Alien RFID Applied to Fish Crates for Traceability

Alien Tech supports RFID traceability application for Pack and Sea A/S, the Danish fish crate tracking consortium. ...

... "Pack and Sea is the largest consortium of commercial fishermen in Denmark. They required very durable RFID tags on hundreds of thousands of plastic crates to withstand routine supply chain logistics processes including high temperature cleanings and the continuous exposure of the reusable assets within a highly saline environment. Seawater is a very aggressive corrosive substance so it was critical to provide an extremely rugged and proven tag design solution. After subjecting all UHF Gen 2 inlays available in the marketplace to rigorous tests, we selected Alien’s Higgs-3 Squiggle inlay which provided the most consistent and long read range, so it was an obvious choice to make. " ...

Via Alien Technology: Fish crate tracking application

Volume RFID Label Order

SMARTRAC N.V. will supply a significant RFID label contract over the next year from its manufacturing site in Malaysia. ...

... "contract to supply 30 million RFID labels over the next twelve months. The volumes are delivered to a large system integrator who remains unnamed due to an arrangement of confidentiality. " ...

Via SMARTRAC: Contact Win

Alien EMEA Gen2 RFID Reader

Alien Technology launches the ALR-9900-EMA reader focused on delivering European capabilities, ETSI regulations, and other differentiating features. ...

... "This new generation architecture delivers exceptional performance within a compact package. It is designed to the new ETSI EN 302-208-2 regulatory compliance standards, more commonly known as the four-channel-plan. It supports near-field and far-field coupling, and includes the powerful Alien Reader Protocol (ARP) engine for stand-alone autonomous mode of operation as well as full support of all custom commands for Alien’s industry leading Higgs-3 based inlay portfolio, including extended memory, anti-counterfeit authentication, and read cloaking. " ...

Via Alien Technology: ALR-9900-EMA RFID reader supports new European Four Channel Plan Regulations

Library RFID Solutions Partnership

Texas Instruments and 3M Library Systems have sustained their partnership in library RFID applications for 10-years. ...

... "To date, millions of TI Tag-it HF-I chips help libraries track periodicals in 3M Library Systems worldwide. Developed with a memory that reliably retains its data for an estimated 60 years at 131 degrees Fahrenheit (55 degrees Celsius), TI supplies its durable, high-quality HF chips in inlay format to 3M Library Systems, which manufactures RFID labels to tag library assets as part of its full-line of RFID solutions. The 3M RFID System streamlines the checkout and return, sorting and inventory management of library materials to better serve customers. Libraries are providing more services without an increase in funding and are turning to technologies like RFID to automate routine tasks and free staff to spend more time with patrons. " ...

Via 3M: RFID Innovation to Libraries

RFID Strategic Alliance

Alien Technology enters into strategic arrangement with Arizon RFID Technology (Yangzhou) Co., Ltd. to manufacture Alien inlays in the Chinese market. ...

... "Arizon has one of the world’s largest RFID manufacturing facilities and is well positioned to service the dynamic Chinese market. This partnership brings together Arizon’s high-quality production capabilities with Alien’s high-performance products and experience in manufacturing. Customers will benefit from cost savings due to the proximity of the manufacturing facility, including lower cost of air-freight and better services as a result of being in the same time zone. " ...

Via Alien Technology: Strategic Alliance with Arizon RFID Technology (Yangzhou)

RFID Funding for Growth

Alien Technology achieves a new funding round with its existing investor pool: Advanced Equities, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Rho Ventures and Sunbridge Partners. ...

... "Despite challenging U.S. economic market conditions, Alien successfully acquired an aggregate $38 million in new funds. Alien’s expected product revenue for its recently completed FY08 grew approximately more than 50% over FY07. Each consecutive quarter in FY08 realized record breaking inlay volume sales, placing FY08 inlay volume growth above 76% over FY07. " ...

Via Alien Technology: - Press Center - Press Releases

RFID Inlay Tracking Packed Meat

Avery Dennison RFID will supply AD-222 inlays to the METRO Group for meat tracking pilot program at the Future Store in Toenisvorst, Germany. ...

... "The AD-222 inlay will be used to tag the foam meat packing trays used in METRO's real, Future Store. The meat tagging application will help METRO better manage the flow of its perishable products, cut down on cost and save time on restocking.

The European Avery Dennison RFID team worked to develop a solution, including a feasibility study and the tag design. The RFID tags will be applied to the foam meat packing tray and one of the particular challenges was to meet safety requirements for labeling food. Avery Dennison RFID worked together with Fasson Roll Materials Europe, a division of Avery Dennison, to provide S-2000N food contact compliant adhesive. The RFID tags are readable when stacked in the freezer and meet METRO Group's food labeling safety requirements. " ...

Via Avery Dennison RFID: RFID Inlay Utilized in Meat Tagging Application for Metro Group

RFID Enabled Cartons Have Embedded Inlays

HIDE-Pack and Domino Integrated Solutions Group introduce RFID-enabled Smart Boxes that integrate the RFID inlay into the packaging medium - cartons, cases, etc. ...

