track down and locate vehicles and equipment in the
mine. The system which Mobilaris uses could combine various position technologies for location
accuracy (Mobilaris 2018).
25
8 Positioning The different methods for asset identification all include properties which makes them vulnerable to
the extreme environments which the products are used in. For identification purposes where the
method includes components to be installed inside drill bits and other tools, it is especially important
to manage harsh conditions as the method should function throughout the assets lifetime.
However, if the tag would be re-attachable to the tool and removed before each operation, the
protective requirements would be significantly lowered and advanced durability properties less
important.
To protect an electronic ID tracker, the two major strategies described below have been identified.
For optimal effect, a combination of both is preferable.
There are many obstacles as to where a tag can be positioned on a drill bit. Positioning must consider
the following:
• The tag must not disturb the drilling properties of the drill bits. Any modifications of products
must not impair its properties in such way that dynamic load carrying capabilities will be
reduced.
• The tag must be positioned in such way that it can easily be accessed for reading purposes.
• The tag must be positioned in such way that it is protected from the elements and drilling
operations.
• The tag must be positioned in such way that it will stay attached to the products and not fall
of unintentionally during transport, drilling operations or normal handling.
26
9 Available products
This chapter presents some products currently available on the market from each technology
alternative. The products were selected based on possible feasibility and were considered to b e the
best candidates from each technology for the project.
There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a tag for a specific purpose. This chapter
highlights mostly the main properties of each different technology type.
9.1 Tags The market offers different types of tags within the same technology which are quite similar in a
large extent but have different dimension and casings in order to fit and withstand forces. This
chapter contains information of chips which are suitable for this projects application. Overview of
different tags and reading distance is find in appendix 1.
9.1.1 Xerafy Dot-iN XS
Xerafy Dot-iN XS is a UHF RFID tag with a very rugged, small and lightweight design. This means lesser
mass and thereby lesser force that needs absorbing by the damping medium. Xerafy Dot-iN XS which
can be fitted onto or embedded into metal with satisfiable reading distances. However, reading
possibilities are highly dependent on reading angle, figure 15, and need to be controlled (Xerafy
2011).
• Frequency: UHF 902-928 MHz (US); 866-868 MHz (EU) • Dimensions (mm) ø 6 x 2.5 tolerance +/- 0.2 mm • Battery: No • Weight: 0.34 grams • Shock (drop): 1 m to concrete/granite up to 200 cycles • Operating temperature: -40°C to +85°C • Read Distance: up to 1.5 m (on-metal) / 1.0 m (in-metal) • Protection rating: IP68
Figure 15. Radiation pattern of Xerafy Dot-iN XS in metal (Xerafy 2011).
27
9.1.2 IPC03-10
IPC03-10 is a LF RFID tag provided by Pepperl+Fuchs. The tags somewhat larger design could provide
better reading possibilities yet fit inside drill bits. Operating at 125 kHz, the tag is desi gned to be
mounted in metal (Pepperl+Fuchs 2018c).
• Frequency: LF 125 kHz • Dimensions: Ø10 x 4,5 mm • Battery: No • Weight: 1 grams • Operating temperature: -25°C to 70°C • Read range: N/A • Protection rating: IP67 • Not writable, delivered with unique ID
9.1.3 IPC02-3GL
IPC02-3GL is a LF RFID tag provided by Pepperl+Fuchs. The tag housing is made of glass with a ferrite
core to give especially good reading possibilities when mounted in metal. A glass design might not be
the best solution for drilling applications, however the high protection rating should compensate for
this (Pepperl+Fuchs 2018b).
• Frequency: LF 125 kHz • Dimensions: 13 ±0,4 x Ø3.15 ±0,1 mm • Battery: No • Weight: 0,22 grams • Operating temperature: -40°C to 85°C • Read range: 7 mm in steel with IPH-18GM-V1 • Protection rating: IP68 • Not writable, delivered with unique ID
9.1.4 Bluvision BEEKs Mini
Bluvision BEEKs Mini is a BLE 4,1 tag with a relatively small, light and rugged design. Its transmitting
properties can be modified to decrease or increase range up to 150 m. By entering a sleep mode
where the Bluvision tag only consumes 1.6 µA the battery life of the tag can be significantly
increased. For asset tracking the tag might not be required to notify its position constantly, once
every 5 second will increase the tags lifetime to 4 years (Bluvision 2017).
The greatest strengths of using a Bluetooth like Bluvisions is its capabilities of larger data storage and
processing power. The tag is compatible with additional sensor installations which gives the ability to
measure and record temperatures, motion from a 3-axis accelerometer, light and presence of
magnetic materials, however additional mountings will draw more power. Measuring temperature
only with transmission every 5 second will decrease lifetime to 3 years.
Bluvisions BEEKS mini is described to be tamper-proof which means that it detects and immediately
alerts if it is removed from the asset.
• Frequency: 2,4 GHz • Dimensions: 34.2mm x 8.35mm • Battery: 3V • Weight: 28 grams • Range: up to 150 m • Operating temperature: -30°C to +77°C • Protection rating • Lifetime: RTLS mode (Asset Tracking):
o advertisement every 3 second: 2 years o advertisement every 5 second: 4 years
28
9.1.4 Zebra DartTag Zebra DartTag is an asset tracking device that transmit very short UWB signals on frequencies
between 6,35-7,35 GHz to provide excellent location tracking of thousands of tags simultaneously
within 30 cm proximity from ranges up to 200 m. The transmitting interval can be adjusted to
increase battery life up to 7 years. The tag has been claimed to be rugged as it can withstand dust,
water and multiple drops from 1.8 m height (Zebra Technologies 2018a).
• Frequency: 6.35 - 6.75 GHz • Dimensions: Ø4 cm x 2 cm • Battery: 3V • Battery life: Up to 7 years at 1 Hz blink rate (programmable 0,01-200 Hz) • Long RF Range: Up to 200 meters • Location accuracy: 30 cm line of sight • Weight: 18 grams • Protection rating: IP67 • Operating temperature: -40°C to 70°C
9.1.5 T2-EB Wi-Fi Active RFID Tag
T2-EB Wi-Fi Active RFID Tag delivers asset tracking options over with compatibility to an existing Wi-fi
infrastructure which means simple installation and operation. It connects to the local Wi-fi using a
2,4 GHz frequency with ranges up to 200 m outdoors and 80 m indoors. The tag is also capable of LF
communication over 125 kHz which gives ability to behave like an RFID. This is useful for tracking the
movement of the asset through gates with RFID detectors. Moreover, the tag is equipped with
motion sensors so that the tag can alert any handling of the asset. The extended battery version is
fitted with a stronger casing which increases durability and battery lifetime up to 8 years depending
on usage (Extronics Ltd 2016).
• Frequency: 2,4 GHz and 125 kHz (for RFID behavior) • Dimensions: 85 x 59 x 19 mm • Battery: 3,6 V • Battery life: up to 8 years (dependent on use and other factors) • Range:
o Outdoor: 200 m o Indoor: 80 m
• Weight: 85 grams • Protection rating: IP66 • Operating temperature: -30°C to +75°C • Motion sensor
29
9.1.6 Summary of tag properties
The above mention tags have been compared in a summery according to table 7.
Tag properties Xerafy Dot-iN XS IPC03-10 IPC02-3GL Bluvision DartTag
Technology RFID UHF LF RFID LF RFID BLE UWB
Drop (m) 1 n/a n/a n/a 1,8
Lifetime (yr) Passive (50) Passive Passive 4 7
Range (m) 1 n/a 0,07 150 200
Operating temperature (°C)
-40 to +85 -25 to +70 -40 to +85 -30 to +77 -40 to +70
Weight (g) 0,34 1 0,22 28 18
Unit price (SEK) 43 n/a 26 142 n/a
Table 7. Tag type properties in comparison.
9.2 Printers Labeling is an older and widely used method for identifying products. This chapter contains different
types of printers with different types of technologies.
9.2.1 RFID tag printers on site
ZQ520 is an example of a RFID printer delivered by Zebra, figure 16, capable of printing UHF RFID for
quick labeling of products made possible on site. In this way the printer can quickly provide new RFID
labels for products with previously destroyed labels. On top of this, the RFID labels can also be
printed with matrix barcodes for visual identification. The printer has a rugged design with an IP54
rating to withstand dirty environments and temperatures from –20°C to +55°C. Zebra promises easy
usage with fast pairing to mobile devices and an intuitive interface. The printer is equipped with
Bluetooth 3.0 and Wi-Fi over 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz as well as software tools for remote management.
