Ubisense Smart Factory installed at Daimler

Since the beginning of July 2013, Ubisense Smart Factory is in production on the Mercedes S-class assembly line in Sindelfingen, Germany. In a pilot phase, the system was tested and integrated with the DC tools in two line segments. The remaining stations were then equipped and all the DC tools were integrated in the subsequent step, which went live in July.

Smart Factory is used in the Sindelfingen plant to identify vehicles and assets on the final assembly line and to control tools based on their position. Linked to the vehicle ID, the real-time tracking data is also transferred to other systems in the production facility, so machine operators always know which particular vehicle is arriving at a station—even on those line segments where conventional vehicle sensing systems cannot be used. Cumbersome, manual scanning processes are thus eliminated, vehicles and tools are matched automatically and the correct tool programs are loaded at the respective work stations. As a result, unproductive assembly time is reduced significantly and errors that can occur with manual processes are avoided.

Smart Factory is integrated seamlessly with the car manufacturer’s PLUS manufacturing execution system and allows for a direct control of the DC tools via the Atlas Copco Open Protocol. In the full roll-out, devices and tools provided by other vendors are also controlled via the real-time location data. The system was implemented by Ubisense together with Atlas Copco, who have a strategic partnership since 2009.

Ubisense Product Spotlight

Ubisense Series 9000 Compact Tag
Korean-certified compact location tag for personnel and assets

Specifications

Dimensions: 38mm x 38mm x 16.5 mm

Weight: 25g (0.9oz)

Temperature: Standard -20 C to 60 C (-4 F to 140 F)

Humidity: 0 to 95%, non-condensing

Overview

The Ubisense Series 9000 Korean-certified Compact Tag is a small, rugged device that, when attached to assets or worn by people, allows them to be located to an accuracy of 15cm in 3D in real time. It is designed for use in a variety of different environments, including industrial sites. In addition to its tracking capabilities, it includes additional features such as an LED for easy identification, a motion detector to instantly activate a stationary tag and a push button to trigger events.

Qualities

• Accurate location: The tag transmits ultra-wideband (UWB) radio pulses which can be used by the Ubisense location system to find its position to within 15cm in 3D.
• Two-way communication: Ubisense tags employ a unique dual-radio architecture- in addition to the one-way UWB radio used for tracking, tags have a conventional bi=-directional 2.4 GHz radio for control and telemetry.
• Flexible update rates: The Ubisense software platform allows the tag's update rate to be dynamically and automatically varied depending on the tag activity. When stationary, tags sleep to conserve power, an inbuilt motion detector ensure the tag transmits again when moved.
• User interaction features: The tag has a button to provide context-sensitive input to interactive applications.
• Long battery life: The tag's low current consumption and power management techniques result in long battery lifetimes. It has an expected lifetime of over four years, depending on application characteristics.
• Rugged and adaptable: The Compact Tag is designed to be rugged for use in harsh industrial environments. It is mechanically robust, dust and water resistant, and can be securely mounted using a variety of attachment mechanisms.

Ubisense Product Spotlight

Ubisense Series 7000 Trimode Tag
Ruggedized location tag for indoor and outdoor asset location

Specifications

Dimensions: 71mm x 64mm x 47mm
Weight: 4.5 oz
Temperature: -20 C to 85 C (-4 F to 185 F)
Humidity: 0 to 95%, non condensing
Operating range: Ultra-wideband link: Up to 160m*/2.4 GHz link: Over 300m (with directional antenna on receiver)

*Dependent on system configuration and environment

Overview

The Ubisense Trimode Tag is a small, rugged device that can be attached to assets, allowing them to located both indoors and outdoors using GPS, 2.4GHz signals (to presence-level accuracy) and/or ultra-wideband technology (to an accuracy of 15cm in 3D in real-time). It is specifically designed for use in sites where assets need to be located precisely indoors and approximately outdoors (e.g. vehicle at an assembly plant). In addition to its tracking capabilities, it includes additional features such as three LEDs for easy status identification, a motion detector to instantly activate a stationary tag and a push button to trigger events.