... "HIDE-Pack consists of embedding an RFID inlay within the structure of a package, corrugated case or folding carton, so that the inlay is not visible from the outside or the inside of the package. Effectively, the RFID inlay becomes an integral part of the packaging medium. The layers of packaging adhesive encapsulating the HIDE-compliant inlay preserve the inlay's performance under detrimental conditions such a condensation resulting from cold storage and immersion in water. " ...

Via Domino Integrated Solutions Group: RFID-Enabled Boxes

Related:

DHL Innovation Center SmartBox: "The Smart Box transports visitors to the future of logistics: the intelligent container is constantly linked and communicates its load, status and position. "

SafetyStream SmartBox: "ship your sensitive property anywhere with the Safetystream SmartBox, a secure shipping container with tamper-resistant electronic locking system. "

HP on Importance of Smart Packaging in Containing Costs (PDF): "The requirement to make our packaging smarter, more intelligent, and more functional is clearly understood among the engineering ranks within HP. "

RFID Scorpion UHF EPC Gen2 Inlay

Omron delivers new Gen2 RFID Inlay, code-named the Scorpion. ...

... "The Scorpion's versatile credit-card size allows easy conversion to popular formats, including 4in x 2in, 4in x 6in and 3in x 3in logistics labels for cases as well as ID cards and crate tags. Used to track stock shipments to RFID-enabled stores, for example, Scorpion-powered labels offer a powerful solution to out-of stock (OOS) situations at retail outlets running special promotions. The new inlay also fits snugly into credit-card sized items such as gate passes and other access control applications. " ...

Via OMRON: RFID UHF EPC Gen2 Inlay Product

RFID Smart Label Insertion Machine

Muehlbauer Technology Group introduces RFID Smart Label Insertion Line, IL 15000, which inserts wet RFID inlays into existing standard labels. ...

... "Many label manufacturers currently produce standard self-adhesive labels used for a variety of applications. An insertion process is required to e quip labels with an RFID inlay. Since this is a high volume production process, the market requires an efficient solution for the automation of this process. Muehlbauer's IL 15000 is a fully automatic RFID inlay insertion machine for printed or finished self adhesive labels. The finished labels are fed into the machine from a reel and transferred to the process module. Each single label is then lifted off the liner and a RFID inlay is inserted underneath the sticky side of the label. After this process step, the label will be put back on the liner. An optional functional test can be integrated into the IL 15000, which will ensure that your labels are working according to your specifications. " ...

Via Muehlbauer: LabelExpo Europe 2007

New RFID Inlays

Avery-Dennison introduces three RFID inlays: The AD-430 Inlay is designed to work in supply chain applications with metal and liquid contents; The AD-630 Inlay is designed to for retail case-and-pallet use and can be read in any direction; The AD-813 Inlay, 0.75x0.75 inches, is sized to fit small, item-level applications, such as pharmaceutical pill bottles; ...

... "The new inlays are EPC Class 1 Gen 2- and ISO-180006-C-compliant and are designed to be read across the range of global RFID frequency bands - 860-960 MHz - and integrate seamlessly into label converting processes. All three new products are scheduled for general release in the third quarter of 2007. " ...

Via Avery Dennison RFID: News: Press Releases

Evaluate RFID Kit: Far and Near Field Tag Applications

Impinj launches the GrandPrix Evaluation Kit which enables assessment of the company's far-field and near-field UHF RFID solutions for pallet-, case-, and item-level tagging applications. ...

... "The first suite of UHF RFID assessment products and tools to include item-level testing capability, the GrandPrix Evaluation Kit comprises: 1 Speedway UHF Gen 2 reader with power supply, 2 far-field antennas, 1 Brickyard near field antenna, Sample pack of Monza chip-powered UHF Gen 2 tags for pallet-, case-, and item-level tagging applications provided by Impinj tag and inlay partners
MultiReader host application software, Supporting documentation, including the Speedway Quick Start Guide and the Speedway User Guide. " ...

Via Impinj: Dock Door to Front Door RFID Evaluation Kit

RFID Wristband: Hotel Guest Convenience

Precision Dynamics Corporation implements Smart Band® RFID(radio frequency identification) wristbands and PDC Smart Kiosk RFID Cashless Point-of-Sale (POS) System at the new Great Wolf Lodge at Paramount's Kings Island in Mason, Ohio. ...

... "The 401-suite northwoods-themed family resort with an indoor waterpark, implemented PDC's RFID Wristband System to provide guests with enhanced services including hotel room keyless entry, cashless payment options, automated arcade token dispensers, and more. At registration, guests are given a Smart Band, which is embedded with a 13.56MHz RFID inlay. The automated wristbands allow for keyless entry into hotel rooms for all family members, eliminating the need to carry hotel room keys. MICROS' POS workstations enable guests to make cashless payments with the RFID wristbands throughout the resort. Also, the RFID wristbands eliminate the chances of money getting wet or lost while at the water park. Guests are given the choice of using the RFID wristbands to make charges directly to their rooms or to set up a pre-funded account for purchases. The pre-funded account is a great way to allow children to purchase products and services without giving them full charging privileges. Both types of accounts can be increased or funded by using Smart Kiosks throughout the resort or at the registration desk. All information on the wristband is encrypted providing maximum security for guests. " ...