Special labels, table 8, are available for on-metal applications.
Table 8. Printable on-metal RFID labels (Zebra Technologies 2018c).
Figure 16. Zebra ZQ520 RFID label printer (Zebra Technologies 2018e). Confidex Silverline label on
metal to the right (Zebra Technologies 2018c).
30
9.2.2 Matrix barcode labels printed on site
The ZQ320 is a rugged label printer from Zebra, figure 17, with IP54 rating and solid drop durability.
With USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi connectivity it can easily be operated by a mobile phone
device or offered remote management tools. The ZQ320 supports many barcode types including
matrix barcodes amongst others.
Figure 17. Zebra ZQ320 label printer (Zebra Technologies 2018d; Datorama 2018).
9.3 Reading possibilities For reading matrix barcodes there are several products available on the market. Additionally, most
smartphones today have capabilities to read matrix barcodes.
9.3.1 RFID readers
Pepperl+Fuchs IC-KP2-2HB17-2V1D, IUH-F190-V1-EU and IUH-F192-V1-FR1, figure 18, are devices for
reading and writing RFID tags. With associated software these units can be altered to read between
different tag type frequencies. (Pepperl+Fuchs 2018a; Pepperl+Fuchs 2018e). IUH-F192-V1-FR1 is the
strongest reader device provided by Pepperl+Fuchs and should have the best chance of reading tags
that are otherwise difficult to read (Pepperl+Fuchs 2018f).
Figure 18. IC-KP2-2HB17-2V1D (left) and IUH-F190-V1-EU (middle) and IUH-F192-V1-FR1 (right)
(Pepperl+Fuchs 2018a; Pepperl+Fuchs 2018e; Pepperl+Fuchs 2018f).
Handheld 1128 Bluetooth UHF RFID Reader, figure 19, from TSL communicate with compatible
smartphone via Bluetooth and settings such as output effect can be changes within the application.
Although being a cheaper model, the handheld reader should still be adequate for reading tags
inserted in drill bits (Technology Solutions 2018).
31
Figure 19. 1128 Bluetooth UHF RFID Reader (Technology Solutions 2018).
IPH-18GM-V1, figure 20, is a LF RFID reader provided by Pepperl+Fuchs. With a power consumption
of 1,2 W, an IP67 classification, reading distances up to 50 mm and its focused beam, it should have
promising readability of LF tags embedded in metal (Pepperl+Fuchs 2018d).
Figure 20. IPH-18GM-V1 (Pepperl+Fuchs 2018d).
9.3.2 Bluetooth readers
The number of Bluetooth capable devices on the market is many. For these applications, rugged
mobile phone with an app software could be a suitable product to use as a reader.
9.3.3 Matrix barcode readers
DS3678-SR, figure 21, is an example of a handheld scanning device capable of reading matrix
barcodes. The rugged design with IP67 rating promises durability and easy handling under relatively
harsh conditions. The scanner can be wirelessly connected and each charge cycle lasts for 100 000
scans (Zebra Technologies 2018b).
32
Figure 21. DS3678-SR handheld matrix barcode reader (Zebra Technologies 2018b).
9.3.4 Wi-Fi reading
Mobile phones and currently Epiroc devices on site have Wi-Fi capabilities already.
9.3.5 UWB reading Zebra's Dart Hub is a locating software designed to manage all Dart sensors which are placed at the
worksite. The Dart sensors register UWB tags in proximity and sends the information to Dart Hub to
establish a detailed real-time location system. Moreover, the Dart sensors can be set to identify
presence of RFID tags (Zebra Technologies 2012).
9.4 Reading methods compared Table 9 provides a comparison on the characteristics of the different reading methods.
Readability/ User-friendly
RFID tag RFID Label NFC Bluetooth Matrix
Barcode Wi-Fi UWB
Scanning possibility
Scanner Scanner Scanner Mobile Mobile/ Cameras
Mobile Scanner
Complexity Normal Normal Normal High Low High High
Connectivity Normal Normal Normal Good Low Good Good
Manual interaction
Normal/Low Normal/High Normal Low High Low Low
Implementation Normal Normal Normal Normal Easy Normal Normal
Table 9. Characteristics of the different reading methods.
33
10 Model structures for digital product identification As a new method is implemented for digitally identifying products, there will be accompanying
procedures revolving all the work around to collect data. These procedures are highly related to the
identification method chosen. Therefore, three different models are stated in this chapter as
feasible.
10.1 Adhesive labels This model is built to fulfil the need of using a low technology solution for identification of products.
For example, QR-codes, printed RFID or other physical labeling methods are applicable for this
model. The model is intended to ensure that a tag is always present when an identification occurs,
therefore figure 22 shows several steps of confirming that a tag is present on every product on site.
To put it simply, whenever a product has been used or serviced, a new tag is printed on site and
fitted onto the product with the new information.
The retagging upon service of a product will result in the unique product ID and numbers of repair.
Repairs could be made on other locations since only a certain printer needs to be placed at the repair
site.
Scanning of the product occurs only in connection with a rig where the rig ID and the product ID is
paired when the product is mounted on the rig. This information is then sent to a central data system
preferably though Wi-Fi or GSM from a device such as a smartphone.
Delivery to
customer
Customer
warehouse or
consignment
Product is scanned
and mounted on
the rig
Drilling starts Drilling stops
Product is
dismounted
New tag is fitted to
the productService
Before service
the product tag
is scanned
After service a
new tag is fitted
to the product
Retagging
Dismounted
product creates
new tag
Delivery
confirmation
Cloud
Join rigID
with
productID
Start time Stop time
Rig ID and
product ID
scans
Storage
confirmation
Damage tags
replacedRetagging
Serviced product ID =
product ID + #service
Drilling
parameters
Drilling
Discarded
Epiroc customer
center
Figure 22. Model structure for adhesive labels.
34
10.1.1 Placement of adhesive labels
For placement of adhesive labels, the requirements can be less specific since the tag has a shorter
expected lifetime. The following still applies:
• The tag needs to be place in such way that it is protected during transportation and delivery
of products to customers.
• The tag needs to be placed in such way that it can be read by a reading device.
• The tag needs to be protected from the elements when the products is not in use.
• The tag needs to be attachable even if the product is dirty.
The adhesive labels should preferably be designed in such way that they can be wrappe d around the
products, figure 23. If the surface is dirty, the label can still stick to itself. Moreover, the label should
be made of plastic or a paper quality which does not deteriorate if pieces are left outside in wet.
Figure 23. Suggestion on how a label with printed QR can be wrapped around drill bits (Datorama
2018).
10.2 Re-attachable tags Products could be identified with a tag designed using a fastening mechanism, suggestively, a
clamping device with quick release could be combined with a QR, RFID or other tracking devices to
attach to the products. When mounting the product to the rig, the tag is removed and immediately
placed at a designated area on the rig. The rig computer acknowledges the tag and thereby registers
the specific product mounted on the rig. Drilling data recorded by the rig is coupled to the tag. Once
the drilling operation is complete, the tag is re-attached to the product.
In this way the product identifier will not be damaged during operations and information about the
product will be managed in a quick and easy way. The risk of course is that the tag might get lost if
not handled properly.
When a drill bit reaches the end of its operational lifetime and will be disposed, the tag can be
recoded, equipped with new batteries if necessary and used on a new product, prolonging the
lifetime of tags and thus reducing total cost. The structure of this model is shown in figure 24 below.
35
Delivery to
customer
Customer
warehouse or
consignment
Tag is placed on
designated
tagbox on the rig
Drilling starts Drilling stops
Product is
dismounted from
the rig
Service
Delivery
confirmation
Cloud
Join rigID
with
productID
Start time Stop timeStorage
confirmation
Scan product if
service is
required
Drilling
parameters
DrillingProduct is mounted
onto the rig
Tag is removed
from tagbox and
re-attached to the
product
Serviced product ID =
product ID + #service
Discarded and recycling of tag
Epiroc customer
center
Figure 24. Model structure for re-attachable tags.
