Published in the August 2006 American Longwall Magazine

 

Ekahau marketing manager Judson Vaughn said that to clearly understand and make the best use of the company’s products, it was crucial to know the difference between RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) and RTLS (Real-Time Location System, the system the company uses).

 

While both technologies are used in the industry, RTLS utilizes tags on people or equipment to relay location information regardless of where it is and whether or not it is in motion. While RFID tags are less expensive, Vaughn calls RTLS “more intelligent” and said it is “larger and more useful for establishing communication between assets and people and a central server anywhere within a large wi-fi network”

 

The installation of the Ekahau RTLS system is cost-efficient to mines, Vaughn said, because it communicates with an already-existing 802.11 network. This also allows for a headache-free installation (no new wiring or readers needed) with no disruption of production.

 

The Ekahau T301 is really taking the next leap into the technological future, Vaughn said, as it is the next generation of the company’s T201 that was introduced in 2004. While the predecessor version introduced a rechargeable battery feature, T301, announced in June 2006, has gone a step further.

The T301, equipped with a non-rechargeable battery, has a battery life of up to five years. Also, because of a remote programming feature, the tag is ideal for mining and other industrial environments, he said.

 

Cost and efficiency are two other advantages of the unit, and because of that he anticipates the T301 will become the model of choice for operations. “In a mining environment, obviously the need is to set and forget, both on people and equipment. The T301 is about a third smaller footprint and about 20 percent less cost.”

 

For mining, Vaughn said, the T301 has specifically been designed to be placed in a helmet or vehicle and the company also has several options for permanent placement of tags wherever they are needed.

 

An increased concentration with regards to both production and safety has also intensified the need for products such as the T301, which the company hopes to have in full production in the near future. “Location technology has become an exciting means of enhancing productivity and safety in many industries. But the emphasis on mining safety begs for an easy deployable solution that offers everyday work flow enhancement as well as help during disaster recovery,” Vaughn said.

 

However, he said it was important to note that the company is marketing the unit as a part of the solution, not the magic bullet that will make potential occurrences disappear.

 

“The Ekahau system doesn’t pretend to be a panacea for the mining industry. However, it is a very flexible, easy-to-deploy technology that answers a number of concerns,” he said, offering confidence and peace of mind for miners and operators alike.