Precision Dynamics Corporation: Great Wolf Lodge in Ohio Installs RFID Wristband System to Provide Added Guest Convenience and Service ...

RFID ePassports: Inlays Shipping ...

SmarTrac passes significant milestone in the sales of its RFID imlays for electronic passports, or ePassports. ...

... "SMARTRAC, the inventor of inlays for electronic passports, is the first company worldwide to ship more than ten million ePassport inlays to its customers. SMARTRAC is the world’s largest supplier of inlays for ePassports and is benefiting from the accelerating introduction of electronic passports. The company has been listed in the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 20 July 2006, and recently registered DURASOFT as a trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office. DURASOFT is a novel multi-layer inlay material specially developed for ePassports. " ...

Via SmarTrac: SMARTRAC ships 10th million ePassport inlay and is the world’s largest supplier for electronic passports ...

Monza RFID Tag Readers Gen2 Interoperable ...

Impinj's Monza RFID chip and Speedway readers are certified for Generation-2 interoperability. ...

... "Leading Gen 2 RFID solution provider, Impinj, Inc., announced that EPCglobal Inc., the not-for-profit standards organization dedicated to driving global adoption of the Electronic Product Code (EPC) for supply chain excellence, has awarded interoperability marks to Monza tag chips and Speedway readers, certifying that these Impinj products comply with EPCglobal's Gen 2 standard and interoperate with other certified devices. Third-party testing firm MET Laboratories conducted EPCglobal's product interoperability testing as part of an extensive hardware certification and standards compliance program for RFID chips, tags, readers, and printers. MET Laboratories also performed EPCglobal's RFID Gen 2 compliance testing in September 2005, awarding Gen 2 compliance certification marks to Impinj's Monza chip and Speedway reader at that time.

Impinj is the only company to have earned Gen 2 interoperability certification for both tag chips and readers. Monza chips and Speedway readers enable Powered by Impinj solutions available from a variety of RFID vendors and are key components of recent RFID deployments. Impinj has shipped Monza chips in high volume to the industry's leading RFID tag and inlay vendors worldwide since the Fall of 2005. " ...

Via Impinj: Impinj’s Gen 2 RFID Monza Tag Chips and Speedway Readers Earn EPCglobal Interoperability Certification ...

Omron RFID Inlay: Single Tag Design ...

Omron develops single RFID tag design to support international markets, perform under challenging configurations, and with varying materials and radio frequencies. ...

... "Omron RFID announced availability of the Gen2 Global Loop inlay which can be used under North American, European and Japanese radio frequency bands in a single tag design. The Gen2 Loop is optimized to ensure robust read performance when the tag is applied to items containing materials unfriendly to RFID, including electronics equipment and products with high moisture content. The Loop tag also delivers reliable read ranges when the orientation on the product is not fixed or could change after application. As a direct result, the Loop inlay can improve pallet tag read rates. Because it has dimensions of 68m x 70 mm, the Loop inlay will fit 3-in. x 3-in., 4-in. x 3-in. and 4-in. x 6-in. spaces. Omron's Gen2 Loop inlays can be used with all international UHF RFID frequencies from 860 to 960MHz with little or no performance degradation. The addition of the inlay to the already announced Wave tag expands Omron's ability to meet a wide range of applications for today's international supply chain needs. " ...

Omron RFID Inlay: Single Tag Design: Via Omron: OMRON Introduces EPC Gen2 Global Loop Inlay ...

RFID UHF Gen2 Chips Used in Labels ...

Impinj wins contract to supply their RFID UHF Gen2 chips for use in label products from RF IDentics. ...

... "Impinj, Inc., the fabless semiconductor company whose patented Self-Adaptive Silicon technology enables its high performance radio frequency identification (RFID) products, announced an agreement under which RF IDentics will purchase Impinj's Monza UHF Gen 2 chips for inclusion in its RFID inlay and label products. Responding to increased demand from leading consumer goods manufacturers in the global retail supply chain for high-performance RFID solutions, RF IDentics selected Impinj's Monza chips to power their RFID inlay products. In addition to Impinj's chips, RF IDentics will use its proprietary RFID antenna technology as well as antennas licensed from Impinj to manufacture the RFID inlays and labels used to gather and track retail supply chain data. " ...

RFID UHF Gen2 Chips Used in Labels: Via Impinj: Impinj and RF Identics Announce 25 Million UHF Gen 2 Supply Agreement ...

Impinj, Inc. is a fabless semiconductor company whose patented Self-Adaptive Silicon technology enables its two synergistic business lines: high performance RFID products and innovative semiconductor intellectual property (IP). A leading contributor to the RFID standards for high volume supply-chain applications worldwide, Impinj leverages its technical expertise and industry partnerships to deliver the GrandPrix solution, comprising tags, readers, software and systems integration to offer RFID that just works. Impinj's innovative IP products, core to the company's RFID tags, are licensed to leading semiconductor companies worldwide, allowing them to seamlessly integrate crucial nonvolatile memory (NVM) alongside analog and digital functionality on a single chip. Impinj's IP products include the popular AEON family of embedded cores, which provides rewriteable NVM technology in logic CMOS manufacturing.