10.2.1 Placement of a re-attachable tag Plenty of design options can be thought up for re-attachable tags. However, they all need to consider
the following:
• The tag must not disturb the drilling properties of drill bits. Any modifications of products
must not impair its properties in such way that dynamic load carrying capabilities will be
reduced.
• The tag should easily be attached and removed from the product with little manual
interaction.
• The tag must be positioned and fitted with a strong mechanism such way that i t will stay
attached to the products and not fall of unintentionally during transport or other normal
handling conditions.
To cover the wide product range, while simultaneously fulfilling the above stated requirements,
quick release clamps can be a very effective way of attaching and detaching tags from products,
figure 25. The clamps can also be attached with larger and more complex tracking devices.
Figure 25. Suggestion on how quick release clamps can be attached to drill bits (iq-parts-shop 2018).
36
10.3 Inserted tags and surface inscription The model structure for inserted tags and surface inscription, figure 26, is quite similar as the two
models above, inserted tags and refitting tags. The main difference is that no extra procedures are
needed when mounting the product on the rig.
Pairing between rig and product is performed at the mounting stage by a fixed or a handheld reading
device. Upon service of a drill bit, the product is scanned afterwards, and the product ID is coupled
with this new information.
Delivery to customer Customer warehouse
or consignment
Product is scanned
and mounted on the
rig
Drilling starts Drilling stops
Product is
dismountedService
Delivery
confirmation
Cloud
Join rigID with
productIDStart time Stop time
Rig ID and
product ID scans
Storage
confirmation
Scan product if
service is
required
Drilling
parameters
Drilling
Serviced product ID =
product ID + #service
Discarded
Epiroc customer
center
Figure 26. Model structure for inserted tags and surface inscription.
10.3.1 Placement of an inserted tag For correct placement of the test with an inserted tag, a local external firm was contracted to
accurately drill the holes accordingly to the provided drawings. Other placement characteristics to
take into account in order to receive a decent result:
• Pepperl+Fuchs were consulted regarding reading possibilities in metal.
• Xerafy provided a user manual with information regarding required circumstances when
using their tags with metal.
• Sika AG assisted in injecting the silicon mediums into the drill bit holes together with the tags
to ensure proper installation.
Furthermore, the tag need some space to move freely in the hole and the damping medium. This
makes it important to investigate not only the height of the hole but also the wi dth. The tag Xerafy
DOT-iN is 6 mm in diameter and 2,5 mm in height which means that the minimal possible diameter of
the hole need to be 6,5 mm as the figure 27 shows.
37
Figure 27. Calculation of the longest part of the Xerafy DOT-iN tag.
10.3.2 Potting Electronic assemblies can be poured over and fully covered with an insulating liquid which hardens to
a protective casing. Potting is widely used in protection of electrical components from harmful
effects like moist, temperature differences, mechanical forces and electrical disruptions
(Polymerteknik 2018).
The RFID readers from Pepperl & Fuchs have for instance been potted for increased durability. The
RFID tags Xerafy Dot-In XS and Xerafy Xplorer have potted designs as well.
10.3.3 Damping
To ensure the safety of the electronic components inside a tracker device, damping could be used as
a countermeasure to the extreme shocks and vibrations which occur in Epiroc's case.
In order to achieve the best damping properties, a silicon solution was selected as a barrier to absorb
shocks between the tag and the inside walls of the drill bits. Sika AG, which is a provider of bonding,
sealing, damping, reinforcing and protection services, was consulted with to ensure that the best
dampening medium would be selected, as properties can vary significantly between application. Sika
proposed usage of Sikasil® WS-605 S and Sikasil® SG-500 as they have good damping properties.
Datasheets of these can be found in appendix 4.
10.3.3 Inserted passive RFID tags and Xerafy Dot-iN XS
From the available tags on the market which were investigated and compared with the project
requirements, passive RFID fulfilled most of the requirements and was therefore chosen as the best
candidate to insert into drill bits. RFID is first of all a very easy technology to use with little additional
manual labor for workers. The tags themselves include very few and simple components which
should have the best capabilities to withstand the extreme drilling conditions. They can be designed
small enough to be placed inside a drill bit and passive RFID tags are cheap in comparison with other
tagging technologies. Moreover, there are many RFID solutions with rugged designs available on the
market today to choose from which also indicates wide competences and successful
implementations in other businesses. Recent developments at Epiroc also seem to move the
company towards RFID solutions in other parts of the company, which also speaks for implementing
RFID to drill bits for compatibility reasons.
Reading ranges of passive RFID tags are in theory satisfied although it should be noted that the metal
environment can disrupt the radio waves transmitted from the tag which means that placement of
the tag inside a drill bit needs careful attention for optimal readability.
Figure 30 shows the comparison made between certain tags with different possibilities. The factors
chosen in the comparison has been considered to be the most important for this project.
38
Xerafy Dot-iN XS was the UHF RFID tag selected as the best product to place inside drill bits due to its
small and rugged design yet satisfying reading ranges in metal according to its product specifications.
In theory, LF RFID should do best in metal applications, however Xerafy Dot-iN XS promises satisfiable
properties.
When testing readability of Xerafy Dot-iN XS outside of metal, reader IUH-F190-V1-EU could support
distances of up to 5 cm. The emitting power from IUH-F190-V1-EU was set to 200 mW.
10.3.4 Placement of a surface inscription. Placement of a surface inscription needs special consideration since readability and protections are
both highly desired and not the best in combination.
• This method has lesser requirements however they need special consideration.
• The inscription must be placed in such a way that it is protected during transportation,
drilling operations and normal handling.
• The tag must be placed in such a way that is can be accessed and be visibl e for reading
devices.
10.3.5 Surface inscription For marking the bits with printed codes like QR-code, Micro-QR and Data Matrix the limitations occur
in manufacturing and readability. Since each bit is covered with a yellow protective coating to protect
the bits from corrosion, the method of printing must not destroy this coating or the expected
lifespan of the products will be shortened.
From the methods investigated it was learned that milling and laser cutting operations before
coating would result in coating flowing into the removed spaces and thus hindering reading
possibilities.
Since the products serial numbers are today punched after painting, without damage to the coating
properties, the alternative of punching a data code might be possible if an adequate and adjustable
punching method exist. Suppliers exist who promise good quality by marking data codes on metal
using stylus devices. The result would be similar to the laser printed drill bit shown in figure 28. For
the larger drill bits, the data matrix should be placed at the same top position as the tag in figure 30.
Figure 28. Laser printed data matrix on a drill bit.
10.4 Architecture for KPIs and APIs The architecture of the KPI's flows is highly dependent on the models above, since information
between these two systems, product identification and rig data, comes from two different sources
and are matched in late stages.
In the chosen method for the KPI's, the parameters are connected to different sources depending on
where the sensors are mounted. If a sensor on the rig measures a parameter and transmits this data
39
to the RCS then it will be collected in a certain place. This will be further described in chapter 10.5
Data collection model.
Application Programming Interface (API) is a set of communication subroutines which an application
can request data from and to subsequently use functions to retrieve the data. Brajesh De defines in
his book API Management what an API is in simple terms. “In simple terms, APIs are a set of
requirements that govern how two applications can talk to each other.” To be more specific, API
creates gateways and communication methods between different data sources and applications in
order to produce an easier way of creating user-friendly applications. In figure 29, the lines
connecting the interactive user interface are methods of communication which are the same as APIs
connections with request and receive functionality (De 2017).
10.5 Data Collection model The models above describe the physical adoption of methods implementation. However, another
important issue is the data model and how corresponding data will be transferred and connected to
each other. Figure 29 below shows how the data should be connected in order to create an
interactive general user interface. The key columns and representative entities are displayed as a
demonstration in figure 29, however there will be much more data columns entered in to these
tables with real mining operations. However, the key columns which purpose is to join together
different type of data stored in different tables or databases is fixed and no more of those columns
will be added. The once which will be added is data about product characteristics and data received
from measure-which-drilling.
PerformanceMonitoring
ProductInfomation
ProductTools
MachineInformation
GUI
ProductionInformation
TimestampPMPK
PenetrationRate
Productivity
ProductNumberPK
Diameter
Length
MetersDrilled
TimestampPT(Mounted)PK
ProductID
MachineNumberPK
DrillingMethod
MachineModel
HoleDiameterMax
MachineIDTimestampPK
ChosenParameter1
ChosenParameter2
MachineNumber
MachineIDPK
ProductIDPK
ProductIDPK
BatchNo
ProductionDate
ErrorLog
HoleID
ClassificationOfAction
FeedForceWeight
DrillingMethod
ButtonConfiguration
BitType
MainApplicationArea
ProductNumber
ChosenParameter3
TypeOfProduct
CarbideGrade
FrontDesign
HoleDiameterMin
RigID (Joined)
ProductStatus
Figure 29. Data collection model.
