UTAGS Benchtop reader for digital pairing of Cattle Tags
IntelliDesign assisted UTAGS with the design and production of a Benchtop Reader for accurate digital pairing of NLIS and Census Tags for the cattle industry
Challenge
We had 6 weeks from project initiation to delivery of 20 commercial units of the benchtop reader including design and fabrication of a new enclosure to withstand the rugged conditions of an outback cattle farm, and the assembly and testing of the enclosure with the dual reader technology. This deadline was vital to meet the needs of cattle farmers and their breeding season.
This was an extremely fast turnaround for any project at IntelliDesign, but our multi-disciplinary design team and integrated manufacturing capabilities allowed us to deliver the fully assembled, branded and tested products within the 6 week deadline. The UTAG benchtop readers were successfully deployed on farms scanning cattle tags within 2 days of delivery from our production facility.
This was an extremely fast turnaround for any project at IntelliDesign, but our multi-disciplinary design team and integrated manufacturing capabilities allowed us to deliver the fully assembled, branded and tested products within the 6 week deadline. The UTAG benchtop readers were successfully deployed on farms scanning cattle tags within 2 days of delivery from our production facility.
UTAGS is redefining how livestock are identified, moved and monitored across largescale cattle operations. Designed to meet the needs of extensive grazing operations, the UTAGS technology delivers faster throughput, higher data accuracy and lower stress on both animals and people.
At the centre of the UTAGS platform is the Census Tag – a standard format cattle tag embedded with a high performance electronic chip. The Census Tag is both a durable visual tag with custom numbering and an electronic tag that operates without solar or a battery. The benchtop reader needed to be able to read the Ultra High Frequency Census Tag and also the Low Frequency (NLIS) tags which is why it is referred to as a dual reader.
The design of the enclosure required a very fast design cycle from our Industrial design team measured in days. The concept sketch was turned into a manufacturable CAD model and within a week we were ordering samples. This included vacuum cast enclosures, dust seals, light pipes, polyurethane elastomer external bumpers, sheet metal components and a custom branded adhesive decal.
Our IntelliDesign purchasing team started the procurement process for the long lead time components ensuring that all the electrical and electronic parts were available for a co-ordinated final assembly to schedule the delivery within the 6 week deadline. Multiple suppliers are required for all of the discrete components and the project management of this required a co-ordinated team effort.
Project Features
- Dual reader capability for Census and NLIS tags
- Low Frequency (NLIS) Reader
- Ultra High Frequency Reader (Census Tag) Reader
- UV resistant enclosure materials
- IP rated suitable for dusty environment
- Rubber corners for shock / bump protection
- Metal shielding between Low Frequency antenna and electronics
- Externally visible LED power indicator
- Hardwired USB-A cable
- Custom Adhesive backed Decal with UTAGS branding
- Compliance / serial number label