HRD Antwerp: localisation of diamonds

The customer

HRD Antwerp is a leading certification body for diamonds which has laboratories in Antwerp (HQ), Mumbai and Istanbul. They are using the most advanced technology and can count on the extensive expertise of their research department.

The challenge

HRD Antwerp was looking for a customised solution for the internal tracing and localisation of diamonds.

The challenge for Aucxis was to elaborate an RFID solution which automatically registers the diamonds and communicates with the newly developed LIMS package of the customer, and this within the determined turnaround time.

The solution

The internal transport of the diamonds takes place in plastic containers carrying several small boxes or plastic envelopes that include:

• a batch note with diamond
• a unique sample code from LIMS (through printer)

In order to identify the diamonds, an RFID label is stuck to the batch note. The label is attached when entering the diamond in the system.  At that moment, the RFID label is read and linked to the diamond. This unique ID (TagID) stays – throughout all processes – with the diamond and goes together with the batch note to the end customer.

Aucxis provided the following detection methods to record the movements of the diamonds at the desired locations:

Desktop Reader

For scanning the diamonds per work station, a short range reader with USB interface was chosen which can read 3 boxes at a time.

Team Reader

For scanning diamonds when leaving/receiving between the teams, a reading point with USB interface was chosen which can read 36 boxes and several plastic envelopes at a time.

Bulk reader

For scanning diamonds when leaving the floor, a bulk reader was chosen – scan tunnel – which enables bulk reading up to 200 diamonds in boxes.