The "Production Information", "Product information" and "Machine Information" is not highly
dependable on real-time information due to the fact that the products are used later on in the chain.
40
The matching process between the rig and tag could result in some latency on the time stamp data
which an implementation of a time acceptance span is needed for joining the data in the database.
This together with mapping the different stages which the drill rig encounters, see chapter 4.3, will
produce valuable information in good quality to the user.
On approach of ensure that the data which needs to be inside the product tag is to divide the data
into a unique product ID, product number and batch number which is joined in the table "Production
Information" and "Product Information" in the figure 29. In this way the production and the product
can be traced throughout the chain and the transparency will increase. A standard that is feasible to
store in a tag or an inscription, for electronic product code is described in chapter 5.1 RFID.
The frequency which data are needed to be collected is, according to two products managers, every
hole and every product. So, if a new product for example a rod is mounted a new row is needed. The
same applies when starting a new hole. However, to be able to use machine learning algorithm,
which is describe in chapter 4.3, the data density may need to be higher.
41
11. Design of Experiment In order to verify that the chosen tag, Xerafy Dot-iN XS, will withstand the extreme environment as
well as be readable in its positioning, a physical test was conducted to gather practical information
and knowledge. The field test analyses several aspects such as placement options, amount of
damping material and type of damping material. The figure 30 shows the first position of the tag.
Four holes on two drill bits, eight holes in total, with different dampening materials, height and width
were drilled and tested with. Since many holes were available for opportunity, LF RFID IPC02-3GL was
also tested since it had good reading properties in metal although having a less rough design . IPC03-
10 was also tested as it has a rough design and good reading ranges.
Figure 30. The first position of the tag.
In the previous studies, the tag has been placed aligned with the vertical force. In this experiment the
placement of the tag is perpendicular to the vertical force. Figure 31 shows how the force and
direction of the tag is related to each other. A theoretical assessment is that the weakest part of the
tag is the connection between the antenna (copper spiral) and the chip (black part in figure 31)
according to Pepperl+Fuch's sales engineer.
According to SmartBit and Consumable Management 1, previous RFID tags have been placed
vertically as seen in figure 31 below. Due to the direction of the shock and vibrating forces and the
design of the RFID tag, a horizontal placement of the RFID tag as seen in figure 31 was considered to
be a more suitable configuration. This would also allow for an optimal volume and utilization of
damping medium.
Figure 31. The tag and force direction.
42
Another proposal is to drill a 45 degrees angled hole closer to the bottom of the drill bit. It is
important to avoid drilling to close to the tungsten pins, as the bits structural properties might be
affected and the drilling equipment might be damaged. In order to make the tag readable in a 45-
degree hole while simultaneously leaving enough room for the dampening medium, the hole has
been designed as seen in figure 32.
Figure 32. Drawing of the 45-degree hole.
Furthermore, the placement of the tag inside the angled hole can be seen in figure 33. Two different
approaches of placing the tag have been chosen, one which is centered in the hole and one which is
placed in a more suitable way for readability. In the figure 33, the left drawing shows the placement
of theoretical higher readability and the right one is the centered. The test is made in this way to
understand if the different amount of damping material on the sides could affect the results due to
viscosity. Also, the test creates a better understanding on readability of this sort of embedded UHF
RFID tags. The red vertical dashed line represents the force direction.
Figure 33. The tag placements and force direction.
Considering the above factors, the dimensions of the holes for testing have been decided as table 10
shows. Two different damping materials with different viscosity and amount of material is tested in
the drill bit which has eight holes in order to test the different approaches in the exact same
condition.
43
Type of hole Width
[mm]
Depth [mm] Damping material 1st position 7 7,5 Sikasil® WS-605 S 1st position 7 17,5 Sikasil® WS-605 S 1st position 7 7,5 Sikasil® SG-500 1st position 7 17,5 Sikasil® SG-500
45-degree hole 12 13,5 Sikasil® WS-605 S 45-degree hole 10 10 Sikasil® WS-605 S 45-degree hole 12 13,5 Sikasil® SG-500 45-degree hole 10 10 Sikasil® SG-500
Table 10. Holes dimensions setup for test.
Two drill bits, three types of tags and two types of silicone dampening was used for the experiment
in the combination according to table 11. After injection of silicone and tags the drill bits looks
according to figure 34.
Bit Hole Tag Depth from top
[mm] Damping material
Hole
description
4 1 Xerafy Dot-iN XS 7,5 Sikasil® WS-605 S Top deep
4 2 IPC03-10 - Sikasil® WS-605 S Bottom large
4 3 Xerafy Dot-iN XS 2,5 Sikasil® WS-605 S Top shallow
4 4 Xerafy Dot-iN XS 2 Sikasil® WS-605 S Bottom small
4 5 Xerafy Dot-iN XS 7,5 Sikasil® SG-500 Top deep
4 6 IPC03-10 - Sikasil® SG-500 Bottom large
4 7 Xerafy Dot-iN XS 2,5 Sikasil® SG-500 Top shallow
4 8 Xerafy Dot-iN XS 2 Sikasil® SG-500 Bottom small
9 1 Xerafy Dot-iN XS 1 Sikasil® WS-605 S Top shallow
9 2 IPC02-3GL - Sikasil® WS-605 S Bottom small
9 3 IPC02-3GL 2 Sikasil® WS-605 S Top deep
9 4 IPC02-3GL - Sikasil® WS-605 S Bottom large
9 5 Xerafy Dot-iN XS 1 Sikasil® SG-500 Top shallow
9 6 IPC02-3GL - Sikasil® SG-500 Botten small
9 7 IPC02-3GL 2 Sikasil® SG-500 Top deep
9 8 IPC02-3GL - Sikasil® SG-500 Bottom large
Table 11. Configuration for test of inserted tags.
Figure 34. One of the two drill bits with RFID tags in holes at different positions filled with silicone.
44
To evaluate how the readability is dependable to the power output of the handheld UHF RFID reader
from Technology Solutions (UK) Ltd, 1128 Bluetooth® UHF RFID Reader with maximum 800 mW, was
tested. The tag which the measurement was conducted on was Xerafy Dot-iN XS. The reader used in
the experiment was connected via Bluetooth to a mobile phone were the amount of powe r output
could be set. Figure 35 shows the results and a linear regression line to predict the reading distance
for the maximum allowed power output in Europe, 2000 mW.
Figure 35. Test and prediction of reading distance in relation to output power with reader TSL 1128
on Xerafy Dot-iN XS tag.
From real test readings of the tags it became apparent that the UHF tags selected for the test were
greatly affected by the presence of metal. The tag itself without direct presence of metal behind the
tag gave poor reading ranges. However, placing a metal surface directly behind the tag enhanced the
read ranges significantly. This is thought to be the result of UHF radio waves reflecting from the
metal and thus enhancing the emitted signal in front of the tag. Although an increase of distance was
achieved, it was still not close to 1 m as promised by the Xerafy Dot-iN XS product specifications.
In contrast, LF tags seemed unaffected by the presence of metal, no matter the distance.
This means that for placement of tags, UHF "in-metal" should not be placed in the middle of a
silicone cylinder as first intended for damping reasons. LF tags can however be placed according to
the drawings to achieve the damping effect without any loss of reading distance.
To conclude, factors which seem to have a significant effect on the UHF Xerafy Dot-iN XS tag is:
• Amount of metal
• The distance between tag and metal surface plane
• The angle between tag and metal surface plane
Also, since LF tags were originally developed for these types of applications, the market is wider with
cheap and many solutions.
According to the product specification the operating distance for IUH-F190-V1-EU is 1000 mm,
although in practice when tests was conducted with Xerafy Dot-iN XS a distance of 50 mm was
achieved. IUH-F192-V1-FR1 was the best/strongest (2 W) reader that Pepperl+Fuchs have which
unfortunately showed shorter reading range than expected. The reading distance was at most 30
centimeters for the Xerafy Dot-iN tag with metal placed behind, which was not nearly 1 m as stated
45
in the specifications provided by Xerafy. One reason which is probably true is that the size of the
reader is too big to efficiently aim at the small target. A strong reader with a more focused inductive
field might be more appropriate.
