Posts tagged ‘RFID’
Merrick Systems Signs Partnership Agreement with Cognex
Merrick Systems announced a new partnership agreement with Cognex, provider of industrial ID readers. Under this agreement, Merrick serves as a Partner System Integrator (PSI) for Cognex, incorporating the Cognex DataMan ID products into its own RFID-Based technology solutions for asset tracking in oil and gas operations.
Launched in 2007, Merrick’s ruggedized RFID-based asset tracking solution includes the RFID Diamond Tags, along with DynaCap2 software and its different modules, to track high value oil and gas assets in downhole, subsea and surface operations. Combined with DynaCap2 or any in-house asset management system, the Diamond Tags allow immediate operational access to asset use and inspection history, physical properties, preventative maintenance schedules and any information desired about an asset. Designed to track downhole drilling components, Merrick’s Diamond Tags can withstand extreme conditions typical of drilling environments, including high temperatures and high pressures, and are certified for Class 1, Div 1 or Zone 1 use.
Cognex’s DataMan readers complement Merrick’s RFID Diamond Tags by adding Direct Product Marking (DPM) technologies, such as Data Matrix 2D barcodes, for tracking assets and processes in extremely harsh oil and gas manufacturing environments. Cognex image handheld and fixed readers allow Merrick’s clients to track work cell activities and product location during the manufacturing processes. Data Matrix 2D codes are scanned and decoded using DataMan readers. The data are then processed by Merrick’s DynaCap2 software to track the total lifecycle traceability of raw materials and assembly steps for finished goods.
“Adding Cognex’s award winning DataMan industrial ID family of products to our asset tracking solution allows Merrick to expand the capabilities of our system and serve a wider audience of users with varied needs. Cognex’s ID readers meet the highest quality standards and are a natural addition to Merrick’s asset tracking system, which pioneered the use of RFID technology in the harsh environments of oil and gas drilling and subsea operations,” stated Kemal Farid, CEO of Merrick Systems.
Savi Unveils RFID Solution to Improve Safety
Savi Technology, a division of Lockheed Martin, has released a new Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) application to improve safety. Savi’s SmartChain® solution can now be leveraged by the oil and gas industry to improve supply chain and work-related activities, reduce downtime, and provide a consolidated view of real-time data to make better decisions.
The SmartChain release automates information on the status and integrity of assets and products as well as the safety of personnel throughout the oil and gas value chain, including exploration and production, refining and distribution operations. The announcement was made at the annual RFID Live! Conference in Orlando, Florida. “Real-Time visibility and management of equipment and personnel can minimize operational downtime and failures,” Savi’s Steven Clarke pointed out during his presentation in the Oil and Gas track.
SmartChain is enterprise-level software that optimizes operational readiness, improves asset utilization and minimizes unplanned events by providing actionable information on the location and status of assets such as Cargo Carrying Units (CCUs), rail cars, tools and drill pipe. SmartChain also monitors the integrity of mission-critical equipment such as pipelines and the status of products and personnel in refineries.
“Not having the right tool at an offshore platform or oil rig can actually shut down the whole process for a day or two, costing tens of millions of dollars,” said Dr. Ben Zoghi, an engineering professor at Texas A&M University and director of the RFID Oil and Gas Consortium. “RFID technology solutions can solve new challenges faced in the petroleum industry by helping companies more effectively utilize assets at a time of high oil demand worldwide and constrained capacities, as well as detect potential system failures and locate personnel in times of crisis.”
“Already proven in the world’s largest and most complex supply chains, our SmartChain solution can revolutionize the efficiency and effectiveness of Oil and Gas operations by providing true end-to-end visibility,” said Savi CEO David Stephens. “SmartChain for the petroleum industry draws on two decades of experience providing complete wireless supply chain solutions, coupled with domain and technology expertise from our partners.”
Stephens emphasized that the SmartChain solution also can be adapted and applied to the chemical, energy, utility, mining and defense supplier industries, all of which have related challenges around the management of assets, yard equipment, inventory, personnel and safety.
FMC Deploys Next-Generation RFID Technology
FMC Technologies is developing next-generation RFID technologies for tracking its products from the wellsite to the service center with the help of the Oil & Gas RFID Solution Group (OGR). The RFID tags attached to the physical assets provide a means of automating the identification process and dramatically decreases the time it takes to process equipment into and out of the field. They replace an old identification methodology of engraved serial numbers on metal bands that required reorientation of heavy objects and careful inspection of the band to identify the part ID.
Adam Berg, Engineering Service Manager at FMC Technologies, and his team are focused on addressing specific pain points of the industry with RFID technology, which include redundant inspections, job delays due to out-of-compliance parts, and job cancellations.
“The intent is to increase safety and efficiency, while also realizing cost savings for our customers,” Berg said.
FMC has developed a comprehensive business case behind the technology and its use within the hydraulic fracturing industry. The company estimates $60 million in savings per year for RFID use industry-wide.
“RFID technology provides our customers with substantial improvements in their ability to address and improve some common industry pains around part inspections and identification. The ability of RFID to alleviate or eliminate these issues is key to our business case,” said Berg.
OGR, the international advisory council for RFID in oil and gas, has supported FMC in both tag design and data standards for the industry.
“Information is increasingly valuable, yet progressively more difficult to retrieve in rural and remote areas that many of these well stimulation activities are performed in. Empowering the field operative with data, where wireless communication is limited or non-existent, opens the door to unseen and remarkable operational possibilities,” commented Konrad Konarski, Co-Founder of the Oil & Gas RFID Solution Group.
As part of OGR’s work with FMC and other oilfield service companies, the organization is endorsing specific RFID equipment, such as RFID tags designed for the challenging oilfield environment. The group’s intent is to support the growth of equipment and data standards to accelerate use of the technology.
“We will be making several key announcements around tag designs, data standards, and success stories at our upcoming preconference, in partnership with RFID Journal, in Orlando, Florida, on April 15th, that we feel will have a game-changing impact on the entire industry,” said Konarski.
Other members of the Oil & Gas RFID Solution Group include BP, ExxonMobil, Weir SPM, Dow Chemical and several key consumers and subject-matter experts in the fields of oil, gas and RFID.
Savi and Partners Launch RFID Solution for Oil and Gas Industry
Savi Technology, a Lockheed Martin company, has formed an oil and gas strategic alliance with Shipcom Wireless and KBR Wireless, who are offering a complete software solution that links with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to instantly track and manage supplies transported between onshore and offshore oil and gas facilities worldwide. By automating visibility, asset and shipment management in upstream operations, this newly tailored solution can cut costs and improve performance, efficiency, security and regulatory compliance.
The Savi SmartChain® Enterprise Platform and Asset Management application underpin the alliance’s combined solution, which leverages real-time data from Savi’s active RFID tags and KBR’s passive RFID tags, which can be affixed to all kinds of oil and gas assets.
“Already making a difference in other industries, the Savi SmartChain suite now can go to work with our partners to improve operational performance in the global oil and gas sector,” said David Stephens, CEO of Savi Technology.
“Our partnership with Savi and KBR Wireless unifies the most effective software and hardware technology platforms within the energy sector to address critical business needs of the industry,” added Abeezar Tyebji, CEO of Shipcom Wireless.
“At a time when it’s essential for the oil and gas industry to discover more operational efficiency, our partnership with Savi and Shipcom provides unprecedented visibility and control over inventory and assets across the oil and gas industry’s entire value chain,” said Konrad Konarski, VP of KBR Wireless and co-founder of the Oil & Gas RFID Solution Group, an educational group focused on broad supply chain issues.
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