RFID Gen2 China Project ...

UPM Rafsec’s RFID Class 1 Generation 2 technology has a single, globally applicable antenna design and provides higher read ranges and faster response times than RFID tags of previous generations and will implement Novetex’s complete RFID identification and tracking solution by early 2006. ...

... "UPM Rafsec, a leading RFID tag and inlay manufacturer, announces that it has entered into an agreement with Supply Chain and Logistics Technology Holdings Limited (SCL), a joint-venture of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), to deliver UPM Rafsec Gen 2 RFID tags. UPM Rafsec together with SCL will supply tags to Novetex Spinners Limited (Novetex), the world’s largest single site woollen spinner, for the project that will mark the first Gen 2 RFID initiative in Hong Kong and the South China region. The new RFID system being deployed for Novetex by SCL, consultant as well as hardware & solution provider for the project will touch three different processes in Novetex’s Zhuhai warehouse - the receiving process, cycle counting and the delivery process.

UPM Rafsec’s Gen 2 RFID tags will be instrumental in achieving real-time visibility of raw materials and product inventory, leading to fewer production delays and faster response times to customer requests. Novetex expects substantial enhancements in operating efficiency at its warehouse when the project is fully deployed. " ...

RFID Gen2 China Project: UPM RAFSEC PROVIDING RFID TAGS FOR THE FIRST GEN2 PROJECT IN HONG KONG AND THE SOUTH CHINA REGION ...

Tags: Radio Frequency Identification, RFID, RFID Tag

RFID Generation 2 Chips: TI Impinj Collaborate ...

Impinj and TI collaborate to deliver RFID Generation 2 inlay products. ...

Via Impinj: Impinj and Texas Instruments Announce RFID Gen 2 Supply Agreement ...

... "Impinj, Inc., the fabless semiconductor company whose patented Self-Adaptive Silicon technology enables its two business lines: semiconductor intellectual property and high performance radio frequency identification (RFID) products, and Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN), a leading provider of RFID chips, inlays and straps, announced a supply agreement under which Impinj will provide its Monza RFID Generation 2 (Gen 2) chips for inclusion in TI's initial production of RFID inlay and strap products. As part of its Gen 2 product offering, TI is using Monza chips from Impinj for its manufacturing of Gen 2 inlays and straps that label converter companies are incorporating into finished RFID tags for use by consumer goods manufacturers in the global retail supply chain. Part of Impinj's GrandPrix solution for robust RFID systems, Monza is the world's first tag chip certified as compliant with the Gen 2 standard promulgated by EPCglobal Inc, the industry consortium established to promote RFID in the global supply chain. " ...

RFID Inlay Acquisition By Sokymat

RFID Inlay Acquisition By Sokymat: Via Sokymat: Sokymat acquires IMASYS ...

... "Sokymat SA, the world's leading supplier of RFID transponders, announces today that it has acquired IMASYS, a leading German supplier of RFID inlay manufacturing equipment based in Pfronten, which joined the Sokymat Group effective November 1st, 2005. IMASYS is a designer and manufacturer of high frequency (HF) transponder inlay production machines based on the wire-embedding process. IMASYS current goal is to significantly increase the production capacity of its 13.56 MHz RFID inlay manufacturing machines, in order to respond to the tremendous growth of the markets for e-passports and contactless payment cards. " ...

Sokymat, the world’s leading supplier of RFID transponders, is present in all major market segments that express a strong interest in the benefits of RFID technology, namely access control and security, industrial automation and supply chain management as well as animal identification. Thanks to its 15 years of experience in transponder manufacturing technology and its know-how in packaging technology, Sokymat can design and manufacture virtually any type of custom-made transponder suited to the specific operating environment and packaging material requested by the customer – including metal. Alongside with its expertise in 125/134.2 kHz and UHF RFID technology, Sokymat boasts the most complete know-how in 13.56 MHz technology and serves fast growing industry segments such as the emerging market for government-issued electronic passports and travel documents. The group employs more than 300 people worldwide, has both research and development centers and manufacturing plants in Switzerland, Sweden, Germany and Malaysia.

RFID Tag Production: Dominant Semicon ...

Dominant Semicon offers RFID tag production services, including conversion process, across a range of tag frequencies. ...

RFID Tag Production: Dominant Semicon: High Quality RFID Tags from DOMINANT ...

... "Featuring an international certified quality assurance acclaim, DOMINANT now provides a total solution for the production of RFID tags. This includes the converting processes such as inlay assembly, lamination and test from raw materials to finished goods such as smart labels, smart tickets and tags. There are three kinds of tags are available in DOMINANT. There are categorized by the radio frequency: High Frequency tags (13.56MHz), Ultra High Frequency (860MHz – 960MHz) and Microwave (2.45GHz). By adopting RFID technology, companies are able to optimize the accuracy of data collection – something that is not always possible with traditional systems. As a result, it undoubtedly hold a lot of promise and RFID have the advantage over barcode systems as they have ability to be read without line-of sign and it can be read through in a environmentally challenging conditions such as around water or metal. " ...