After drilling with the modified drill bits, it quickly became apparent that the Xerafy Dot-iN XS
mounted in the top and shallow positions had the best survivability. Table 12 shows the readability of
the different tags after drilling at various depths. The tags with "-" had no readability whatsoever
after insertion into the drill bits with silicones. Tags with "0" were readable in the drill bits from the
beginning however did not survive the initial drilling sequence. The reason for why tags did not
survive was that they fell out of the drill bit holes and were lost.
Bit Hole Type of Tag Depth from
top [mm]
Damping material Hole
description
Type of
Reader
Readable #
of rods (3m) 4 1 Xerafy Dot-
iN XS
7,5 Sikasil® WS-605 S Top deep TSL 1128 -
4 2 IPC03-10 - Sikasil® WS-605 S Bottom large IPH-18GM-V1 1
4 3 Xerafy Dot-iN XS
2,5 Sikasil® WS-605 S Top shallow TSL 1128 11
4 4 Xerafy Dot-iN XS
2 Sikasil® WS-605 S Bottom small TSL 1128 1
4 5 Xerafy Dot-iN XS
7,5 Sikasil® SG-500 Top deep TSL 1128 -
4 6 IPC03-10 - Sikasil® SG-500 Bottom large IPH-18GM-V1 0
4 7 Xerafy Dot-
iN XS
2,5 Sikasil® SG-500 Top shallow TSL 1128 -
4 8 Xerafy Dot-
iN XS
2 Sikasil® SG-500 Bottom small TSL 1128 -
9 1 Xerafy Dot-iN XS
1 Sikasil® WS-605 S Top shallow TSL 1128 3
9 2 IPC02-3GL - Sikasil® WS-605 S Bottom small IPH-18GM-V1 0
9 3 IPC02-3GL 2 Sikasil® WS-605 S Top deep IPH-18GM-V1 -
9 4 IPC02-3GL - Sikasil® WS-605 S Bottom large IPH-18GM-V1 1
9 5 Xerafy Dot-
iN XS
1 Sikasil® SG-500 Top shallow TSL 1128 5
9 6 IPC02-3GL - Sikasil® SG-500 Botten small IPH-18GM-V1 0
9 7 IPC02-3GL 2 Sikasil® SG-500 Top deep IPH-18GM-V1 0
9 8 IPC02-3GL - Sikasil® SG-500 Bottom large IPH-18GM-V1 0
Table 12. Tag survivability after drill test.
Under and after the test the drill bits looked according to figure 36.
Figure 36. Reading LF tags (left). No LF tag in the bottom hole after drilling (right).
46
12 Survey outcomes The survey showed interesting results on the parameters which are most desirable to monitor. The
survey includes three different drilling applications; down-the-hole, tophammer and rotary-drilling.
Since the respondents of the survey do not work with all, the number of answers of the different
drilling methods are not equally distributed. 20 recipients of the survey gave their answers which is
considered sufficient for this study.
From the results of the survey it was found that 85% of the respondents agreed that they must have
the below parameters listed in table 13:
Service life DTH hammers
Machine model
Drilling method
Service life drill bits
Service life drill pipes
Service life adapters
Service life THE rods
Service life THE shanks
Table 13. 85% of the respondents selected 'must have' on these parameters.
Desired KPIs from two product managers from the R&D department resulted in the table 14 below.
The product managers are working with tophammer and down-the-hole drilling application, so this
table does not include some specific information according to what rotary drilling is needed in future.
Furthermore, monitoring the parameter in the table will be of great benefit when conducting
product tests.
Desired information
Drill bits Bit wear per meter Diameter before operation
Diameter after operation Pin breakages on drill bits
Penetration rate per drilling meter Error codes
Rods, pipes and adapters
Drilled meters per rod Drilled meters per pipe
Error codes
DTH hammers
Drilled meters per hammer related to service occasion and E-kit. Penetration rate per drilling meter.
Service occasion E-kit
47
Hole data Idle parameters
Drilling material maximum pressure Drilling material minimum pressure
Drilling material average pressure Equipment breakdown to hole ID
Redrilling of hole Cleansing of hole
Tool changes performed throughout hole
Hole location (GPS) Drilled meters
Related rig ID Related hammer ID
Air pressure used Fuel consumption (diesel, electricity)
Other equipment used
Flow of flushing media Lubrication
Other: Fuel consumption per drilling meter
Table 14. Desirable KPI's according to Product Managers THE and DTH.
Following figures 37-46 shows the outcome from the survey which was targeting the business line
mangers. The key performance indicators in the survey was divided into different categories with
focus on distinct types of KPIs. According to the following figure the title shows this grouping of KPIs.
Figure 37. Desirable KPIs of machine information data.
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Machine model Machine ID Drilling method Compressor capacity
Equipment
Must have Good to have Not needed N/A
48
Figure 38. Desirable KPIs to monitor availability an utilization on site.
Figure 39. Desirable KPIs to monitor productivity on site.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Miningavailability %
Machineavailability %
Machineutilization %
Number ofalarms
Machine status(working/not
working)
Time usage(tramming,
drilling,waiting, etc)
Engine hours
Availability & Utilization
Must have Good to have Not needed N/A
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Meters drilled Productivity(meters per hour)]
Penetration rate(meters per
minute)
Number of holesdrilled
Compressor hours Percussive hours
Productivity
Must have Good to have Not needed N/A
49
Figure 40. Desirable KPIs to monitor energy usage.
Figure 41. Desirable KPIs for site specified data.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Fuel burn / Energy consumption
Must have Good to have Not needed N/A
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
100%
Drill plan and site condition
Must have Good to have Not needed N/A
50
Figure 42. Desirable KPIs of product performance data.
Figure 43. Desirable KPIs of product information data.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Rock drilling tools
Must have Good to have Not needed N/A
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Product description Product number Product code Product ID/unique serialnumber
Rock drilling tools product data
Must have Good to have Not needed N/A
51
Figure 44. Desirable drilling parameters for down-the-hole drilling.
Figure 45. Desirable drilling parameters for tophammer drilling.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Drilling parameters DTH
Must have Good to have Not needed N/A
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Drilling parameters THE
Must have Good to have Not needed N/A
52
Figure 46. Desirable drilling parameters for rotary drilling.
The survey also included an investigation on how frequent this KPIs need to be delivered and
updated in the system, figure 47. The answers showed that 70% of the respondents need updates
daily or less frequent. The focus of monitoring performance, figure 48, showed that the interest in
this area is very high.
Figure 47. Desired frequency of KPIs to be delivered and updated in the system according to survey.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
Drilling parameters ROT
Must have Good to have Not needed N/A
How frequent would you like updates?
Real time Daily Weekly Other
53
Figure 48. Interest and value to monitor KPIs according to survey.
To get a better understanding and comparison on which KPIs is of highest importance to be
implemented, on the ground of the survey, the figure 49 displays a Pareto chart which ranks the KPIs
on number of respondents that have answered “must have”.
How valuable is it for your customers to monitor performance?
0 1 2 3 4 5
54
Figure 49. Comparison of number of “must have” on the 83 KPIs according to survey.
55
13 Flow and model assessment A great tool for comparing the different approaches presented in the previous chapters, is to assess
the critical failure modes associated with each design. Risk priority number (RPN) is an effective tool
for this. In the RPN analysis, probability, severity and detection possibilities have been categorized
from 1 to 4 to have a reference grading scale seen as table 15. The RPN is then calculated as a
multiplication of these, making the most critical failure modes stand out in table 16.
Probability Severity Detection
1 1% 1 Acceptable 1 Automatic notification
2 10% 2 Tolerable 2 Moderate detection possibility (manual inspection) 3 50% 3 Bad 3 Difficult to detect
4 90% 4 Critical 4 Impossible to detect Table 15. Scale for RPN grading.
Failure mode Probability Severity
Detection possibility
RPN
Inserted RFID
The tag turns 1 2 4 8
The tag gets destroyed 2 4 4 32
The tag flies out (from top pos.)
1 4 2 8
The tag flies out (from bottom pos.)
