Finishing Equipment The Rise of RFID Q&A with Jim Wright, sales manager, ABG
Tags can be passive, active or battery-assisted. Passive tags are prevalent in retail applications like Walmart’s US supply chain.
WHY IS RFID TECHNOLOGY SO PREVALENT? When RFID tags were fi rst introduced, the tags were both relatively expensive and fragile. The chip didn’t survive the converting process very well, which prevented it from being used in applications where a label with a tag was required. Even when the tag survived converting, the labelling process could exacerbate weaknesses. This coupled with an expensive wire antenna suppressed usage.
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As always happens with technology, the chips became smaller, more powerful and most importantly, cheaper. The combination of a smaller and infi nitely more rugged chip and techniques like printed antennas allowed RFID tags to become practical and prevalent.
n this Q&A, Jim Wright, sales manager at ABG, provides an insight into the history, technology and applications of RFID and the solutions off ered by ABG to meet the growing demands of this dynamic market.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF RADIO FREQUENCY IDENTIFICATION (RFID) TECHNOLOGY?
The use of radio waves to convey information from a remote location without a power source dates back to World War II.
The basis of that technique was later incorporated into powered devices for warplanes to identify them as “friend from foe”. That development grew and became what are now known as aircraft transponders. The fi rst ancestors of RFID were developed in the early 1970s. Described as a “passive radio transponder with memory,” they were presented as tools for tolls, automotive vehicle identifi cation, electronic manifests and banking applications.
WHAT IS RFID?
An RFID system uses tags or labels attached to the objects to be identifi ed. A two-way radio transceiver, known as a “reader”, sends a signal to the tag and reads its response.
The tags have 3 pieces:
• The “chip” that stores and processes information and modulates and demodulates radio frequencies (the RF part of RFID).
• An antenna for receiving and sending the signal. • A substrate.
WHAT TYPE OF COMPANIES BENEFIT FROM USING RFID TAGS?
Retailers, such as Walmart, have embraced RFID for inventory management. Starting in 2022 with apparel, Walmart now requires RFID tagging across additional product categories, inspiring other retailers to follow suit.
WHAT’S NEEDED TO COMPETE? For labels, retailers will want prime labels with RFID inlays and/or companion labels with inlays. Customised solutions will also become more prevalent as the market space evolves. Depending upon the volume of labels with RFID inlays a customer wants, a converting line capable of handling multiple lanes would be a viable solution. With a roll of printed labels, the substrate is delaminated leaving the liner for the inlays to be dispensed to. The inlays are dispensed in register to the labels so that when re-lamination is complete, die cutting and matrix removal can be done. If you must insert inlays to a roll of existing die-cut labels, systems are available to support that application.
WHAT SOLUTIONS DOES ABG OFFER IN THIS SPACE?
For RFID and EAS insertions, ABG off ers the Ti200, an entry-level solution capable of single-lane tag insertions at up to 1,000 per minute. For more complex jobs, ABG’s RFID Converting line supports multi-lane operations, making it ideal for growing demands in this sector.
22
Dec 2024 / Jan 2025
www.convertermag.com
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