DOMINANT Semiconductors is an excellence-driven organization, offering a comprehensive variety of product range and selection for diverse industries and applications. With extensive industry experience and relentless pursuit of innovation, DOMINANT Semiconductors, with its state-of-the-art manufacturing, research and testing capabilities, has become a trusted and reliable brand across the globe. Established in 2001 DOMINANT is one of the leading suppliers in RFID Tags. It develops and manufacturers high quality RFID (radio frequency identification) tags used in automatic identification, tracking and supply chain management, which are specialized in high quality, high volume production.

Sub10Cent RFID Inlays

RFID tag and inlay manufacturer, UPM Rafsec, will ship UHF Gen 1 and Gen 2 inlays at sub-10 U.S. cent pricing in minimum order quantities of 50,000 pieces. Sub 10cent RFID inlays lay the foundation for the cheap and ubiquitous use of RFID technology ....

Sub10Cent RFID Inlays: UPM RAFSEC KNOCKING DOWN UHF RFID ADOPTION BARRIERS WITH SUB-10 CENT INLAYS ...

... "This UPM Rafsec offer includes dry and wet delivery formats of the OneTenna™ short dipole which are compatible with existing converting technology for the insertion of inlays into smart labels and other substrates. UPM Rafsec UHF products have already been tested, approved and used by a large number of leading RFID adopters. The inlays are manufactured at UPM Rafsec's production facility in Fletcher, North Carolina (USA), with innovative technology for the volume production of EPC (Electronic Product Code) -compliant UHF tags and inlays. The unparalleled yields of this new, high volume production technology give UPM Rafsec competitive advantages and provide customers significantly lower applied tag costs. The patent pending process is cost-efficient, scalable and enables UPM Rafsec to rapidly increase its capacity according to market demand. " ...

References on inexpensive RFID inlays:

... "Via SATO: RFID Thermal Labels: SATO RFID labels can be made with any type of RFID inlay. Some examples of the other inlay types available include Ucode, UHF 868-928MHz ISO 18000, and Class 0 and 0+. RFID labels can be pre-printed, flood coated or laminated and can be converted in most popular finishing styles. " ...

... "Via Avery Dennison: INNOVATIVE AVERY DENNISON MANUFACTURING PROCESS BOOSTS RFID TAG PRODUCTION CAPACITY: Inlay is the term used for the electronic core of an RFID label. It typically consists of a metal pattern on a sheet of plastic film that functions as an antenna, onto which an integrated circuit (semiconductor chip) is attached. The inlay is then sandwiched between a paper facestock and an adhesive layer to form a self-stick RFID label. " ...

... "Via SmartCode: SmartCode Corp. beats any price for EPC Gen 2 Inlays for orders of 1 million - SmartCode prices EPC Gen 2 Inlays at 7.5 cents for quantities of 1 million and 7.2 cents for orders exceeding 10 million: The EPC Gen 2 Quickstart™ Program aims to accelerate the mass adoption of EPC Gen 2 solutions. Under the EPC Gen 2 Quickstart™ Program, SmartCode Corp. will offer the lowest cost EPC Gen 2 inlays at a price of 7.5 cents in orders of 1 million inlays or more and 7.2 cents in orders of 10 million or more. SmartCode Corp. EPC Gen 2 Quickstart™ Program is available for orders received until the 1st of January 2006. The delivery schedule can span throughout 2006. " ...

Lowry RFID Uses TI Gen2 Inlays ...

Lowry RFID Uses TI Gen2 Inlays: LOWRY SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH TEXAS INSTRUMENTS FOR SMART TRAC™: EPC GEN 2 LABELS: Lowry is among the first label converters to offer EPC Gen 2 RFID labels ...

Lowry's RFID labels incorporate TI EPC Gen2 inlays to support Walmart and DOD RFID implementations ...

... "Lowry Computer Products, Inc., a leading provider of wireless, RFID-EPC, bar code, and data collection solutions, announced an agreement with Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI), a worldwide leader in radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Lowry’s label conversion facility will integrate TI’s Electronic Product Code™ (EPC) Gen 2 inlays into its Smart Trac RFID labels for retail and Department of Defense (DoD) RFID supply chain applications. " ...

Lowry Computer Products, Inc. is a synergistic organization made up of manufacturing, services, and systems integration, enabling the company to provide complete wireless, RFID, bar code, and data collection solutions in the vanguard of technology, equipment, and industry compliance. Lowry is a manufacturer of Print, Encode & Apply™ systems for case and pallet RFID labeling applications and Smart Trac™ RFID labels with tag inlays from leading suppliers, and a systems integrator of RFID printers, encoders, scanners and middleware from best-inclass partners. Lowry’s experienced professional services team has the skill set to conduct site surveys, recommend and install products, and determine optimal tag selection and tag placement for RFID supply chain applications. The company’s nationwide service network ensures that hardware is well maintained, whatever the location, and Lowry’s service team conducts authorized on-site and depot repair. Comprehensive service and media programs are available to customers. Lowry is a Founding Solution Provider of EPCglobal and a member of AIM Global, the organization for Automatic Identification and Mobility.