3 4 2 24
The tag can dig deeper into the silicone
2 2 4 16
Drill bit properties suffer
2 4 3 24
Surface inscription
The inscription gets worn out
4 4 2 32
Bad lighting causes unreadability
2 2 2 8
The inscription is dirty 4 3 2 24
Drill bit properties suffer
2 4 3 24
Re-attachable tag
Lost tag 2 3 2 12 Tag battery is depleted
1 3 2 6
Damaged tag 2 3 2 12 Destroyed tag 1 4 2 8
Adhesive label
Label gets lost 1 4 2 8
Label gets destroyed 2 4 2 16 Label gets dirty and not readable
3 2 2 12
Printer runs out of labels or ink
3 4 1 12
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Data
Data is not sent 1 4 1 4
Operator mistreats procedure
2 4 2 16
Wrong data is presented
1 4 4 16
Presented data is misinterpreted
1 3 3 9
Data mismatch between sources
1 4 1 4
Time stamp latency 3 2 1 6 Data intrusion 1 4 2 8
Faulting manual inputted data
2 3 3 18
Changes in raw data 1 4 4 16
Faulting algorithmic calculation
1 4 2 8
Data storage issues 1 4 1 4
Slow response form interface
1 2 1 2
Data frequency too high
1 2 2 4
Data frequency too low
2 3 2 12
Not accurate raw data received
2 3 3 18
Issues with data classification
1 3 2 6
Table 16. RPN analysis.
13.1 Final method comparison
To get a conclusive comparison between the four approaches, a full view including all aspects was
constructed as can be seen in table 17. For each category, points were awarded to the approaches in
a grading system that ranges from (-5) to 5. The result can be seen in figure 50.
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Table 17. Grading of the four approaches.
Figure 50. Resulting total comparison of the four approaches.
Inserted RFID Re-attachable RFID Adhesive QR+RFID Surface inscription
Benefits 27 23 19 9
Drawbacks -20 -11 -16 -30
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
Total comparison
58
14. Discussion and conclusion This chapter discusses and concludes the findings of this project. Moreover, recommendations for
future work is provided to make the best use from the lessons of this project.
14.1 Discussion From investigating currently used methods for product identification in the industry, conducting a
deep study on various technologies available on the market today and from discussions with
employees from different roles, this report has recognized four approaches for successful digital
product identification.
Three of these approaches are based on joining products with tags that can be identified by
electronical equipment. The fourth approach involves modification to the surface of products to
make them identifiable by optical equipment. There are numerous factors to consider when
comparing the approaches due to the widely different characteristics following. An all -conclusive
comparison was constructed to explore all possible benefits and drawbacks that could be thought of
for each approach. This however should only serve as an initial basis for further decision making as
there can be a multitude of factors which have been mixed or changed since the writing of this
report. Moreover, some of the factors were graded on estimation and are possible to alter if this
would be motivated by more detailed investigations.
Several tag types have been explored in this project, each type with different characteristics. Passive
RFID has in the major part of the project been favorized since it is one of the cheaper, simpler,
smaller and more robust alternatives. Moreover, RFID is compatible with other projects at Epiroc. If
other properties would be more desirable in the future, other alternatives such as BLE and UWB are
also presented in this report. The mission of this project however is first of all to find a method of
identification and RFID is sufficient for this purpose.
Methods to modify the surface of drill bits have also been investigated and discussed through out this
project. Companies exist today which mark QR-codes onto the surfaces of tools although due to the
nature of drill bits working conditions, skepticism has formed around the survivability and readability
of this option. Simpler alternatives for coding data matrix codes have been investigated and could be
a possibility, although no simple existing solution has been found. This means that a system for
coding and decoding information must be invented which was outside the scope of this project. If a
system to read very simple data matrix codes would in the future be found or invented, it could be
interesting to test the readability of such an inscription on a drill bit, to see how wear, dirt and
contrast affects the reading possibilities.
In addition to the above motivation for RFID, the benchmark study presented cases on how RFID was
the most widely used solution in other areas with similar asset tracking purposes. The more
advanced and active technologies such as Wi-Fi, UWB and BLE is mostly applied in areas where asset
location tracking is important to have in real time, whereas for this project registration of the
products are only needed at certain events.
Dealing with PEDs that emit radio signals was not considered a major problem in this project.
Regulation differences between counties is only an issue for RFID. Moreover, the regulations only
cover RFID tags and not readers, which means that a unified distribution of drill bits and other
equipment can be applied. The readers are however restricted to different frequencies depending on
region. The logistics of readers must therefore be transparent to ensure that no regulations are
violated. In some cases, this can be tricky if readers are moved between regions. This can after all be
59
considered a lesser problem, since there will be a lot less readers in circulation in relation to other
products.
From comparing different RFID readers and discussions with the Pepperl+Fuchs sales technician, we
learned that reading possibilities were much dependent on output power of the reading device.
Therefore, the drill bits with inserted LF and UHF RFID tags were tested with Pepperl -Fuchs strongest
reader, IUH-F192-V1-FR1, in hope to achieve greater reading distances. Despite this, the smaller and
weaker reader IPH-18GM-V1 gave better readings of the tags. This is thought because since the
reader is smaller it has better accessibility and can therefore reach closer to the tags than the larger
reader could. Moreover, the sales technician explained that the smaller reader emits a more focused
magnetic field.
When testing the readability of RFID tags from Xerafy, it soon became clear that read ranges were
lower than the ones stated in the suppliers' specifications. This was a major drawback since the
approaches including RFID relied much on good reading possibilities.
From the theoretical research we had previously learned that UHF tags can be amplified by utilizing
metal surfaces as mirrors to reflect the radio waves to their advantage. From reading test with the
Pepperl+Fuchs sales technician, we also discovered that the Xerafy Dot-iN XS had significantly
enhanced reading distance possibilities when placed directly onto a metal surface. Our theory is that
the metal surface behaves like an extension of the tags antenna when in direct contact with the UFH
tags. The silicone damping solution between the tag and metal surface of the drill bits therefore had
a diminishing effect on the readability. For future test it might be better to have UHF tags in direkt
contact with the drill bit surfaces.
In the drilling test, the Xerafy Dot-iN XS with placement in the shallow top positions had the best
survivability. This might be because of the protection received from the equipment surrounding the
bits in combination with shock forces from a beneficial direction. It is unclear if the silicone medium
had the intended damping effect since the tags that failed did so because the fell out of their holes
and were lost. Moreover, the readings were made with some difficulty probably because of silicone
between the tag and the metal surface.
The focus for this project was on drill bits for down-the-hole blast mining applications which is the
most extreme environment for inserted tags. Therefore, the results gathered from the field test gives
an understanding of implementation possibilities of the same type of tag in other products and
applications.
The respondents on the survey agreed that performance monitoring is more or less important for
customers, meaning a positive attitude from customers towards implementation of new methods is
likely if performance monitoring can be improved. An interesting comment however from one of the
business line managers based in Africa was that the volume mining customers valued performance
monitoring more than quarry customers, which are more attracted by price and support.
The survey showed very good and verifying results as many of the parameters which were selected
as 'must have' of 85% of the respondents, were parameters which could be achieved from digital
product identifications. Service life can be determined by connecting product ID with drilling
parameters like actual drill time. Drilling method could be determined by knowing what type of
product/products are mounted in the rig. Drill bit OD for new bi ts and product description can
directly be retrieved from knowing the product ID. This shows that this project is of high interest and
further justifies future work on this project.
60
Only 30% of the survey respondents answered that they need updates in real time. This means that if
large data amounts become a problem in the future, there might be a possibility to be more selective
of who needs real time data.
The survey was sent out to the global mail group which includes all Business Line Manager. Out of a ll
recipients, 20 chose to respond to the survey. The credibility of the results from the survey can be
discussed due to the low response rate. However, because of the wide variety in background of the
respondents, the results can be seen as a statistical representation.
According to the data collection model, we have suggested the data will be connected from the
different systems in a late stage of the process. The information regarding the ID on product and rig
will be joined on site but the performance data will be connected to this ID data in the interface later
on. In this way we will only store the raw data and join this data together when and how the user
wants it to be presented in the interactive user interface. One benefit of just storing the raw data is
that it will be easy to adjust algorithms for calculating different KPIs and process machine learning
algorithms to for example understand when the rig is drilling and when a rod change happens.
