The Story Behind The Project
Project Overview
Owner: Powerco
Powerco faced significant inefficiencies in maintenance and fault situations due to difficulties in locating service pillars and identifying which pillars fed specific addresses.
This issue, compounded by the presence of multiple service boxes at a single location and incomplete GIS records, caused delays in network restoration, increasing both time and costs.
- Reduced time wasted by service providers locating LV assets
- Improved asset management and operational control with comprehensive labelling
- Adoption of QR codes for quick access to asset information.
- Use of durable and abrasion-resistant Rotag laser impregnated marine grade aluminium tags.
- Implementation of UV rated nylon pop-rivets and Natgum permanent adhesive for secure installation.
What Needed To Be Solved
Challenge
Powerco were finding that there were a lot of hours being wasted in maintenance and fault situations where the service providers were driving up and down a street trying to locate what service pillar was where and which service pillar fed what address/property.
This was causing delays on restoring the network outages increasing costs and time spent.
Although there were GIS records, when there were multiple service boxes at one location it made it hard to narrow down.
The Solution We Provided
How We Helped
Identimark collaborated with Powerco during the design phase to discuss different sizes and materials for optimal production efficiency and readability. The decision to use QR codes over barcodes was made due to their flexibility and capacity to store up to 4000 characters, including URLs for quick access to asset management systems.
A sample set was produced and tested in high-risk urban areas. Given the live parts inside the cabinets and pillars, metal mechanical fasteners were ruled out. Instead, UV rated nylon pop-rivets and Natgum permanent adhesive were used for quick, efficient, and permanent attachment.
How We Approached The Project
The Process
We worked with Powerco on the design phase, discussing different sizes to get the best efficiency for production and readability. Through this process we decided on a QR code over a barcode. In the design phase, we also discussed different material type options and decided on the Rotag laser impregnated marine grade material due to its longevity and abrasion resistance characteristics.
Once the design was finalised, we produced a sample set of which were used to install in high-risk urban areas, such as outside schools and coastal/beach areas. Due to the labels being installed on a cabinet/pillar that had live parts inside, a metal mechanical fastener was ruled out. We obtained a UV rated nylon pop-rivet due to its quick, efficient and permanent attachment and backed the labels with our Natgum permanent adhesive product.
Now Powerco have a comprehensive record of their LV network that is clearly labelled saving them time and money in asset management and fault finding. Having the QR code means that their field service technicians and inspectors can quickly identify the asset and look up the required information.
What We Provided
Products Supplied
- Rotag Laser Impregnated Marine Grade Aluminium Tags: Chosen for their longevity and abrasion resistance.
- Soflok UV Rated Nylon Rivets: Provided secure attachment without risk of conduction.
- Natgum Permanent Adhesive Backing Tape: Ensured strong adhesion to various surfaces