Radiofrequency systems

New adaptations have been introduced to the Anubis system to support new activities with radiofrequency terminals in the compounds and warehouses of the Transfesa Group. These innovations are already operational at the compound of La Roda in Andalusia, where the installed antennas and wireless terminals enable the personnel to work and feed data real-time into the corporate information system. Thus, in a matter of minutes a client is able to track the process of vehicle preparation through the TOIS Internet platform. It is planned to implement this system in all the other compounds and warehouses of the Transfesa Group.

Tracking systems and satellite applications

Transfesa’s Information Systems currently enable clients to know the location of their goods and transport means, on the basis of the data supplied by the entire international organisation and by the main European railways and associated logistics operators.

To further improve the service it offers to its clients, Transfesa has satellite monitoring systems that allow it to provide logistics information about its various transport means. The tracking of trucks is already well advanced and there are currently several commercially-available systems that offer solutions of excellent quality.

In the field of railway and intermodal transport, the expansion and use of satellite tracking devices are continuing after the success of the pilot project launched in 2006. This pilot project involved equipping 50 swap bodies used in international traffic towards Eastern Europe with devices that provide to the corporate tracking system several times day information about swap body location which is then fed into the internet-based platform for clients, TOIS.

TRANSF-ID: RFID Platform of Transfesa upon EPC Gen2

During 2006, Transfesa´s Division of Information Systems, DSI continued its research within the framework of the ambitious R&D Project called TRANSF-ID, based on RFID technology, which is already quite well known within Transfesa group. Potential application of this projec´s results and benefits for different areas of logistics activities of the Group are being thoroughly examined.

Transfesa has created a consortium with two important technological partners: Polytechnic University ofMadrid, through its department of engineering and telecommunications (Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Telecomunicación) and Gesfor Group. These partners bring in an important contribution to the project in terms of their technological expertise which complements Transfesa´s knowledge of the logistics sector

The first prototype has already been realised in the form of special labels or tags developed within this project. These devices allow for detection and automatic reading of the wagons, axles and swap bodies from the distance of up to 2 m. away from the railway tracks and at the speed of up to 20 Km/h.

This TRANSF-ID Project is co-financed by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science within the program PROFIT 2005-2006. It is expected that the project will be continued and further expanded in order to exploit to the maximum the tools and knowledge developed in this initial stage of basic research.