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Implementation of the Acutrax Cylinder Tracking System by DataWeld Inc. at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Presented by Joe Abeyta (OS-PT Engineering) 05/11/2010. What is Acutrax?. * AcuTrax
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Implementationof the Acutrax Cylinder Tracking System by DataWeld Inc. atLos Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)Presented byJoe Abeyta (OS-PT Engineering)05/11/2010
What is Acutrax? * AcuTrax • AcuTrax isatested and proven software product designed specifically to track cylinders, totes, containers and other moveable assets. • When coupled with the state of the art TROVEN Transponder or the traditional bar code, DataWeld's powerful AcuTrax software offers a complete solution for cylinder and asset tracking needs. • AcuTrax gives the capabilities needed to reduce lost cylinders, minimize discrepancies with vendors /customers and raiseproduct stewardship to a new level. Stand Alone or Interfaced • AcuTrax can be totally stand alone or interfaced into current business management software such as Oracle. Hardware • User friendly handheld scanners(e.g. PSION Workabout Pro-operates on Windows operating system) • Closed Loop System * As quoted on: http://www.dataweld.com/cylindertracking.php
What is AcuTrax? Capabilities • Transponder ID will correspond with the cylinder serial # and include all of its specificinformation in the server database. (e.g. cylinder size, quantity, gas type, etc.) • AcuTrax provides the unique ability to carry adatabaseof cylinders on the handheld computer. This feature gives advanced error checking capabilities. • With this type of information in the drivers' hands, all he/she has to do is scan the cylinder. AcuTrax already knows the contents of the cylinder and who is supposed to have the cylinder. AcuTrax even prints out a receipt showing the serial number and contents of the cylinder. This powerful feature saves time and eliminates data entry mistakes. • Another powerful feature of AcuTrax shows up when the cylinder is returned. If the customer returns a cylinder that was not shipped to them, AcuTrax notifies the driver immediately. With this type of immediate verification, the driver can notify the customer of potential cylinder discrepancies before leaving the customer site. • Customer Audits are easy and quick with AcuTrax. Since AcuTrax has a database of customer cylinders on the handheld, the operator simply scans every cylinder he sees at the customer site and AcuTrax immediately points out any discrepancies.
Why is AcuTrax needed at LANL? • At any given time up to 200 + cylinders are unaccounted for with no method of tracking where they are. • The Liquid Helium (LHe) Lifecycle Yellow belt project noted that there is 1.) no order traceablility to end user. 2.) high associated costs with rental cost of dewars and cylinders (10% of total He cost). $54 of the $540 total cost per single dewar. • The cylinder (equipment) and gas within (commodity) can be tracked separately if necessary via the report process. This will automate the bi-weekly gas inventory process at the LANL Gas Facility. • Once implemented, the AcuTrax system will aid in the avoidance of future orphaned cylinders with unknown contents. An orphaned cylinder can cost in upwards of $2000 to remediate. • Cylinder test dates can be tracked and managed. • Acutrax custom reports will aid GF personnel in maintaining real time cylinder control and accountability.
Acutrax vs ChemLog • ChemLog (the current Institutional chemical inventory tracking system) is also interested in capitalizing on AcuTrax’s automated information. Possible expansion to track chemicals.
LANL AcuTrax Implementation Plan • System Cost $42,325; Thereafter, a yearly software support maintenance cost = 18% of licensed product. Note: Cost to implement a similarOracle based module is $200K + • The contract to purchase the system has been awarded. • The initial plan was to recoup this cost through the recharge system by adjusting gas commodity recharge rates. • Software License for 1-4 users to be managed by a GF administrator. • WiFi and all recording devices (e.g. microphone, camera, etc.) will be disabled to comply with LANL cyber security requirements. • A DataWeld Training Associate will perform the initial 3-day system training next week May 18 -20. • Gas Facility personnel and the institutional ChemLog administrator gathered inventory data from Chemlog to attain a conservative estimate on the quantity of institutional cylinders. It was estimated that there are approximately 12,000 cylinders. • This data will be used to estimate/determine the human resource hours and associated labor budget needed to initiate the system i.e. prep and place transponders on cylinders, enter cylinder information into standalone server, etc.
LANL AcuTrax Implementation Plan • For example assuming 15 minutes / cylinder = 3,000 labor hours; based on a 6 hour productive work day and a team of 4 dedicated employees = 125 work days or approximately 6 months to fully implement. By or before December 2010. • LANL’s ENV-RRO: RISK REDUCTION OFFICE has available Pollution Prevention (P2) institutional funding that was approved to be used to fund the initiation of the system. • Much of the administrative leg work, system setup at the GF and GF employee level training can be completed this summer. Some, if not most, of the cylinders coming through the GF can be captured (transponder applied, data entered into system, etc.) as a pilot program. Afterwards, a working team of employees can be coordinated to aggressively go out Institution wide and initiate the system. • Much of the work can be performed by summer students (in non-Q cleared areas) and / with existing cleared, GF personnel with site level access.