Welding Asset Tracking Network for Fast Equipment Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
In large welding environments, distinguishing and locating specific welding assets is challenging due to their similarity, leading to inefficiencies in asset management and tracking.
Innovation Solution
A welding asset tracking system that employs a network of tags, hubs, and gateways retained by welding assets, utilizing internal and external positioning systems to continuously track the identity, location, and usage of assets, and sends commands for perceptible outputs to aid in identification.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If welding assets are tracked using a network of tags, hubs, and gateways with positioning systems, then the identification and location capability of welding assets is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The tracking system is divided into multiple independent components: tags attached to individual welding assets, hubs that collect data locally, and gateways that connect to the central server. This segmentation allows the system to achieve comprehensive tracking capability while keeping each individual component relatively simple and manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The tracking system uses universal tags and hubs that can work with multiple types of welding assets and in various welding environments. The same tag design can be applied to different welding machines, and the hub can manage multiple tags, reducing the need for asset-specific customization and simplifying deployment.
2Productivity
If comprehensive tracking of welding assets is implemented, then asset management efficiency is improved, but the cost of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows for dynamic configuration where the level of tracking sophistication can be adjusted based on needs. Not all welding assets require the same level of monitoring, and the system can adapt the tracking intensity and detail according to asset criticality, environmental factors, and operational requirements, optimizing both efficiency and cost.
3Adaptability or versatility
If welding assets are distributed across multiple environments, then operational flexibility is improved, but the difficulty of locating specific assets increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time feedback about welding asset locations through the central server that receives data from gateways and hubs. Managers can query the system to immediately determine where specific assets are located, what they are currently doing, and move them if necessary, eliminating the time-consuming manual search process.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system (100) for and a method for welding asset tracking are disclosed. The welding asset tracking system (100) comprises an asset tracking network of tags (106a-c), hubs (160), and/or gateways (140) retained by welding assets (200a-c) within a welding area. The asset tracking network may obtain and/or communicate to an asset tracking server (110) welding data related to one or more of the welding assets (200a-c), as well as position data obtained via an internal and/or external positioning system. In this way, the welding asset tracking server (110) continually receives updated information regarding each welding assets identity, location, and/or use. The asset tracking server (100) additionally sends a command to a selected welding asset (200a-c) that causes an interface of the selected welding asset (200a-c) to emit an output that enables an operator to physically identify the welding asset (200a-c).