Sulo teams up with Taylor to fit chips to steel bins

Sulo believes the market for its microchip had been hampered in this country because the chips could not be used with steel bins.

The problem was that the steel corrupted the radio signal used to transfer data between the chip in the bin and the reader unit. Any attempt to fit chips mounted to the outside of containers was frustrated because the comb-lift mechanisms common to collection vehicles in the UK were likely to knock them off.

Weighing identification microchips can now be used with steel bins

German-owned Sulo has made container microchip systems for over 15 years, but specialises in plastic bins. The company teamed up with leading UK steel bin manufacturer Taylor to tackle the interference problem.

The companies have come up with a system using special interference-resistant microchips and Taylor's patented plastic “chip housing”, called TagSafe. The chip housing also shields the microchip from radio interference and fits securely into a cavity in the steel bins.

Sulo says the chips can be installed in exactly the same place in steel bins as is standard for plastic bins – so collection vehicles can now handle steel and plastic bins at the same time with a single radio-frequency reader unit.

Allan Waller of Sulo said: “Widely accepted in mainland Europe, weigh and ID systems are rapidly gaining popularity in the UK, but the problem with radio-frequency interference was effectively excluding users of steel containers from the many benefits of the systems. With the system we have developed with Taylor we believe these benefits are now open to all.”

Reconditioning
Worcestershire-based Taylor has developed its production facilities with new tools to drill the holes in steel bins so they can accept the TagSafe chip holders. Taylor offers customers using the company's reconditioning service the chance to have their existing steel bins converted to fit the TagSafe system.

Speaking to letsrecycle.com, Taylor's marketing manager Aletia Rossini said the company had designed TagSafe to fit any microchip in plastic or the steel bins, giving customers the option of which system to use.

She said: “We want our customers to have the option of tagging available to them because we feel that the market is going that way. Tagsafe gives our customers the choice as to which system to use.”