Scanology is a specialist in inventory control systems for the Diamond, Jewellery and Pharma sector. These range from boxed solutions for smaller companies to fully scalable enterprise systems.

The solutions bundles PJM RFID (HF 13,56, ISO 18000-3 mode2) tunnels and desktop systems and software. The PJM RFID system enables to read hundreds of tags attached to stacked envelopes / packaged items in seconds. PJM’s StackTag labels are read-write capable, able to hold up to 8.000 bits of data, and are printed and encoded, at Scanology’s RFID label service. Scanology provides the readers, application software and RFID labels, thus enables Scanology to deliver 100% QC to customers requirements.

The real advantage of the RFID inventory system comes when boxes of Diamonds are being moved. At this time, a box may hold 100 envelopes or more, each containing its own diamond. To scan a barcode for each when the entire box is moved is impractical. In this case the staff places the box in the PJM RFID tunnel reader, which is about the size of a shoebox and can interrogate the tags at a rate of 1.000 per second.

Eurostar receives rough diamonds from diamond sellers, but ships them to China to be manufactured (cut and polished). “In November 2007, bar-code and RFID solutions company Scanology provided the Magellan system and system integration”, says Christof Teerlink, Eurostar's sub-manager. “Until that point, Eurostar employees in Antwerp would input data about each rough diamond and assign an ID number, which was physically written on the diamond's envelope for use in tracking”.

With the implementation of RFID, workers now ship the diamonds directly to the Chinese manufacturer, whose employees input data about each gem, attach an RFID tag to it and interrogate the tag, providing Eurostar with data on its own back-end management system about every stone. When the Chinese manufacturer ships the diamonds back to Antwerp, its uses a Magellan tunnel interrogator to read the tags, alerting Eurostar that the product is on its way.

Eurostar scans the tags again when the product arrives at its warehouse in Antwerp, and once more when it is shipped either to a retailer or to its own sales agents in New York or Shanghai. The New York sales office, Christof Teerlink says, also uses a Magellan RFID reader to scan the tags when they arrive. Altogether, Eurostar uses tunnel readers, desktops and MARS reader system integrated with their SAP Enterprise.

"Mainly, it's a matter of time savings," says Christof Teerlink. "I assume we save about eight hours a week in data entry. We're very happy with it."

System integrator Scanology BV has successfully delivered a Diamond Identification and Traceability system using the Magellan Technology RFID PJM platform to the HRD Antwerp Institute of Gemmology in April 2009.

HRD Antwerp NV is the subsidiary of the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), the private foundation formerly known as the Hoge Raad voor Diamant (HRD).

HRD Antwerp commissioned Scanology to automate the data capture and management reporting processes in HRD’s Diamond Certification Lab. This solution resulted in total traceability of all diamonds in the Diamond Lab, and improved operational efficiency.

Scanology developed a middleware package to interface between the PJM readers and the several native HRD platforms to provide a total solution for 100% Identification, counting, stock-taking and process control, suitable for rapid deployment across HRD’s operations.

Richard Rees, President of Scanology, noted that “ PJM’s exceptional speed and total reliability make it the system of choice to meet the stringent requirements of the diamond industry. The PJM Stacktag concept delivers immediate and massive value to diamond traders, enabling their own staff to take fast, error-free stock takes on a frequent basis”.