RFID Forklift Readers Ready To Roll

Mounting an RFID (radio frequency identification) reader to a forklift creates some serious design challenges. But, it also provides some serious benefits to distribution centers.

RFID can be deployed in some pretty harsh conditions. Animal and container tracking, for instance, requires tags and readers that can function in a range of outdoor environmental conditions. In some WIP (work in process) applications, RFID tags are deployed in various stages of manufacturing and exposed to dust and grime. And, some RFID-enabled asset tracking applications manage property that is in constant motion.

Still, it's hard to find a bigger challenge than successfully deploying RFID technology on forklifts. The solid rubber tires on forklifts are unforgiving and only serve to exacerbate vibration issues. Powering the readers from the forklift itself can mean a conversion kit and dealing with an unclean power supply. There is also the issue of cabling the mounted antennas to the mounted reader without interfering with the operation of the forklift. And, of course, the forklift is a flurry of stop-and-go motion and takes a constant pounding as it encounters pallets and shelves. "You're talking about mounting an RFID reader on the bumper end of the forklift, not back in the cab. It's going to get abused," adds Dick Sorenson, director of RFID products at LXE. "The rugged design specs have to be higher than those of in-cab vehicle-mount computers."