Texas Instruments is the world’s largest integrated manufacturer of radio frequency identification (RFID) transponders and reader systems. Capitalizing on its competencies in high-volume semiconductor manufacturing and microelectronics packaging, TI is a visionary leader and at the forefront of establishing new markets and international standards for RFID applications.

Gen2 RFID inlay references:

Texas Instruments (TI) recently announced a delivery milestone of pre-production samples of Gen2 UHF inlays and straps to label converter and printer customers. TI will begin ramping to volume production in the millions beginning in July 2005, starting with its ultra-high frequency (UHF) EPC Gen2 inlays.

Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) a leading provider of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology (distributed in Australia through Electro-Com), today announced a delivery milestone of pre-production samples of Electronic Product Code™ (EPC) Generation (Gen) 2 inlays and straps to label converter and printer customers.

RFID Global Tag Solution ...

RFID Global Tag Solution: SATO Partners With UPM Rafsec for High Performance EPC Solutions ...

SATO and UPM Rafsec combine their strengths into a global RFID tag solution ...

... SATO Corporation announced it has partnered with UPM Rafsec to offer global RFID tagging solutions. The SATO FlagTagSolution™, an industry proven solution, is an example of ongoing cooperation between the two companies. The SATO FlagTagSolution allows customers to achieve industry leading performance by using a low cost, RFID label embedded with a UPM Rafsec inlay in SATO RFID printers to encode, verify, and print the UPM Rafsec FlagTag™. ...

UPM Rafsec is a world leading RFID tag manufacturer and pioneer of the ePC standard, specialized in low-cost and high-volume production.
With its multi-disciplinary expertise in the fields of RF technology, materials and production processes, the company has the broadest and most comprehensive in-house know-how and capabilities for RFID tag design and manufacturing. UPM Rafsec, headquartered in Finland, is a part of UPM, a EUR 10 billion company listed on the New York and Helsinki stock exchanges and one of the world’s largest paper producers, employing 34,000 people worldwide.

SATO is a pioneer in the AIDC industry and is the inventor of the world’s first electronic thermal transfer barcode printer. It also revolutionized the barcoding industry by introducing the DCS and Labeling concept – a total data capture, collection and labeling solutions approach providing high quality barcode printers, RFID solutions, scanners/hand held terminals, label design software, and consumables. It is also the first company to introduce the industry’s first, complete, multi-protocol EPC-compliant UHF RFID Solutions. SATO is a public listed company in Japan and has worldwide offices in United States, Belgium, Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, France, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and China. SATO also has an international global sales headquarters, SATO International, in Singapore.

RFID Printing Platform Ugraded ...

Printronix upgrades RFID printing platform ...

... The SL5000r MP RFID printer family employs Printronix's recognized RFID Smart(TM) encoding technology, based on the AWID reader module. It is compatible with EPCglobal Gen 2 and delivers RFID solutions that address a range of applications requiring EPCglobal Class 0, 0+, 1 and Philips 1.19 standards. EPCglobal Gen 2 will be upgradeable via free firmware updates, and field kits also allow for global frequency changes, providing RFID encoding flexibility around the world. These printers also enable encoding and printing of various label sizes and inlay designs that have emerged as industry standards. Nested within the 5r's RFID Smart encoding technology is the new Intelligent Media Detection feature, providing advanced notification and remote alerts if a non-RFID job is sent to a printer containing RFID labels. This saves customers from the costly mistake of wasting expensive RFID labels on a standard barcode print job. ...

Since 1974, Printronix Inc. (Nasdaq: PTNX) has created innovative printing solutions for the industrial marketplace and supply chain. The company is the worldwide market leader in enterprise solutions for line matrix printing and has earned an outstanding reputation for its high-performance thermal and fanfold laser printing solutions. Printronix also has become an established leader in pioneering technologies, including radio frequency identification (RFID) printing, barcode compliance and networked printer management. Printronix is headquartered in Irvine, Calif.

RFID Inlay Insertion Printing ...

RFID Inlay Insertion Printing: Mark Andy to Demonstrate RFID Conversion Equipment Using Texas ...

Mark Andy is showcasing new capabilities in RFID printing with inlay insertion equipment ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... Mark Andy, the leading narrow web printing equipment manufacturer, will demonstrate to label and printer manufacturers its recently developed RFID strap and ...

... Mark Andy, the leading narrow web printing equipment manufacturer, will demonstrate to label and printer manufacturers its recently developed RFID strap and inlay insertion equipment incorporating RFID straps and inlays from Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) at its "RFID Focus" Educator Series, "In-Line RFID Solutions for Today's Converters" on April 27, 2005. Mark Andy's printing and converting technology, which uses an RFID inlay and strap insertion module developed by Tamarack Products, is a leading commercial product line available for companies seeking to integrate RFID technology into traditional narrow web label manufacturing lines. In addition to the RFID insertion demonstration, the event will cover a variety of key topics about RFID and Electronic Product Code(TM) (EPC) label production. ...