Qualities

• Rugged and adaptable: mechanically robust, dust and water resistant, and it can be securely mounted using a variety of attachment mechanisms.
• Long battery life: The low current consumption and power management techniques result in long battery lifetimes. Status reports and alters make maintenance easy, and batteries are technician-replaceable.
• User interaction features: The tag has a button to provide context-sensitive input to interactive applications.
• Flexible update rates: The Ubisense software platform allows the tag's update rate to be dynamically and automatically varied depending on the tag activity. When stationary, tags sleep to conserve power, an inbuilt motion detector ensure the tag transmits again when moved.
• Two-way communication: The tag's two-way 2.4GHz communication capability allows the Ubisense system to dynamically manage the tag's update rate, flash the tag's LEDs, report battery status and button presses, and wirelessly reprogram the tag to enable new features.

New Ubisense Tag Module puts precise ultra-wide band (UWB) tracking at the heart of third-party products

Ubisense, the global leader in precise Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS), reveals the new Ubisense Tag Module. Designed for direct integration into third-party devices, the Ubisense Tag Module is the first ultra-wide band (UWB) location tracking device certified in the US, Canada and the EU.

The new Ubisense Tag Module is an advanced version of the standard Ubisense location-tracking tag, which is used for tracking people and assets and managing critical production processes by organisations such as BMW, Airbus, Aston Martin and the US Army. It transmits UWB radio signals that allow the Ubisense location system to find its position in real-time to within 15cm in 3D, dependent on system configuration and environment.

The Ubisense Tag Module measures only 24.5mm x 24.5mm x 9.1mm, and its design allows it to be integrated into and receive power from a host device, letting third-parties ‘location-enable’ their products with ease. It has received Modular Certification in the US, Canada and EU, so integrators do not need to perform expensive and time-consuming UWB emissions testing on their final products. Furthermore, its data port allows the host device to transfer information bi-directionally to and from other systems via the Tag Module’s wireless link.

“We are delighted to announce immediate availability of the Ubisense Tag Module,” says Andy Ward, Chief Technology Officer at Ubisense. “We’re very excited about the new opportunities that this component will offer our customers, who can now include precision location tracking capability directly into their products. And since integrators can send simple telemetry to and from their products via the Tag Module’s wireless link, they don’t need to include a separate radio module in their system for that purpose.”

Ubisense has also introduced a Module Development Research Kit, to support integrators who are considering location-enabling their products. The package includes Tag Modules, sensors, software and documentation – everything necessary to allow experimentation with the Ubisense Tag Module.

Ubisense launches Intrinsically Safe location tracking tags for personnel safety in the Oil and Gas industry.

Ubisense, the global leader in precise Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS), announces that its Intrinsically Safe (IS) Tag has been awarded ATEX and UL913 (HAZLOC) certification for use within potentially explosive environments, and is immediately available as part of Ubisense’s Plant Access Manager personnel safety solution.

Ubisense has developed small, rugged devices designed for tracking personnel and objects in hazardous industrial environments, such as mines or petrochemical refineries, where the atmosphere can be potentially explosive. Devices used within these volatile areas must be certified to show that their components cannot produce or hold enough energy to create dangerous sparks. Extensive testing has demonstrated that the Ubisense IS Tag meets the UL913 (HAZLOC) and ATEX intrinsic safety requirements applicable, respectively, to the US and European Union.

Using the new IS Tag, the Ubisense Plant Access Manager RTLS safety solution can locate personnel and equipment to an accuracy of up to 15cm in 3D. This level of performance enables accurate location of personnel in emergency situations, ensuring employee safety during evacuation and pinpointing individuals who may be trapped or in need of assistance.

S3 ID, the world leader in oil and gas personnel location, provides mustering, tracking and hazard preparedness solutions for their customers such as bp, Shell and Statoil. “S3 ID views the Ubisense RTLS as a key part of personnel mustering systems in challenging environments,” said S3 ID CEO, Derek Gennard. “We have been successfully testing this product for the past two years within our systems, in a variety of applications, and will be using it in a number of solutions for well-known petrochemical organisations.”

“We are delighted that the Ubisense equipment has achieved such a high level of certification,” commented Andy Ward, Ubisense Chief Technology Officer. “We already have a number of large contracts with petrochemical and mining customers for this product, and we look forward to deploying these mission-critical employee safety solutions.”