It shoots the moving pallet
A camera takes a series of images of a free section of the pallet edge while it travels along the conveyor. No stop is required for the capture.
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Every pallet has a fingerprint
RFINGER reads it
A machine-vision system that identifies a physical pallet by the unique visual features of its surface — linking the same pallet between the wet and dry sides of the line, without an RFID tag and without stopping the conveyor.
IN PLAIN WORDS
A visual fingerprint of the pallet
RFINGER analyses the individual features of a pallet’s surface — material texture, marks of use and other visual characteristics that tell one pallet apart from another. On the first pass the system records those features; on the next encounter it determines whether the observed pallet matches one already registered.
It builds a digital print
The image sequence is processed into a digital visual representation of the pallet surface — archived and used for later identification.
It matches wet to dry
At the dry side the system captures again, compares against registered pallets, and establishes the link between the two points of the line.
WHO IT IS FOR
Lines that need to know
which pallet is which
The most suitable conditions are determined during a survey of the specific production line.
Pallets must be matched between different points of the line
Pallets move continuously along the conveyor
Automatic pallet traceability is required
RFID is impossible, inconvenient or needs a supplementary solution
An independent second identification channel alongside RFID is needed
Metal pallets are in circulation on the line
THE TASK IT SOLVES
Know which pallet is at each
stage of the line
On a production line the same pallet passes through several process stages. The task is particularly relevant on lines that need to establish correspondence between a pallet on the wet and on the dry side. RFINGER provides that link automatically.
98%identification accuracy
~2sprocessing time per pallet
0RFID tags required
2units per production line
What it lets you do
- Track pallet movement between production areas
- Link inspection results to a specific pallet
- Remove the need for manual identification
- Use visual identification independently of an RFID tag
- Increase traceability of the production process
System functions
- Registration of the pallet on the wet side of the line
- Forming and archiving the pallet’s digital visual print
- Automatic matching between wet and dry sides
- Identification of a registered pallet on the dry side
- Automatic re-sending of data after a temporary network failure
KEY ADVANTAGES
Identification where RFID struggles
RFINGER can be used as a standalone identification method, or alongside existing RFID infrastructure as an independent second channel.
Metal pallets included
RFID identification can be difficult or impossible with metal pallets because the radio signal is shielded. Visual identification is unaffected.
No tags to fit or maintain
The pallet is identified by the features of its own surface — no RFID tag has to be mounted on every pallet in circulation.
No conveyor stoppage
The pallet is identified while it is moving. Stopping the pallet to carry out identification is not required.
Automatic wet-to-dry matching
The system determines the correspondence between pallets that passed the capture points on the wet and dry sides of the line.
Minimal intervention in the line
Supplied as two ready-to-mount vision units — wet side and dry side — integrated with the existing production infrastructure.
Real-time, on local hardware
Processing runs on the system’s own local computing equipment. Images are not sent to an external server for the core identification.
PRINCIPLE OF OPERATION
Five stages, start to match
From the first capture on the wet side to the established link on the dry side.
STAGE 1
Capture
The pallet moves continuously along the conveyor. The camera takes a series of images of a free section of its edge.STAGE 2
Visual print
The image sequence is processed into a digital visual representation of the pallet surface.STAGE 3
Registration
On the first pass the pallet is registered. Its visual print is stored for subsequent identification.STAGE 4
Identification
At the dry side the system captures again and compares the print with previously registered pallets.STAGE 5
Matching
The most probable correspondence is determined and the link between wet and dry side is established.RESULT: THE PRODUCTION SYSTEM KNOWS WHICH PALLET REGISTERED ON THE WET SIDE CORRESPONDS TO WHICH PALLET ON THE DRY SIDE. THE IDENTIFICATION RESULT CAN BE USED TOGETHER WITH THE QUATROPBC PRODUCTION SYSTEM — ADDING A LAYER OF PALLET TRACEABILITY WITHOUT APPLYING A SEPARATE RFID TAG.
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Specifications
Parameters of a specific installation are confirmed during design and a survey of the production line.
| Supported pallet materials | wood, plastic, metal with natural marks of use |
|---|---|
| Operating mode | continuous pallet movement |
| Processing performance | ~2 s per pallet |
| Identification accuracy | 98% |
| Identification zone | product-free pallet edge, ≥ 1100 × 40 mm (depends on pallet size) |
| Working scanning distance | 0.45–0.9 m from the pallet surface |
| Lighting | local synchronised strobe light, 6500 K |
| Link between points | Ethernet, 1 Gb/s |
| Integration with production systems | QuatroPBC |
DELIVERY & IMPLEMENTATION
Two units, one line, eight weeks
Each unit is a complete machine-vision assembly, ready to mount.
Scope of supply
- 2 RFINGER units — for the wet and dry sides of the line
- RFINGER software package
- Set of connecting and mounting elements
- Installation and operating documentation
Equipment delivery
Delivery period for the equipment is up to 8 weeks.
Commissioning
Supervised installation of up to 2 working days: mounting and connection, verification of system operation and tuning of its parameters to the conditions of the line.
Fine-tuning
After launch the system is monitored on the real line. Data typical of the specific production and pallets in use is collected and used for initial additional training, adapting the system to the customer’s conditions.
Warranty
System warranty — 1 year.
GET IN TOUCH
See RFINGER on your line
Tell us about your line and pallets, and we’ll arrange a tailored presentation and confirm the installation parameters for your production.