Mark Andy, Inc., a Dover Company, is the world's number one manufacturer of narrow web printing equipment. The company has a rich history of delivering solutions to increase productivity and profitability for the label and packaging markets. The company supplies leading global brands including Comco printing/converting machinery, Mark Andy printing/converting machinery and UVTechnology curing systems and replacement parts. Mark Andy is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, with sales and distribution offices in France, Switzerland, and the UK. Texas Instruments is the world's largest integrated manufacturer of radio frequency identification (RFID) transponders and reader systems. Capitalizing on its competencies in high-volume semiconductor manufacturing and microelectronics packaging, TI is a visionary leader and at the forefront of establishing new markets and international standards for RFID applications.

RFID Successful Test Results: RFID Alliance Lab test RFID Labels 100% Readable

The RFID Alliance Lab received a roll with 105 pieces of Xtrack™ RFID Smart Labels in size 4” x 6” from Worldlabel.com for testing. The Smart labels were embedded with a Rafsec dipole design with EPC UHF Ucode 1.19 chip. Tests were performed at the University of Kansas under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Deavours, Director of Research at the RFID Alliance Lab and Assistant Professor at the University of Kansas.

Dr. Deavours issued the following statement on behalf of the RFID Alliance Lab. “On December 14, the Lab tested all 105 labels with a ThingMagic Mercury 4 reader from approximately 4 feet away. The Lab observed that all 105 labels were readable”

"The results should be interpreted narrowly," stated Dr. Deavours. “While we did not detect any "dead" tags, our procedure would not have detected any "quiet" tags, or any degregation in read performance.”
Worldlabel.com has a PCT patent pending application for a method of embedding RFID Tags to paper labels. An opinion by the International Search Authority has approved the method as novel and innovative.
“This is a benchmark no one else has achieved. We are positive we can embed any inlay into a paper labels and produce a roll of Xtrack™ RFID Smart Labels 100% readable with our method of converting” said Russell Ossendryver, USA director of Worldlabel.com and Innotech Resources PTE LTD in Singapore. Innotech Resources PTE LTD is a major label converter and has invented a method of embedding RFID tags to paper labels. Typically, about 20% of the RFID labels in rolls have defective chips and are not readable. Our system and methods of manufacturing increases the reliability and consistency of RFID labels to 100% readable.
For more information and data on our Xtrack™ RFID Smart Labels, please visit http://www.worldlabel.com/rfid/rfid.htm or contact:
Russell Ossendryver, 336 Convent Ave, NY, NY, 10031, USA. TEL: 212-234 5775

About the RFID Alliance Label - The RFID Alliance Lab, housed at the University of Kansas, is a not-for-profit testing facility that will provide objective benchmarking reports on RFID equipment Please contact info@rfidalliancelab.org for more information.

About Worldlabel.com - Worldlabel.com is a leading manufacturer of laser and inkjet sheet labels. Worldlabel.com has a presence in Asia through Innotech Resources PTE LTD in Singapore. Innotech Resources PTE LTD is a major converter of barcode labels and other pressure sensitive labels.

RFID Tags: Texas Instruments Expands 13.56 MHz Line of Tag-it RFID ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... New Form Factors Satisfy Demand for Item-Level RFID Applications in the Library, Pharmaceutical, Hospital, Patron ID and Supply Chain Management Markets DALLAS ...

... As part of its ongoing development to offer a broad array of radio frequency identification (RFID) transponders, Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN), a worldwide leader in RFID technology, today announced two new additions to its line of 13.56 MHz Tag-it(TM) HF-I products: the 32.5 millimeter CD/DVD Inlay and the 24.2 millimeter Circular Inlay. Both inlays are compliant with the ISO/IEC 15693 vicinity card standard and the ISO/IEC 18000-3 item management standard, making them suitable for adoption worldwide. RFID systems integrators are implementing TI's new 13.56 ISO/IEC inlays for end-user applications including item-level management of electronic materials in libraries, pharmaceutical products, and consumer products on retail shelves, as well as for patient identification in hospitals and patron ID, ticketing and wireless payment at amusement parks and sports venues. ...

Texas Instruments is the world's largest integrated manufacturer of radio frequency identification (RFID) transponders and reader systems. Capitalizing on its competencies in high-volume semiconductor manufacturing and microelectronics packaging, TI is a visionary leader and at the forefront of establishing new markets and international standards for RFID applications. For more information, contact TI-RFid Systems at 1-888-937-6536 (North America) or +1 972-575-4364 (International), or visit the Web site at http://www.ti-rfid.com . Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog technologies to meet our customers' real world signal processing requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company's businesses include Sensors & Controls, and Educational & Productivity Solutions. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than 25 countries. Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN.

Smart Card RFID: ASK Contactless Cards & Tickets Selected for the Netherlands Whole ...

