Weir introduces fleet maintenance technology to address remote location challenges

HOUSTON -- Weir Oil & Gas introduced its second-generation SPM radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and RFID mobile app. The new RFID enhancements enable frac iron fleet maintenance in the field, even in the most remote locations plagued with low internet or cellular connections.

Maintaining an iron fleet has traditionally been a time-intensive, labor-intensive and error-prone process that relies on tedious manual data collection and physically storing printed certificates. This inefficient approach results in millions of dollars lost due to the inability to produce required certificates for uninterrupted operation.

For a 900-piece fleet of iron, it typically takes three employees three full workdays to account for all of the iron in the field. However, Weir’s RFID AMP technology allows 900 pieces of iron to be tagged and accounted for in less than 60 min., complete with certificates – a 90% reduction over outdated inventory efforts. Relying on Weir’s optical character recognition technology, operators can accurately upload certificates – regardless of the issuing inspection organization – into a single storage location in the cloud, allowing for immediate retrieval to avoid unnecessary downtime.

New enhancements to Weir’s RFID AMP technology include the ability to scan certificates offline for uninterrupted work flow, regardless of internet or cellular signal strength, use enhanced asset details to see the status of items operators wish to edit on Weir’s mobile app, and write new tags for items even when operators are away from a connected network.

Weir’s proprietary RFID mobile app, available for iPhone and Android devices, supports and speeds testing and inspection processes by identifying assets by serial number, which allows personnel to perform an inventory of parts, instantly recall last certificates filed and organize the iron in the database based on its assigned unit. Operators can track every piece of iron anywhere in the world at any moment. The RFID mobile app also eliminates human error involved in manually tracking iron in the field.  

“Remote locations suffer from poor and inconsistent Wi-Fi and cellular signal strength,” said Paul Coppinger, president of Weir Oil & Gas. “The second generation of our RFID technology enables operators to quickly and accurately maintain an iron fleet without being hindered by poor signal strength.”  

Companies required to show inspection certificates on the jobsite can quickly access them through the RFID mobile app and email them to any exploration and production company representative. This eliminates the time-consuming task of searching stacks of paper for certificates, allowing operators to focus on productivity.