Workshop Tool Access Control

Discussion
1

The last few days we’ve been talking about how to manage tool access control.

The vague plan is to have a board that controls a load of contactors, and a board and RFID reader at each station, connected via a multi-drop RS485 bus.

Tool

  • Damper with motor control
  • Current clamp for ventilation control
  • RFID reader for access control
  • Buttons/LEDs for service status
  • RS485 duplex transceiver

Controller

Additionally

  • Tools will have NVRs
  • There will be an e-stop around the room to knock everything off in one go.
2

Going a bit mad here but could there be an interlock system so you dont get your fob back till you return the tool ( I know this can not work as you often need more then one tool!)

But some mechanism of re-tapping to say yes I have returned the tool, a multi coloured LED on each control unit to say its out you need to fob it back in.

3

It will only be for the big floor standing tools in my opinion the battery and low risk tools should be uncontrolled , we are all grownups , and the more dangerous corded tools should be controed by turning off the power to the sockets that they plug into. This would mean that the router and the angle grinder ect will have 16a round pin. Plugs fitted

I feel that that if people have to be controlled anymore than the minimum for the H&S requirements they should not be in the workshop . We are all adults and should be treated and act as such.

4

It’s a bit over the top/controlling to have to check every tool in and out isn’t it?

I’m more in favour of ‘a place for everything, and everything in it’s place’ approach.

I trust myself to put stuff back without any logging system.

1 Like
5

It was not for a logging system per-say but to encourage the putting it back :slight_smile:

6

Yes, I understood.

I think a culture of putting things back is what we need.

Also: those fobs are front door and shutter access, we shouldn’t leave them where we can’t see them. This works for the laser cutter, as you need to be standing there.

7

Beating people into submission with software . I am not convinced that this as the best way of building trust

8

It will also result in people leaving their keys inside and getting locked out.

1 Like
9

true, I will keep my ideas to myself :slight_smile: (I am being silly and not sulking :))

10

Please don’t keep your ideas to yourself!

It’s all a process of moving towards what we want to achieve.

Often we seem to jump to a complex solution, when we could do with defining the issue.

Often though the issue doesn’t become apparent until we’ve hashed through a range of solutions.

So…what are we trying to achieve?

11

Stoping people getting hurt and and protecting the tools and not getting suede ,wilst not alanating members and making the workshop unusable

12

Following conversation with Joe today, we should purchase these to cut workshop power in general:

5x http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291464680402

These for override, one to lock out all the tools, one to bypass access control. Originally we planned to use one switch but that seems hard to source.

2x http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121510412903

13

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/320844407322?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=122&chn=ps&googleloc=1006668&poi=&campaignid=207297426&device=m&adgroupid=13585920426&rlsatarget=pla-131843274786&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=122&ul_ref=http%3A%2F%2Frover.ebay.com%2Frover%2F1%2F710-134428-41853-0%2F2%3Fipn%3Dicep%26icep_id%3D67%26mtid%3D1673%26kwid%3D1%26crlp%3D50600204586_563391%26icep_item_id%3D320844407322%26itemid%3D320844407322%26icep_meta_categ_id%3D12576%26icep_etrs%3DY%26icep_epid%3D-999%26icep_ctlg%3D-999%26icep_cond%3DNew%2Bother%2B%2528see%2Bdetails%2529%26targetid%3D131843274786%26rpc%3D0.12%26rpc_upld_id%3D64935%26device%3Dm%26icep_msku_flag%3Dy%26icep_cbt%3Dn%26adtype%3Dpla%26googleloc%3D1006668%26poi%3D%26campaignid%3D207297426%26adgroupid%3D13585920426%26rlsatarget%3Dpla-131843274786%26gclid%3DCjwKEAiAx--2BRDO6q2T84_a52YSJABWAbfre2qjVJpP50_OCjLlreh-6sI7Na1tTpfQhJwSJPndWRoC-rrw_wcB%26srcrot%3D710-134428-41853-0%26rvr_id%3D992770707188&ul_noapp=true

14
15

Won’t work as it’s single pole and we need double pole, I am ordering 2x 2-way.

16

Okay no problem , it looked modular to me ,hard to tell on ebay but it did say addanl contacts are available on the site , so can be configured any way we want , but two switches will do fine

I think it has two single pole contains wich should be what we want , but really hard to tell pn a ebay site, but it may have needed a normal closed contact as well ad per the picture

17

@joeatkin2 How about these:

18

For the high-power machines I take it?

19

The plan Joe has is to fit a RFID tag on them so all the power stations recognise the tool that is connected and the member swipes their tag and that controls access.

I am not convinced myself I think we are getting a lot more complex systems than we need.

20

Also on this point I was thinking Joe perhaps we should use 125Khz tags for the plugs so there isn’t interference between the two readers in each plug.