4hSolutions provide RFID technology for A-Plant’s Auto Tool Hire unit
02/07/10
Leading hire company A-Plant has developed an unmanned Auto Tool Hire Unit in conjunction with 4hSolutions as its RFID technology partner.
The unit, which uses Assettagz RFID technology from 4hSolutions, is designed to be located at customers' sites to provide instant access to tools.
The user is issued with an RFID keycard to gain entry through the outer door into a lobby area. Once the outer door is closed, the same card is used to open the inner equipment store.
Each tool in the cabin is RFID tagged and is automatically on-hired by the Assettagz software when it is removed from the shelf.
Charging stops automatically when the tool is returned to the shelf and Assettagz detects the RFID tag. Tools which are damaged or require maintenance are returned to shelves in a quarantine area, which automatically notifies A-Plant that action is required.
Customers are able to check online what tools are on-hire, as well as charges being incurred.
Each tool in the cabin is RFID tagged and is automatically on-hired by the Assettagz software when it is removed from the shelf.
A-Plant's Marketing Director Asif Latief said: "We firmly believe that the Auto Tool Hire Unit will revolutionise the construction industry and we've had some excellent feedback from our customers. It offers the industry a means of having instant access to a range of tools and other equipment on-site in a secure cabin."
Garnet Hampson, Technical Director at 4hSolutions, said of the project: “Reliable recording of on and off-hires, user identification and immediate access to up-to-date information were at the heart of this project, so a combination of RFID and web-based technology was the natural choice. We were delighted to work with A-Plant on this ground-breaking project.”
About A-Plant
A-Plant is one of the UK’s leading equipment rental companies. The company has over 1,900 employees nationwide and currently serves over 30,000 customers in the construction, industrial, commercial, utility and homeowner markets. A-Plant, which forms part of FTSE-250 company Ashtead Group plc, has in excess of 110,000 items of Plant, Tools and Specialist Equipment available to hire from over 100 Service Centres across mainland UK. The company’s product range extends from Plant and Tools to Power Generation Equipment, Accommodation Units, Powered Access Machines, Formwork and Falsework systems and Traffic Management and Control.