Ribbiot Portal Installation Manual

Introduction

Ribbiot builds high quality, industrial trackers that are intended to be permanently mounted on in-field assets. These trackers are built to handle the toughest situations, and integrate seamlessly into the Ribbiot ecosystem for asset management.

What to install Trackers On

Anything with high monetary or operational value!

• High monetary value items

  • Assets that are difficult, expensive, and/or slow to replace (or custom fabricate).

  • This allows for viewing their location and availability/status anytime.

• Mission critical items (high operational value)

  • Items that have the potential to bottleneck a process or even completely delay a job.

  • This allows for better scheduling, ensuring items are accounted for and not overbooked. As well as easy to find and view usage history.

But trackers can be added to any asset that would benefit from physical location tracking, inventory management and/or scheduling, etc.

 

Mounting Location

Orientation and RF considerations

The Portals use a myriad of various antennas to communicate, including GPS, Cellular, and Bluetooth; as such, the Portals function best if they have a clear line-of-sight to the sky. Similar to the Pod, the Portals also need to be somewhat accessible by your phone to scan the device (NFC) during initial setup and for potential future scans. The top surface of the device (with the Ribbiot Logo) is where the antennas are located, this surface should be placed facing upwards or outwards into open space to allow the antennas to radiate and easy access for NFC Scanning.  Portals should NOT be installed upside down, or underneath/behind metal doors or other metal objects.  Care should be taken to avoid having wires or other objects hanging directly in front of the portal. 

Placement on equipment

Ribbiot products are intended to remain installed on equipment for the foreseeable future, as such care should be taken when finding a suitable mounting location that will not damage the tracker or impede functionality of the asset they are installed onto; i.e. will not impede service maintenance, travel, additional accessories, general motion (such as collapsing for transport), or be placed in high risk/high damage areas, etc….

Typically, if the equipment you are mounting the tracker onto is used frequently, you can look for protected areas where the paint is still fresh, or there are fewer signs of wear and tear; generally these are the best areas to place the trackers is possible. Another typical placement would be near the equipment nameplate, identification tag, or specification placard. Surface preparation instructions can be found in detail below.

See the example mounting locations document for ideas of similar equipment you may have.

Application Methods

The Portal is primarily designed to be mounted using mechanical fasteners (screws), which remains the preferred method. However, if screws are not a viable option, the Portal can also be installed using VHB tape or epoxy. When not using screws, VHB is recommended as it is easier to apply, provides strong and durable adhesion, and can be removed if necessary. Epoxy, while offering a stronger and more permanent bond than VHB, should only be used when fasteners are not feasible and a highly robust, non-removable installation is required.

Comparison

 

Method	Advantages	Disadvantages	Where Recommended
Mechanical Fasteners	Very robust and repeatable installation Can be replaced or removed easily Very good weather and impact performance Can be drilled + tapped, OR use self-tapping screws	Drills holes in the item (permanently altering)	General installations (this is the preferred default installation method) Installations where the tracker may need to be easily removed in the future.
VHB	Does not damage or permanently alter the asset Inexpensive Can be removed Good weather and impact performance Can be installed in tight spaces Can be applied to most materials	Requires thorough cleaning prep Not as robust as other options	Areas where mounting via mechanical fasteners is not feasible (i.e. cannot drill holes) Protected areas where the Portal will not be subject to large forces Mounting to plastic surfaces such as a vehicle dash-board, etc.
Epoxy	Very good weather and impact performance Most robust adhesive option Can be installed in tight spaces Does not damage or permanently alter the asset	The most technical installation process (i.e. the most prone to issues if the entire preparation process is not strictly adhered to). Requires thorough preparation and specific tools. Has limitations for installation environment (i.e. cannot be installed in cold temperatures, or in rain, etc.) Difficult to remove: requires breaking the mount off and grinding away remaining epoxy Does not bond well to plastics	Any place where an incredibly robust bond is needed without permanently altering the asset structure

Installation Instructions by Application Method

Mechanical Fasteners

Installation Procedure

First, find the location where you want to mount the tracker, ensuring that it fits as desired. If also permanently wiring in power, also ensure that you have accounted for where the power cable will be run.

Then follow the steps below depending on the fastener type that you are using.

• Machine Screws

  • Mark the desired screw hole locations.

  • Drill and tap the holes per your desired fastener thread type.

  • Install the tracker.

• Self Tapping & Wood Screws

  • *(Optional) mark hole locations and pre-drill using an appropriate sized drill.

  • Install the tracker.

Drill / Hole Pattern

The Portal mounting hole pattern is shown here:

Recommended Fasteners: Portal

• Machine Screws (316 Stainless Steel)

  • #10 Hex Head or Socket Head Cap Screws

    • i.e. 10-24 or 10-32, ≥ 5/16” long

  • M5 Hex Head or Socket Head Cap Screws

    • i.e. M5x0.8, ≥ 8mm long

• Self Tapping Screw (18-8 Stainless Steel)

  • #10 Hex or Rounded Head Self Drilling Screws for Metal

    • i.e. #10x0.75in

• Wood Screw (Button / Hex Head)

  • #10 Rounded Head Screws: i.e. #10x0.75in Wood Screw

    • OR

  • #10 Flat Head Screw: i.e. #10 x 1.25in Construction Screw

VHB

1. Select the Appropriate VHB Tape

   • We recommend using 1” wide rolls of VHB tape, which can be easily trimmed to fit the shape of the Portal baseplate. Choose the VHB type based on your application:

     • 3M VHB 5952 – General Purpose

       • Default choice for most installations

       • Bonds well to metals and most common plastics

     • 3M VHB LSE-110WF – Low Surface Energy Materials

       • Recommended for bonding to unknown or low surface energy plastics

       • Performs well on materials such as Polypropylene, HDPE, etc.

