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rail transport

Vilant – RFID tracking

and database system

Railways and RFID systems? Not a typical combination? The opposite is true. RFID

monitoring, along with the Turck Vilant software system, provides new approaches

and solutions to many applications in the rail transport sector.

Automated monitoring of the movement of rolling stock

The demand for fast and flexible production while cutting production costs is gradually increasing across the industry, regardless of the specific sector a company

is involved in. RFID technology then helps

to ensure reliable tracking of all components of production, storage, loading and

dispatch, not only within the production

area, but also in the area of heavy freight

transport, including rail.

RFID database system

Vilant's dedicated database server can

continuously receive data from various

RFID units and store it in a database. The

received data can be sorted by the preset

parameters based on location, time of reading or code types. It then provides the

results to the parent system either for statistical evaluation for management purposes, ERP enterprise information systems,

Read and write gateway

MES manufacturing information systems

or WMS warehouse management, or for

direct automatic/robotic control of warehouse or logistics operations via industrial

computers or PLCs. Supported communication: TCP/IP, HTTP/XML, OPC, SQL

and REST. One of the standard software

functions is Vilant Visibility Manager. This

allows continuous monitoring of the movement of materials and components

through the production process or control

of the receipt, dispatch and transport of

products or various returnable packaging

or parts, i.e. virtually any object. Of course, there is the possibility of remote management and setting of RFID units and the

possibility of building in special functions

according to the wishes of each customer

and operation.

RFID sensing

The Vilant system does not only provide

the software area of tracking, but also the

complete supply of various types of RFID

reading and display devices, including

the service of expert selection of types for

a given specific design of a suitable location and subsequent installation. The range

includes not only mobile handheld reading devices with display for immediate

evaluation, but also units for fixed installation on traffic routes or complete

walk-through gates. This enables automatic capture and reading of all passing

products in individual and bulk packaging in boxes, crates, whether they are

moved or transported by hand, on pallet

T+T T e c h n i k a a t r h 5/ 2 0 2 3

trucks or transported by forklift trucks,

or even containers or wagons. It is also

possible to detect the direction of movement and thus to distinguish between loading and balancing of products or materials. The data is then transferred to the

central Vilant server via wired LAN or wireless WiFi, GPRS, 4G/5G communication.

Tracking of carriages, cargo

and maintenance operations

Turck offers the Vilant RFID system to ensure more efficient management of rail

transport, wagons and their maintenance,

repair and to meet transport and safety

needs. The use can be divided into several

specific areas:

• real-time vehicle location tracking,

• monitoring of railway lines,

• vehicle lifecycle management,

• CARGO tracking.

Real-time RFID monitoring of rolling

stock also enables precise tracking and

identification of traffic (all wagons and locomotives) through a network of RFID detectors installed along the tracks on the line and in the depot. Many therefore use it

to automate fleet management, load tracking and control maintenance operations,

for example at marshalling yards. The database and sharing of data with the operators who own the trains also enables

more efficient management and use of

the carriages or helps to assign various

maintenance and service tasks.

Vilant's solution also includes the supply

from individual RFID chips down to software