From PR Newswire (press release) ... Founded in 1997, ASK is today the world leading manufacturer of dual interface contact/contactless smart cards, contactless paper tickets and RFID smart paper ...

" ... ASK was selected by Thales, System Integrator for the global system, to supply the contactless cards and tickets for the Dutch public transports. The Netherlands will be one of the first countries in the world to have a full contactless AFC system on their whole public transportation network. The Deutsh e-ticketing project under the supervision of Trans Link System (TLS) project involves a consortium of the 5 largest transit operators in the Netherlands and should be starting in Rotterdam in fall 2004 to spread to the other cities by 2006. Over 2 million passengers daily should be thus traveling by train, metro, bus, boat or tramway ... "

ASK is today the world leading manufacturer of dual interface contact/contactless smart cards, contactless paper tickets and RFID smart paper labels. ASK developed the largest range of contactless products available on the market. It is based on a patented silver silk printed antenna on a paper inlay for mass transit AFC systems, access control, identification and logistics applications. ASK also offers a range of fixed and hand-held readers in its portfolio, OEM couplers, printers and a POS terminal. These products comply with ISO7816, ISO14443 A&B, ISO15693 and UHF standards. The company has already supplied over 25 million contactless cards and contactless paper tickets for use in more 100 towns and cities in Europe, Asia and the USA. Clients include the French railway company SNCF and Paris transport system operator RATP and transport operators such as Toronto, San Francisco, Lisbon, Lyon, Venice, Naples, Rome, Taipei, Nice and Germany's Rhine-Ruhr region. The manufacturing plant is located in Sophia-Antipolis, France and regional offices in Sophia-Antipolis, Paris, Singapore, Taiwan and USA.

RFID Flip-Chip: Tag-it HF-I Transponder Inlays...

From Texas Instruments Reference Guide ... The Tag-it HF-I Transponder is based on the ISO 15693 standard and is fully compliant to this standard. It consists of a resonance circuit assembled on a PET foil with a flip-chip mounted microchip. An aluminium antenna is used as inductor and 2 layers Aluminium on the top and bottom side of the foil function as capacitor. The two layers are contacted with through contacts (see figure 2). TI uses this capacitor to individually tune each device to a target resonance frequency. This compensates for any material and process tolerances and so ensures optimal performance of every single transponder inlay. The trim target includes frequency offset to compensate detuning that will occur after further integration into different materials such as paper or PVC. To protect the transponder from corrosive influences, the aluminium is covered with a gravure-resist ink ...

Attended Zebra Technologies Webinar presentation today...

Here are the summary notes:

Zebra Technology: RFID Webinar, February 24, 2004 --- Webinar title: An Introduction to RFID and EPC: Streamlining Your Supply Chain

RFID is like a "wireless barcode". How it works = tag, antenna, reader, computer. Advantages of RFID: No line of sight, read through non-metallic objects, Fast = less than 1 millisecond to read, Data is carried in a tag. Is RFID technology ready for prime-time = Yes... 200 million rfid tags are in-use in automotive field. Mobil Speedpass is in-use with near 10 million customers. RFID provides simultaneous identification. RFID inlays combine a tag and antenna in thin form into an RFID smart label. Visual identification only with traditional product label. Bar code adds encoded data label. Smart label includes above, with an RFID inlay within the label form factor.

Opportunity for industry is in billions of dollars in supply chain inefficiencies. 100 sponsors came together with the MIT Auto-id Center to sponsor open standards definitions in the RFID space. Work has transitioned from MIT to the EPCGlobal organization. Metro, Walmart, and DOD are piloting RFID technology. Data capture touch-points exist throughout the supply chain, in manufacturing, distribution, retail, etc. Every touch point costs money in effort and time. RFID eliminates touches and saves time, which translates into money, increased supply chain velocity.

Marks and Spencer pilots have shown dramatic increase in business process performance. Walmart has shown leadership and strong commitment to RFID technology as a game-changing, disruptive strategy. They plan to drive change through their scale. Metro AG, Germany's biggest retailer, is aggressively implementing RFID with suppliers, similar to Walmart. The US Department of Defense is embarking on the same journey. The DOD space is more complex that retail value chain.

Zebra's RFID Solutions: Leadership in the bar code, card imaging, mobile printing, and RFID smart label space. Have 3 million printers in place worldwide. Zebra's RFID strategy: Zebra adds RFID to the on-demand printer. Combines human readable, bar code, and RFID into one converged form factor. Leads the market with 13.56 Mhz and UHF RFID products. UHF products support multi-protocols. Zebra revenues are over $500MM.

Zebra has working RFID printers today and a strong product roadmap. Zebra Alchemy innovation is targeted to optimize the total cost of creating smart labels on-demand at the point of application - these touch-points they have described. Zebra continues to innovate and invest in RFID technology. Are you ready for RFID? You need to consider these questions: What is the business problem. Why use RFID over bar codes. What is the business benefit. What standards should you leverage. What is the scope of your RFID opportunity. Do you want to implement RFID globally. Have you assessed the impact of RFID data on your information systems and infrastructure.