The more expensive tag technologies like BLE and UWB tend to cost more and therefore some kind
of recycling might be solution to reduce costs. The quick release clamps introduced in chapter 10.2.1
opens up a wider arrange of options to join products with tags for digital identification of products.
The clamps can be fitted with more complex tracking devices as a result of lower shock resistance
requirements in combination with larger surface attachment. Since the quick release clamps are not
product specific, they can be reused to other products once products reach the endings of their
lifecycles, meaning that more expensive tags could be acquired while lowering total costs. Larger
RFID tags with greater emitting strengths can be fitted onto the clamps for quick and easy
identification of products.
The clamps could in theory be fitted with BLE devices if they are sturdy enough. This would be a great
advantage in logistical appliances as mesh networks could be formed and instantly provide valuable
overviews of current stock levels. The Bluvision BLE tags reviewed previously in this report, have
tamper-proof functions which alerts the owner when the tag is detached from the surface of a
product, which could be useful as an automatic indication of mounting/dismounting bits on/off the
rigs.
UWB tags could be fitted onto the quick release clamps to achieve great locating capabilities if
products are lost at site. Dig sites in Australia have in previous occasions experienced drill bits being
lost in drill holes only to be found later on destroying graveling machinery. This could be prevented
by locating the bits using the UWB tags. However, if the drill bits are lost during drilling when the tags
have been detached from the bits, the UWB will not do much help.
The RPN analysis indicated that the approaches with the largest failure possibilities and
consequences are related to inserted RFID and surface inscription. The acceptance level of the RPN
might be discussed however a value of 24 and above was considered alarming in this report. These
failure modes should be considered before choosing one of the methods to investigate if they can be
reduced. The RPN analysis is however based on current method setup conditions and estimations
and will show a different result if the setup is changed. If for example a stronger bindi ng medium
would be used in the inserted tag approach, there will of course be no chance of the tag turning and
thus lowering the RPN number for inserted tags.
If a higher level of transparency scanning could be made before and after a reparation in order to
understand where the product is in the chain. This is, however, not compulsory for understanding
61
the product performance but it could serve as a part of understanding the duration of service on
different products on different sites.
The four recognized approaches are provided as basis for further decision making. Since many factors
must be considered for a project in this magnitude, it is better to have alternatives. If one
approaches might for instance be disregarded because of production limitations, too large
investment or by customer opposition, the other presented approaches might still be applicable. This
report should therefore serve as a basis for future decision making.
This area of automatic identification technology is in fast development. In the close future it is likely
to see reduced prices in components or possibly new technologies invented for tagging. With this in
mind, it might be relevant to reconsider this project in the future, to check if circumstances have
changed.
No calculations on the dynamic system of damping material have been made due to its complexity. A
too small cylinder of silicone will not have the damping abilities which are expected. A too large
cylinder of silicone will have better shock absorbing properties although i t might create mechanical
resonance and cause violent oscillations which can break, turn or loose the tag. The optimal cylinder
of silicone damping could in theory be calculated as any Newtonian fluid subjected to forces.
However, due to the complexity and unpredictability of the system, heavy simulations and extensive
research and more resources would be needed for a valid result. KTH professors within fluid
mechanics were contacted for their input regarding this matter although none of the recipients
chose to answer, probably because they also found it to complex address. Therefore, the test was
designed with different hole depths to give an indication of possible adjustment.
The final comparison presented in chapter 13.1 was based on a debate with our supervisor for this
project. For example: The re-attachable concept is very feasible for a big range of the products
although needs some manual interaction from the operator. To minimize the risk of operational
errors when taking off or putting on tags on products the operator needs to be aware of the
connection status between the tag and the RCS with some type of notification system. With the
learnings throughout this project, along with our supervisors' broad expertise, the comparison should
provide a realistic result. With this said, the comparison might show other results if the debate would
in the future include other participants with their view and judgement.
14.2 Conclusion The project concludes on four different approaches for digital identification of products:
1. Inserted tags
2. Re-attachable tags
3. Adhesive labels
4. Surface inscription
The first three tagging approaches includes joining products with other equipment. For this it was
concluded that RFID shows most potential in real implementation.
With all aspects considered, Re-attachable tags should be most promising for further research.
Moreover, due to variations in size and mechanical characteristics of other products within Epiroc’s
rock drilling tools, some tools might be limited to some solutions. Therefore, a combination of two
approaches might be an optimal solution.
In the PoC, the tags placed in the top positions showed the best survivability. It was however unclear
if the damping medium had any effect since the failed tags were lost in the dril led hole.
62
Xerafy Dot-iN XS was selected as the most promising tag to insert into drill bits. Greater reading
distances were achieved by placing the tags on metal, however only about 30 cm was achieved in
comparison with the 1 m according to the product specifications.
Some of the products characteristics could make it impossible to apply a certain method to a certain
product. Figure 51 shows the amount of the product range on which the different methods could be
suitable for, where adhesive labels cover the entire product range.
Figure 51. Amount of the product range which is suitable for certain methods.
14.3 Future work With automatic identification and data capture of the relevant performance indicators it will be
possible to gather information on general performance in different situations. This information will in
the first state assist stakeholders with offline decision making in order to better understand the
products. However, in future work real time data transfer and data models could provide automated
decision making possible. An automated decision-making system could, in the future, both retrieve
and send information to the rig in order to provide decision making on site instant. However, to
make this possible the identification method needs to be integrated without any manual handling
and the connectivity and data transfer need to be state of the art. The ongoing development on 5G
could be a possible technology within the connectivity and data transfer to make instant transfers to
a central data source.
The central data source along with central data models with technology such as machine learning will
therefore be able to act on historical data to make the best possible decision in certain situation.
Therefore, big data handling will be a factor which need to be adopted for instant actions on site.
Full transparency throughout the rig and tools lifetime will also give an assessment of when a
product is use in the right way or not. This insight can help improve the assistance work to
customers.
So, in future work these could be possible questions to answer:
- How could a technology such as 5G provide instant transfer and connectivity of data to and
from a site?
- How could performance monitoring be increased with new sensor technologies?
- What is the requirement for automated big data capturing and sending?
- Which technologies could be feasible for data modeling in order to process large data
amount within reasonably speed? Machine learning?
- How could the architecture of a feasible automated decision-making system be?
Adhesive
Re-attachable
Surface inscription
Inserted
63
For a future test of inserting tags into drill bits, the design should be as illustrated in figure 52 below.
This strategic positioning in combination with a much stronger sealant to keep the tag in its position
should have better survivability and readability.
Figure 52. Illustration of how Xerafy Dot-iN XS should be placed for future tests.
[mm]
64
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65
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70
Appendix
1 Tag comparison One part of this project is to investigate which type of tags and readers are available on the market.
Moreover, this comparison based the key parameter which was needed for the most opti mal tag.
The figure below shows different technologies and tags with technical specification.
Bra
nd
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ni-
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mn
i-id
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nfi
de
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on
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bal
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du
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o 4
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t 22
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on
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e M
icro
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T-IN
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ep
t 40
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ltB
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ini T
amp
er
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c B
eac
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y
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ve U
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assi
ve U
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ve U
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ve U
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LE
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ip (
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ype)
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z
US
902-
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MH
z
866-
868
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z (E
U)
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z (U
S)
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)
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z
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z
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ert
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ss P
rote
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emp
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ture
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ud
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um
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x 5,
5 m
mØ
6 x
2,5
mm
36 x
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x 13
,5 m
mØ
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x 20
mm
Ø 3
4,2
x 8,
35 m
mØ
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x 8,
4 m
m
W
eig
ht
5,7
g0,
6 g
4,3
g0.
