Tool Holder RFID Layout for 360° Tool Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tool identification systems for rotating tools, such as those in wood, plastic, or metalworking machines, face challenges with RFID transponders detaching under stress and requiring specific orientations for successful reading, limiting their robustness and reliability.
Innovation Solution
A tool holder design with a recess for an RFID transponder oriented upwards or downwards along the longitudinal axis, combined with a read/write head positioned above or below, ensures communication across 360°, using a ferritic RFID transponder to maintain signal integrity and accommodate various orientations without additional mechanical attachments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an RFID transponder is mounted laterally on a rotating tool, then identification can be performed, but the tool can only be read when in the correct orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The RFID transponder is mounted in a recess on the side surface of the tool holder, with its transmission curve oriented vertically (upwards and/or downwards) rather than laterally. This dimensional reorientation allows the read/write head positioned above or below the tool holder to communicate with the transponder regardless of the tool's rotational position, achieving 360° orientation independence.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an RFID chip is attached around the entire circumference of a tool holder, then orientation-independent reading is achieved, but the RFID chip becomes very large and must be glued to metal
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of attaching a large circumferential RFID chip around the entire tool holder, the invention extracts the RFID transponder and places it in a recess on the side surface. This reduces the RFID component to a single localized unit that is integrated into the tool holder structure, eliminating the need for extensive gluing while maintaining orientation-independent communication.
Solution Approach 2:
The RFID transponder is nested within a recess in the tool holder, with the recess providing mechanical integration and protection. This nesting approach secures the transponder firmly in place without requiring external adhesives or large attachment surfaces, solving the reliability issue of prior art circumferential chips.
3Ease of manufacture
If a large RFID chip is glued to metal, then identification is possible, but the ring-shaped RFID chip detaches under machining stress
Solution Approach 1:
The recess for the RFID transponder is pre-formed in the tool holder during manufacturing, creating a ready-made integration structure. This preliminary action eliminates the need for post-manufacturing gluing operations and ensures the transponder is securely held in place from the start, preventing detachment under machining stress.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables robust and continuous identification of tools regardless of their rotational position, maintaining signal integrity and allowing for seamless integration with existing systems, enhancing operational efficiency in woodworking and metalworking environments.
Implementation Method 1
An RFID transponder (20) is inserted into the recess (18) such that its transmission curve (22) runs upwards and/or downwards from the recess (18) along the longitudinal axis (16) of the tool (10).
Implementation Method 2
The magnetizable or ferritic material shields the transmitting and/or receiving device and/or its antenna from nearby metallic objects.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a device (1) for identifying a tool (10) that is received in a tool holder (15), wherein the tool holder (15) has a longitudinal axis (16) and a diameter (17), and wherein the tool holder (15) has a recess (18) on its side, which is formed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (16) of the tool holder (15) and in which an RFID transponder (20) is inserted such that the transmission curve of the RFID transponder (20) extends upwards and/or downwards from the recess (18) in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the tool; and the device (1) has a read/write head (30) for communicating with the RFID transponder (20), wherein the read/write head (30) extends above and/or below the tool holder (15) over at least the entire diameter (12) of the tool holder (15).