))) Holland Flower Auctions chooses RFID electronic labelling technology from Texas Instruments to track and steer flower trolleys entirely automatically

‘Saying IT with flowers’ using RFID

))) HOLLAND, (March, 2001)

Saying IT with flowers has taken on a completely new meaning at Holland Flower Auctions, which as Europe’s largest flower market has just installed RFID (radio frequency identification) transponder tracking technology from Texas Instruments to solve a major logistical and IT challenge.

The Flower Market was faced with tracking and controlling the movements of some 100,000 flower trolleys which transport millions of flowers between commercial suppliers and buyers. The new RFID tagging system uses ‘smart’ electronic labels as part of a complete solution that not only automatically tracks and records all trolley movements and deliveries, but also automatically steers the flower trolleys by overhead conveyor to their correct destinations anywhere on the vast auction floor.

A crucial requirement was that every trolley should be both individually steerable and fully traceable. To achieve this, each of the 100,000 flower trolleys is fitted with a RFID transponder label programmed with a unique code based upon the European Article Number (EAN). Special antennae buried under the floor and attached to RFID readers allow every trolley to be scanned and identified, and its exact position monitored automatically even when moving. The data stored in the RFID labels can also be read by staff using handheld readers at any time.

The new RFID system forms a major part in the complete automation of the auction’s internal transportation and distribution system. Using a standardised, electronically readable and coded RFID transponder label on each trolley opens up a whole new range of opportunities. These include further process mechanisation, stock control, automated delivery and transaction administration - both within Holland Flower Auctions and ultimately throughout the Dutch horticulture industry.  Trolley identification also allows feedback of data from the customer into the auction’s logistical processes (chain inversion), and of process data to the customer for quality-control purposes.

Unlike barcodes, TI's RFID transponders are industrially rugged and can be read automatically even when buried in the ground and covered in soil. Their unique ability to be read at any orientation over distances of up to a meter without line of sight makes them ideal for trolley, vehicle or product tracking across a wide range of industries.

Texas Instruments, a global leader in RFID technology, supplied the all the RFID equipment including the transponders, the antennae and readers, and the system was designed and installed by Egemin, one of TI’s Dutch systems integrators.

The trolley tracking system forms an essential part in a major new programme being implemented by the Holland Flower Auction that covers a wide range of initiatives including tracking and tracing, quality assurance and product identification and automated transport. The stack-trolley identification project is being supported by the Netherlands Department of Agriculture, Nature Conservancy and Fisheries and by the European Union under the economic stimulation programme.