A world first: Transponder technology for concrete system formworks

PASCHAL Innovations

Uniqueness is commonly associated with people, art or exclusive products. In the industries, however, it means nothing other than distinctiveness, easy identification and therefore security for all involved, including the protection provided by the Product Liability Act.

Steinach:

The PASCHAL plant G. Maier GmbH is the first formwork manufacturer worldwide to succeed in "personalizing" formwork elements. The PASCHAL identification technology gives every tagged formwork element an electronic identifier, distinguishing it unmistakably in a similar way to the human fingerprint. This guarantees accurate and unique identification.

Reliability

For the first time PASCHAL identification technology offers the formwork industry advantages which until now have only been enjoyed by other sectors of industry:

• The seller offers a distinctive top product. With immediate effect, the assurance of top product quality is self-evident for both parties.
• The purchaser always knows the exact origin and previous history of the goods. This presents new possibilities to evaluate and administrate formwork elements.
• The owner can allocate different elements clearly. This means, for example, that he can already schedule elements of comparable quality from the office.
• The investor can apply accurate and specific depreciation to his assets. Previously, this was only possible for either batches or the complete rental park.
• Leasing creditors have for the first time a clearly identifiable collateral. They always know which elements are theirs and where they are.
• Product liability and traceability in accordance with EU standard 9001 are being significantly improved. This means companies, who install formworks with transponders, are already prepared for the coming EU regulations.
• The construction manager can confirm to the site management and the purchaser that he is using the highest quality products.
• Tampering or replicas can be detected immediately.

Logistics

The necessary information can be recorded quickly and easily: the operator simply runs the reader device along the formwork. The data are copied via an interface into the administrative software.

The data formats are compatible with all common existing formats (Excel, Access etc.) and can be copied into not so common software; no expensive additional programs are required. Stocktaking and other administrative procedures can be speeded up significantly. Background data such as usage figures can for the first time be used to create conclusive, product-relevant statistics. This in turn results in new strategies to optimize profitability.

A technology leap

The Research Department of PASCHAL is the first formwork manufacturer worldwide to successfully integrate RFID technology into formwork elements. This abbreviation stands for Radio Frequency Identification. The Research and Development Department of PASCHAL had the task of integrating these sensitive electronic information carriers into the formwork material in such a way as to enable them to withstand rough construction site conditions. Furthermore, processes have to be adjusted so that a series production is at all possible. Both have now been achieved.

The prototype was presented at bauma 2007 (biggest exhibition worldwide) and series started in spring of 2008.Transponder technology for the 21^st century.

RFID technology is based on three components: the information chip incorporated into the product, the reader device and the software. The unit comprising of the chip plus an antenna, which are concealed in a special, stabile housing, is referred to as a transponder.

With this combination, it is possible to identify any items unmistakably and without physical contact for all administrative purposes. This means for the formwork technology, that every individual formwork element is given an individual identity, including not only its name, production location, age and weight, but all other items of important information, from usage figures to technical condition and present value. And all this at the push of a button!

How it works

The transponder works by induction: an established method. This has the advantage that the chip does not require its own electricity in the form of batteries and therefore, as a rule, has the same life time as the object in which it is safely housed. This faint electricity is enough for the transponder to send its data back to the reader device.

Metallic and conductive environments, from which formworks are produced, reduce the range of the reading sensitivity. PASCHAL identification technology, however, already works at distances of about half a meter.

This technology of accurate identification is both unmistakable and cost-effective. Transponders are already being manufactured in mass production by the millions. And what is more: in contrast to barcodes, colour codes or other more or less improvised methods, the transponder technology is superior because it is system integrated, suitable for construction site conditions and unforgeable.