By Jay Palter | February 15, 2023
There’s a reason that each KeyTracer RFID key fob comes with a lifetime guarantee. It’s because we know they are designed to stand up to whatever abuse they might face in your workplace.
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Thanks to radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, one of the major benefits of our wireless, solid-state KeyTracer keyring fobs is that they don’t require cleaning or servicing. Thanks to their extremely rugged and durable design, our key fobs rarely need to be replaced.
We’ve been proud of that fact for years. But we were curious just how far we could push our key fobs’ durability. Since they didn’t encounter problems in day-to-day usage, we needed to resort to some extreme measures for testing.
One of our Fortune 500 customers agreed to let us borrow their facility, employees, and machinery to put some KeyTracer key fobs through a series of grueling torture tests.
The Stomp Test
We started slowly with a few heavy stomps from a heavy-duty steel-toed boot. The most common abuse our key fobs take are from short falls, kicks, and stomps in high-traffic workplaces. It happens to the best of us grabbing keys from a key cabinet. Unfortunately, that happens in workplaces like warehouses, offices, and construction sites all the time. This test was no sweat for the key fob. Our testing showed it could survive multiple stomps without showing a hint of wear and tear.
Result: Success!
The Pallet Test
This one is slightly less common, but we still hear about it happening now and then. Rolling over a key fob with a pallet jack is a fairly common scenario in a factory or warehouse. You've probably already guessed that the KeyTracer fobs handled a fully-loaded pallet rolling over them without any issue. But that wasn’t good enough for us. We lifted up and slammed the pallet down directly on the key fob to take things a step further. Once again, no scratches, no dents, no sign of any abuse!
Result: Success!
The Forklift Test
We weren’t sure how the key fob would stand against a 9000 lb forklift driving over it. So we placed the key fob in front of the forklift's front-right tire and hoped for the best. Well, to our surprise, the fob survived the trial with ease. And it came through completely unscathed.
Result: Success!
The Scissor Lift Test
The scissor lift is a large machine designed for lifting workers several stories. That sounds perfect! We kicked it into reverse and drove backward over a key fob.
At first, the fob fought back, jamming up the wheel and making the scissor lift drag and skip as it struggled to drive over the little RFID device that was steadfast in its duty of staying in one piece.
Watching the fob grind along the warehouse floor underneath a massive scissor lift, we were prepared for the worst. However, as we slowly approached, expecting to lean over a broken and mangled bit of electronics, we were pleasantly surprised to see a strong keyfob that was once again fully intact.
Result: Success
But Did the KeyTracer Key Fob Still Work?
Though the fob still looked perfectly intact after undergoing all of these torture tests, we had one final thing we needed to know. Would it still work? Could a KeyTracer smart terminal still read it?
We presented the fob to the smart terminal, and it responded. The terminal lit up and indicated the correct lock slot to return it to. So it still had basic functionality, which was good. But would it complete a transaction?
We deposited the key in the slot, the lock engaged, and it worked! After our rigorous series of torture tests, our test subject key fob still worked perfectly.
Final Test Result: Success!
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There’s a very good reason Real Time Networks offers a lifetime warranty on our RFID key fobs. Pretty much nothing we had at our disposal in this fast-paced Fortune 500 warehouse would do any damage to our test fob.
How much more can a KeyTracer RFID key fob take before it bites the dust? Unfortunately, that will have to be up to your imagination because we haven’t found anything yet.
More Than Just Durable Tools
So RFID key fobs are clearly durable, reliable tools. But is that all they’re good for? Just surviving heavy-duty use? These key fobs actually offer many advantages over manual key management or even other automated key management predecessors—those metal-on-metal contact key tags popular in the early 2000s.
(Want to learn more about key systems? Check out our article What is a Key Management System? Everything You Need to Know.)
Here are some other benefits of using RFID key fobs for key management.
Automated operations
Using a key management system with RFID tracking automates the time-consuming manual monitoring and managing of key transactions. You’ll have up-to-the-second transaction data on every single tagged key ring.
You’ll also eliminate the need for workers to spend time on tedious management tasks. You can have them spend work hours on more productive, revenue-generating activities.
Eliminate human error
Human error will eventually creep into any manual process. Bookkeeping, accounting, and key management alike. RFID key tracking systems, like KeyTracer, can’t make these mistakes. Key management software never gets tired or needs to call out sick. It never pencils in the wrong information, and all transaction data is backed up on redundant systems.
New insights into key usage
RFID-enabled key tracking systems provide detailed insights on when, where, and how workers use keys throughout your facility. In addition, these systems can analyze performance trends, revealing usage patterns you may not otherwise notice. In other words, just having your workers go about their day-to-day jobs turns RFID-tagged keys into new business intelligence sources.
Real-time preparedness
Good RFID key tracking systems don’t just passively monitor your keys. Instead, they give you actionable insights into how keys are used so you can respond in real time.
Customizable workflow support
RFID key management systems improve how you work today and open up new possibilities for how you can work tomorrow. Think about it: you can track any business process that involves users signing out keys.
For example, you can set a signout curfew on keys with RFID keytags to restricted areas, like research and development rooms. If you grant permission for overnight cleaners to access the space, and they don’t return keys on time, shift supervisors can receive an immediate alert to investigate any potential irregularities.
Automate tracking for compliance efforts
Because tracking is automated, you can also streamline and simplify any key compliance work. This is a common need in gaming, public safety, and many other regulated industries. A key management system becomes an investment in your business’ productivity and sustainability. You reduce the risk of costly regulatory fines eating into your operating budget over the long term.
RFID Key Tracking Does the Hard Work For You
A lifetime guarantee backs KeyTracer indestructible key fobs because we're confident you will rarely need to replace them. Because they don't rely on direct contact, they don't need any cleaning or maintenance to keep working.
See a KeyTracer key management system in action
Take Control of Your Keys with KeyTracer's Innovative Tracking System.
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