Inlays, Labels, Tags

Avery Dennison RFID Offers Four New Inlay Designs

Avery Dennison RFID (rfid.averydennison.com) introduces four new inlays to its RFID product portfolio with the AD-224, AD-631, AD-824, and AD-840. The new UHF inlays are EPC Class 1 Gen 2 and ISO-180006-C-compliant and are manufactured using the company's proprietary high speed strap attach technology. These inlays are available now through Avery Dennison's Qualified Converter network.

The AD-224, AD-824, and AD-840 include extended memory options by utilizing the UCODE G2X chip set from NXP Semiconductors (www.nxp.com). "Our newest UCODE G2X devices offer superior UHF performance, increased sensitivity, extended memory space, and unique custom commands, including a read protect security feature, " says Steve Owen, Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Identification, NXP Semiconductors.

Avery Dennison's new RFID inlays include:
AD-224 Inlay. The AD-224 standard version offers a scalable 96 to 240 bit EPC memory to accommodate applications requiring different length EPC codes. The AD-224 is also available with an additional 512 bits of user memory. The extra memory allows for storage of applications data for product life cycle verification such as ePedigree or brand authentication applications. The AD-224, a 4" x 0.5" inlay, also provides increased read ranges and higher read rates, and is optimized for use between 860-960 MHz. The AD-224 complements the existing AD-222, also a 4" x 0.5" inlay providing excellent performance across a wide variety of applications.

AD-824 Inlay. The AD-824 employs a breakthrough antenna design that enables item-level RFID tagging for dense tag environments found in applications such as jewelry and document tagging. The 1.3" x 2" inlays may be stacked within several millimeters of each other and still be read and written to reliably. The AD-824 offers up to 240 bits of EPC memory and is also available with an extra 512 bits of user memory.

AD-631 Inlay. The AD-631 is orientation-insensitive, so it can be read in any direction (face-on or edge-on), which improves tag visibility in randomly oriented asset and pallet tracking applications, such as those in the Sam's Club® Compliance program. The AD-631 also provides a longer read range yielding greater readability rates. The AD-631 fits easily in a 3" x 3" label and is optimized for use between 860-960 MHz.

AD-840 Inlay. The AD-840 exhibits powerful read range performance in applications where the inlay must survive rough industrial automated handling processes such as baggage handling. The AD-840 inlay design utilizes a large-area antenna that is rugged and more durable than a traditional thin-line dipole design, meaning the inlay will perform even if the antenna is punctured or otherwise damaged. The AD-840 is in a 2" x 4" format and is optimized for use between 860-960 MHz. The AD-840 will also be available with a 512 bits user memory version.

Awarepoint's Sterilizable Active RFID RTLS Asset Tag

Awarepoint announces the healthcare industry's first-to-market active RFID Real-time Location System (RTLS) asset tag that is sterilizable via steam autoclave and common liquid sterilization methods without removing it from equipment. The Awarepoint T2S asset tag is tested to endure standard autoclave cycles at temperatures up to 135 °C, as well as immersion in the most common liquid sterilization methods. This new enhancement will further allow sterilize process workflows to be remotely monitored. The Awarepoint system can alert appropriate staff (via e-mail, pager, or system reporting) if sterile protocol was compromised (e.g., equipment moves from one sterile area to the next before being processed by the sterile processing department). The tags have a battery life of five years or more.

Now with the benefits of Awarepoint's new sterilizable active RFID asset tag, staff can locate equipment through the sterile processing department and understand its status (clean/dirty) at the touch of a button.

Sealed Air's Consignment Monitoring Device

TurboTag™ is an innovative RFID-enabled cold chain consignment monitoring device by Sealed Air (www.turbo-tag.com) that allows fresh food producers to trace the condition of their products across the globe and achieve potential cost efficiency savings. It is a smartcard data recorder that accurately monitors time and temperature. Combined with a comprehensive range of supporting peripheral devices, TurboTag ™ collects and transfers data through an integrated, non-contact RFID architecture.

Food companies of all sizes are being challenged to adapt their transportation practices to compensate for higher energy costs. The pursuit of a lower carbon footprint is also contributing to an increased awareness of transportation efficiencies. Through the introduction TurboTag ™, temperature monitoring factors contributing to transit waste and spoilage can be identified and managed.

TurboTag™ has been developed to offer benefits that outperform conventional strip chart recorders and digital data loggers, including:

Temperature accuracy to ± 0.5°C over entire operating range via Accuzone™ calibration
User configurable alarms and functions with Session Manager interface
Non-contact data collection of the complete data record in about two seconds
Handheld and fixed position starters and readers

Due to the small form factor (the size of credit card), light weight, and simplified design, TurboTag ™ is extremely durable and reliable. It is has unlimited reuse potential over the one year service life of the battery. As a result, this smartcard allows for a more cost effective means of monitoring temperature in a wide variety of applications. It is also available in a pharmaceutical 21CFR Part 11 compliant grade.

Intelleflex Rolls Out FOB Tag for Asset Tracking

Intelleflex Corporation (www.intelleflex.com) announces the availability of its FBT-7400 FOB tag – a long range, highly compact tag designed for loop attachment to key rings and other items with similar style mounting requirements. Applications include tracking of tools and equipment for real-time inventory visibility and automated check-out/check-in procedures, and the tracking of keys used to gain access to secured assets such as vehicles, buildings, and equipment.

