New cable ID solution is most effective to date

This post was last updated on March 26th, 2023 at 10:31 pm

Identifying cables and cable assemblies has long been a challenge – especially when troubleshooting problems on sites with multiple cables coiled up together or where equipment is constantly on the move such as in construction, tool hire, festivals and events.

One solution is to use cable tags or labels, in some cases incorporating RFID chips so they can be detected by a scanner. However there are two key problems with this approach. Firstly the cable ties often slide along the whole length of the cable, making them difficult to locate. And where RFID is used, the insulated metal within the cable can interfere with the signal, making the tags hard to detect.

In the past, these two factors have made it difficult to deploy RFID technology where insulated cables are coiled and piled up, for example in distribution centres, factories, vehicles or construction sites.

Now, working with a leading manufacturer, CoreRFID has come up with a design that overcomes these difficulties and provides a reliable method of tracking assets containing multiple cable assemblies. Our new Sentry cable identification solution offers two key features:

1. The Sentry cable tag – a special casing which clamps firmly on to the cable and stays in position at the correct point without sliding along the cable length. The Sentry tag comes in a range of colours to enable colour coding of different types of cables, and can incorporate a print label, RFID tag or other type of ID such as QR and barcodes. It has an exceptionally low profile and is built to withstand harsh conditions, even on a construction site.
2. An optimised RFID tag – where an RFID tag is required, CoreRFID has developed a special tag that has been optimised to work with insulated metal and can give accurate readings up to a range of 6 metres without line of site. The tag can be read by an operator using a hand-held scanner, or a fixed scanner when passing through a doorway, and will link to a database giving full details of the cable, such as its history, supplier, maintenance and safety warnings.

Richard Harrison of CoreRFID says: “Cable ID systems can greatly improve efficiency in any industry where cables are used or transported. These latest developments overcome the technical restrictions which have hindered deployments in the past.

“RFID systems are improving all the time, as developers like CoreRFID find ways to enhance the technology and help operators overcome the challenges involved in asset management – whether that is cables, tools, components or any other type of assets.”