       • Still provides a strong bond to most metals

2. Prepare the Surfaces

   • Thoroughly clean and prep both the asset surface and the Portal mounting plate before applying adhesive. Refer to the ‘Adhesive Surface Prep’ section for detailed instructions.

3. Apply the VHB Tape

   • Cut the VHB tape to match the shape of the Portal baseplate. Ensure full coverage where needed, and apply the tape firmly to the baseplate.

   • 

4. Remove liner for adhesive on VHB

   • Note: Only do so when the application area is completely cleaned and dried

5. Apply the product with VHB to the application area.

6. Firmly push on the product and hold for fifteen-to-thirty seconds to activate the adhesive: you should try to apply between 20-to-40lb of force while pressing.

NOTE: 

• VHB generally requires 15 psi (~100kPa) to activate - please push firmly / apply ~45lb (~20kg) for 20-30 seconds
• VHB will reach 50% strength after ~20min and 90% strength after ~24hrs. Care should be taken if the item is used before the initial 24hr period.
• VHB is great with weather and impact resistance, but it will fail if subject to large static loads (somebody standing on or hanging heavy items from the mount, etc.). We only recommend using VHB where the mounting location offers reasonable protection from this type of heaving loading.

Epoxy

Installation Procedure

• Start with a sealed, non-expired bottle of epoxy

  • Do not use previously opened or expired epoxy

  • If in doubt, throw it out

• Step 1: Prep the surfaces

  • Clean both the asset and the bottom of the Ribbiot case thoroughly

  • Refer to the ‘Adhesive Surface Prep’ section for full instructions

• Step 2: Install VHB holding stickers

  • Remove the liner from one side of each VHB sticker

  • Stick the VHB onto the metal tabs of the case

  • Ensure screw holes are fully covered

  • Press firmly to secure the stickers

• Step 3: Apply epoxy

  • Remove the liner from the other side of the VHB to expose the adhesive

  • Apply epoxy around the perimeter of the case

    • Only use approved epoxies

    • Ideal bead size: 3/32 to 1/8 inch (2.5 to 3.2 mm)

• Step 4: Mount the case

  • Press the case straight down onto the asset

  • Do not slide or wiggle during placement

  • Hold in place for 15 to 30 seconds to activate the VHB

• Step 5: Let it cure

  • Allow the epoxy to cure for 24 hours before using or moving the asset

  • Do not expose to rain or water during this time

  • If rain is expected, cover the tracker with a tarp or GLAD PRESS’N SEAL

Epoxy Type

Ribbiot only endorses these specific Toughened Structural Epoxies, they are the only products capable of withstanding the required tensile, shear, AND impact loading.

• 3M: DP460NS (preferred option)

  • McMaster-Carr PN: 7467A66

• Loctite: E-60hp (alternative option)

  • McMaster-Carr PN: 6430A28

*Ensure that the epoxy is not expired before use.

*Ensure that you are using a new bottle of epoxy, as the epoxy will degrade rapidly after first being opened, even if re-sealed afterward.

Installation Considerations

• The epoxy will cure in 24hrs when left at a temperature of 73°F. It will cure faster in warmer temperatures and slower at colder temperatures.

• The epoxy should not be installed in temperatures less than 50°F as it will NOT cure. Ensure the temperature will be ≥ 50°F throughout the entire 24hr curing process.

• Consider bringing the asset indoors for epoxy if installing in colder weather.

• Moisture can inhibit the curing process, see Step 5 above (Installation Procedure) for considerations.

Portal Wiring

The Portal was designed with a trailer color code in mind, however it can be connected to any DC power source that can supply ~8W of power and has a voltage anywhere from 6-33V. A 12V 1A power supply is recommended for wall powered applications.

The optional Brown and Black wires are analog inputs. The Brown wire is setup by default to record engine hours if it is connected to the ignition. 

Please note the battery in the Portal is not serviceable or removable, however if the unit it wired into a power source it should be able to recharge whenever power is available and not require any service.

It is recommended to use crimp style connections if wiring into a vehicle, crane or other wiring harness. The provided cable has 26AWG conductors and is 1.5m (~5ft) long.

Portal User Interface

The Portal is designed to be simple to use and once it is setup it should not need any further maintenance besides potentially recharging the battery if the power source is not active often enough (or not wired into power).  There are no buttons on the device, as the main way to interact with the device is by an NFC scan.  

The lights on the Portal will give you some basic information on the status of the hardware:

• NFC scan - using your phone - place it near the frog logo to scan the device. The lights will illuminate for a few seconds the following colors

  • Green = Battery and connectivity are OK
  • 

  • RED = Battery is low

  • 

  • Blue blinking = Poor LTE connectivity

  •  

  • Yellow blinking = Poor GPS connectivity

  • 
  • consider changing the install location if Poor LTE or GPS connectivity persists for longer than 20min

• During installation the Portal will perform the following

  • Provisioning NFC Scan should blink Green 3 times upon a successful pairing.

  • The blue and yellow LEDs will then begin to blink while the Portal attempts to make an LTE and GPS connection

    • • If the blinking stops in less than 10min the device is connected

      • You can check the connectivity status by doing an NFC scan of the device with your phone.

• When power is applied or the cable is connected initially the Blue LED will illuminate solid for ~30s. 
  • 
• When an optional input is powered (ie ignition for engine hours) the Yellow LED will illuminate solid for ~30s. 
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