34 g
58g
21 g
28
g-
L
ifet
ime
Pas
sive
Pas
sive
Pas
sive
Pas
sive
Pas
sive
Pas
sive
4 ye
ars
1 ye
ar
C
ost
Est
ima
te (
SEK
)96
,64
kr56
,51
kr72
,07
kr42
,59
kr11
8,76
kr
156,
00 k
r15
5,61
kr
182,
16 k
r
C
om
men
tsO
n m
eta
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n m
eta
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n m
eta
lIn
me
tal
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me
tal
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eta
lSe
nso
rs c
om
pat
ible
R
an
ge
4m/2
m2,
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4m
EU: U
p t
o 5
m
US:
Up
to
4 m
1,5m
/1m
EU: U
p t
o 3
m/1
.2m
US:
Up
to
4.5
m/1
,8m
Up
to
2 m
150
m90
m
Bra
nd
HID
Xe
rafy
Pe
pp
erl
-Fu
chs
Pe
pp
erl
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chs
HID
Extr
on
ics
Zeb
ra
Pro
du
ctIr
on
Tag
206
FX
plo
rer
IPC
02-3
GL
IPC
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1T2
Dar
tTag
Typ
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assi
ve U
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assi
ve U
HF
RFI
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assi
ve L
F R
FID
Pas
sive
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RFI
DP
assi
ve H
F R
FID
Wi-
fiA
ctiv
e U
WB
Ch
ip (
IC T
ype)
Mo
nza
XA
lie
n H
iggs
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EM44
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itan
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DE
SLIX
(2)
-
-
F
req
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z
(W
orl
dw
ide
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902-
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MH
z (U
S)
865-
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MH
z (E
U)
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kHz
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Hz
2.4
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z, 1
25 k
Hz
6.35
- 6
.75
GH
z
S
ho
ckIE
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8.2.
6
[10
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0 to
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z,
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]
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FIE
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6
-
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8ms,
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x]
--
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tio
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[40
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MIL
-STD
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-
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[10g
, 10…
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Hz,
3
axis
, 2.5
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--
In
gre
ss P
rote
ctio
nIP
68/I
P69
K (
30 s
ek)
IP 6
9KIP
68IP
67IP
68IP
65IP
67
T
emp
era
ture
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to
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° C
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C t
o +
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° C
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to
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° C
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C t
o +
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-40°
C t
o 7
0°C
Si
ze31
x 3
1 x
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mm
Ø 2
8,3
x 8,
5Ø
13
x 3,
15 m
mØ
13
x 3,
15 m
mØ
16
x 3
mm
62 x
40
x 17
mm
Ø40
mm
x 2
0 m
m
W
eig
ht
13 g
25.4
g0,
22 g
1 g
1 g
35g
20 g
L
ifet
ime
War
ran
ty: 2
Ye
ars
Pas
sive
(50
ye
ars)
Pas
sive
Pas
sive
Pas
sive
4 ye
ars
7 ye
ars
C
ost
Est
ima
te (
SEK
)37
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7,29
kr
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0 kr
-
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om
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t: IE
C 6
2262
-
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Axi
al /
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e: 8
00 N
/ 5
00
N, 1
0 se
c
In m
eta
lIn
me
tal
In m
eta
l
--
-
R
an
ge
2 m
1,5m
--
34 c
m20
0m(o
ut)
/80m
(in
)20
0m
71
2 Matrix barcode developed In order to test the feasibility of a more suitable two-dimensional barcode, the below code was made
to calculate the four different quadrants separate based on the placement of the borders. The
algorithm is not optimized, and the code is a proof of concept without a separate reading device to
decode the algorithm.
Option Explicit Sub CheckCode() Dim i As Long Dim j As Long 'Control only the B2:C3 cube Dim BottomGreen As Long Dim LeftGreen As Long Dim DigUpGreen As Long Dim DigDownGreen As Long Dim BottomYellow As Long Dim LeftYellow As Long Dim DigUpYellow As Long Dim DigDownYellow As Long Dim BottomBlue As Long Dim LeftBlue As Long Dim DigUpBlue As Long Dim DigDownBlue As Long Dim BottomRed As Long Dim LeftRed As Long Dim DigUpRed As Long Dim DigDownRed As Long Dim Green As Long Dim Yellow As Long Dim Blue As Long Dim Red As Long CodeVBA.Cells(1, 3).ClearContents 'Green BottomGreen = 1 LeftGreen = 2 DigUpGreen = 4 DigDownGreen = 8 For i = 2 To 2 For j = 2 To 3 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlEdgeBottom).LineStyle <> xlNone Then BottomGreen = BottomGreen + 1 End If Next j Next i
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For i = 2 To 3 For j = 3 To 3 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlEdgeLeft).LineStyle <> xlNone Then LeftGreen = LeftGreen + 1 End If Next j Next i For i = 2 To 3 For j = 2 To 3 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlDiagonalUp).LineStyle <> xlNone Then DigUpGreen = DigUpGreen + 1 End If Next j Next i For i = 2 To 3 For j = 2 To 3 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlDiagonalDown).LineStyle <> xlNone Then DigDownGreen = DigDownGreen + 1 End If Next j Next i 'End green 'Yellow BottomYellow = 1 LeftYellow = 2 DigUpYellow = 4 DigDownYellow = 8 For i = 4 To 4 For j = 2 To 3 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlEdgeBottom).LineStyle <> xlNone Then BottomYellow = BottomYellow + 1 End If Next j Next i For i = 4 To 5 For j = 3 To 3 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlEdgeLeft).LineStyle <> xlNone Then LeftYellow = LeftYellow + 1 End If Next j Next i For i = 4 To 5 For j = 2 To 3 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlDiagonalUp).LineStyle <> xlNone Then DigUpYellow = DigUpYellow + 1 End If
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Next j Next i For i = 4 To 5 For j = 2 To 3 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlDiagonalDown).LineStyle <> xlNone Then DigDownYellow = DigDownYellow + 1 End If Next j Next i 'End Yellow 'Blue BottomBlue = 1 LeftBlue = 2 DigUpBlue = 4 DigDownBlue = 8 For i = 2 To 2 For j = 4 To 5 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlEdgeBottom).LineStyle <> xlNone Then BottomBlue = BottomBlue + 1 End If Next j Next i For i = 2 To 3 For j = 5 To 5 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlEdgeLeft).LineStyle <> xlNone Then LeftBlue = LeftBlue + 1 End If Next j Next i For i = 2 To 3 For j = 4 To 5 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlDiagonalUp).LineStyle <> xlNone Then DigUpBlue = DigUpBlue + 1 End If Next j Next i For i = 2 To 3 For j = 4 To 5 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlDiagonalDown).LineStyle <> x lNone Then DigDownBlue = DigDownBlue + 1 End If Next j Next i 'End Blue 'Red BottomRed = 1
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LeftRed = 2 DigUpRed = 4 DigDownRed = 8 For i = 4 To 4 For j = 4 To 5 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlEdgeBottom).LineStyle <> xlNone Then BottomRed = BottomRed + 1 End If Next j Next i For i = 4 To 5 For j = 5 To 5 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlEdgeLeft).LineStyle <> xlNone Then LeftRed = LeftRed + 1 End If Next j Next i For i = 4 To 5 For j = 4 To 5 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlDiagonalUp).LineStyle <> xlNone Then DigUpRed = DigUpRed + 1 End If Next j Next i For i = 4 To 5 For j = 4 To 5 If CodeVBA.Range(Cells(i, j), Cells(i, j)).Borders(xlDiagonalDown).LineStyle <> xlNone Then DigDownRed = DigDownRed + 1 End If Next j Next i 'End Red 'CodeVBA.Cells(1, 3).Clear 'CodeVBA.Cells(1, 3) = BottomGreen * LeftGreen * DigUpGreen * DigDownGreen * BottomYellow * LeftYellow * DigUpYellow * DigDownYellow * BottomBlue * LeftBlue * DigUpBlue * DigDownBlue * BottomRed * LeftRed * DigUpRed * DigDownRed Green = BottomGreen + LeftGreen ^ DigUpGreen + DigDownGreen Yellow = BottomYellow ̂ LeftYellow * DigUpYellow + DigDownYellow Blue = BottomBlue ̂ LeftBlue + DigUpBlue + DigDownBlue Red = BottomRed * LeftRed ^ DigUpRed + DigDownRed CodeVBA.Cells(1, 3) = Green & Yellow & Blue & Red End Sub
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3 Survey The survey which was sent out to the business line managers in order to receive some important
intel of performance monitoring and KPIs is presented below.
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4. Specification of damping material Specification of the two damping material which was used in the field test is presented below. The
sheets can be found at Sikas website.
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https://swe.sika.com/dms/getdocument.get/1ab2d5aa-f963-31f9-8540-1cddeb1b4afe/Sikasil%20SG-
500%20PB.pdf
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https://swe.sika.com/dms/getdocument.get/3d7a9b14-34a1-3ce6-b989-
362b6ae16bfa/Sikasil%20WS-605%20S%20PB.pdf
TRITA ITM-EX 2018:454
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