The most recent in a family of application-specific tags introduced by Intelleflex, the FBT-7400 combines the benefits of extended capability RFID (robust performance, 60k bit user memory, advanced security architecture, etc.) with a compact form factor, made possible by an innovative antenna design. The approximately one half cubic inch tag offers great read/write range of up to 75 feet.

"Secured assets such as keys are often controlled using a lock box or kept inside a locked office, but companies lose visibility to their whereabouts and history once removed from these facilities, " says Randy Kulaga, Principal at Plastic Card Solutions, Inc. "We needed a solution that could track keys and manage security and accountability once they're out of the box. The Intelleflex solution provides that capability."

"Meeting all of the requirements of an application solution is critical to project success: performance, feature set, and yes, even details such as form factor and means of attachment, " says Sam Liu, Director of Marketing for Intelleflex. "The FBT-7400 provides the required combination of extended read range, a compact form factor and a design that can be easily attached to a wide range of assets. "

TAGSYS Unveils Its UHF TRAK Tag
Family for Item-Level Applications

TAGSYS (www.tagsysrfid.com) releases the UHF TRAK tag family, specifically designed to deliver optimum performance in item-level track-and-trace applications. TAGSYS designs and develops an RFID system for both HF and UHF applications.

TAGSYS' new TRAK tag family includes a technology that significantly reduces RFID "shadowing" and "detuning" to guarantee read accuracy and maintain data integrity on an item level. Shadowing and detuning – common phenomenon with UHF technology – result when one tag in close proximity to another blocks the signal from a reader antenna. This has been a major limitation in achieving acceptable read rates for item-level UHF implementations. TAGSYS' new design now provides applications requiring item proximity, such as stacked folders or packaged bottles, with precise and consistent data reads on tagged items.

"Our engineering team was impressed with the first UHF tag developed for document tracking and other item-level applications where shadowing is a problem, " says Chetan Karani of ODIN technologies. "The DocTRAK tag is a good example of a UHF RFID tag tuned for a specific job. It outperformed three competitors in our internal file tracking benchmark testing. "

Each of TAGSYS' four UHF TRAK tags is optimized for specific item-level application environments:

DocTRAK – designed for applications such as document file tracking where near-contact of stacked items is unavoidable, providing a demonstrated read reliability for up to 50 stacked files.
RapidTRAK (50 mm x 30 mm) – designed for close proximity, omni-directional reading of hanging items on racks or stacked items at retail points-of-sale (POS).
SureTRAK (71 mm x 32 mm) – designed for readability in high volume supply chain applications and fast inventory environments when multiple paper items are stacked closely together.
RxTRAK (25 mm x 25 mm) – designed for reading small items tightly-packed in boxes or totes such as pharmaceutical supply chains.

TAGSYS recently announced a complete line of UHF hardware and application stations including a UHF fixed reader providing maximum flexibility to read large numbers of RFID-tagged items at a distance, a tabletop reading station for applications demanding a well-defined read zone, and a UHF tunnel delivering fast, efficient, and highly reliable detection rates equating to superior accuracy for the application. TAGSYS' UHF hardware product line together with the new UHF tag family is optimized to work as a single reliable system regardless of the application.

UPM Raflatac's UHF New Item-Level Offerings

UPM Raflatac (www.upmraflatac.com) is expanding its UHF EPC Class 1 Gen 2 item-level product portfolio with near-field and far-field technologies from Impinj (www.impinj.com). Based on the standardized global protocol ISO 18000-6C and a broadband antenna design, these item-level tags and inlays promote the proliferation of item-level tagging in all frequencies around the world. Operating under the principles of near-field magnetic coupling or a combination of near-field and far-field radiation, UPM Raflatac's tags and inlays with Impinj's Monza™ chips offer reliable performance across both long and short read ranges. Sample quantities of each inlay are available immediately. They include:

UPM Raflatac Button™

Die-cut size round 13 mm (round 0.51")
Item-level product for pharmaceutical vials as well as document and asset tracking
Ideal for hard to read items with short read range requirements
Available as wet and dry inlays

UPM Raflatac PaperClip™

Die-cut size 11 mm x 20 mm, (0.43" x 0.79")
Ideal for pharmaceutical, industrial and media management applications
Available as wet and dry inlays UPM Raflatac Satellite™
Die cut size 36 mm x 22 mm (1.42" x 0.87")
Item-level product for general purpose applications with short to medium read range requirements
Ideal for tagging garments and item-level pharmaceutical packaging
Available as wet and dry inlays as well as paper-faced tags

Library ICODE Solution from NXP

NXP Semiconductors (www.nxp.com) announces the latest addition to its ICODE range of RFID smart labels. The ICODE SLI-SY has been designed specifically for use within library and archive environments and offers a guaranteed data lifespan of 40 years. The ICODE SLI-SY is attractive for academic libraries, government, legal, and medical archives that require long-term data integrity.

Building on the proven ICODE platform, used by over 1,000 libraries worldwide, the new solution offers many additional benefits including password protected security and benchmark read range. Other key security features also include protected EAS functionality and full compatibility to the ISO 15693 standard. Key features include: