RFID on Metal

Long Range RFID Tag Reading

Omni-ID Ultra RFID Tag: "The world's first passive tag with an on metal RFID range of more than one hundred feet. "

RFID Use on Metal Cylinders

Omni-ID RFID Ultra Tag

Omni-ID brings a new suite of radio frequency identification products to the manufacturing, transportation, and defense markets. ...

... "The Ultra is the longest read range, passive RFID tag currently available on the market today by a significant margin. In addition, the Ultra offers global functionality without any compromise in performance - an extremely important feature for applications being tracked internationally. By providing a balanced performance on, off, and near metals and liquids, Omni-ID Ultra protects customer investments and enables them to use the tags on different materials and in mixed-use environments. " ...

Via Omni-ID: New RFID Product Suite

Confidex RFID Tags Metal Surface

Confidex offers its SteelWING RFID label, which performs well directly on metal surfaces. ...

... "With up to 10 meter (32ft) read range on metal surfaces, UHF Class 1 Generation 2 compliant Confidex SteelWING was designed to overcome the challenges of metal asset tagging. The key design targets: high performance, compact structure and cost-efficiency were achieved with SteelWING’s innovative patent pending design. The light-weight tag has adhesive background and it can be directly attached on metal surface – without any extra spacer material. " ...

Via Confidex: Direct-on-metal labels

Volkswagen RFID-Enabled Smart Supply Chain

Volkswagen Group and IBM collaborate to create a smart logistics process using RFID technology to increase efficiency in supply chain operations. Business processes, such as the material receiving process, will achieve operational excellence through automated data collection. An initial pilot has positioned the company to broaden its deployment to increase adoption and benefits realization. ...

... "The new system will significantly enhance the carmaker's efficiencies in day-to-day operations, for instance at the goods-receiving stage. As a result, Volkswagen is preparing to introduce this technology at its central logistics hall, located at its major plant in Germany. Volkswagen is deploying the new system following a one-year pilot project in which the automaker and IBM tested RFID technology with suppliers. Using this system, shipping containers carrying auto parts destined for Volkswagen will be increasingly fitted with RFID tags.

The information on the tagged containers is automatically collected by readers at all key locations throughout the supply chain -- first at the supplier's shipping department, through the transportation process until they arrive at Volkswagen, then during storage, collection and installation on the automaker's assembly line. The same process is used when Volkswagen returns the empty shipping containers to its suppliers to ensure that all containers are returned after the auto parts are received. The technology is also reducing the need for paper documents and barcode labels.

For the pilot, Volkswagen fitted around 3,000 shipping containers with passive RFID tags, supplied by Intermec Technologies Corporation. The technology has been refined so that it can also automatically register metal containers, which normally interfere with RFID technology. The tags were used on containers carrying sunroofs for the new Volkswagen Golf. Readers at the entrances to the manufacturing line, along with mobile handheld scanners and forklifts were used to identify the containers and their contents. " ...

Via IBM: Volkswagen Creates Smart Supply Chain With RFID Technology

Metal Mount RFID Tag Option

Omni-ID launches metal, on demand component for its RFID tag product line. ...

... "Omni-ID On Demand is Omni-ID’s innovative response to the RFID market issue of expensive, complex and protracted RFID rigid tag deployments. Omni-ID partners will be able to offer their customers the unique ability to dynamically print, encode and deploy their RFID tags on site and on demand. The Omni-ID On Demand solution will roll out in Q1 2009 and will be first available for the award-winning Omni-ID Prox tag. " ...

Via Omni-ID: Print And Commission Mount-on-Metal RFID Tags

Metal-Mounted RFID Tags

Medical RFID Tagging

Solstice Medical ties up with Magellan Technology on integration projects and RFID implementations for the medical device industry. ...

... "Magellan's PJM technology is able to scan more than 600 randomly organized products per second even when RFID labels are close to metals, liquids or other labels, and has proven in day to day operations its 100% identification accuracy, reliability and quality in the medical device industry. " ...

Via Magellan Technology: Alliance Supports Medical RFID Solutions

Solstice Medical is the developer of the DOCK to DOCTM system, a comprehensive asset management solution, and provides RFID tag engineering, single use and reusable medical grade RFID tags, site and enterprise tracking software, RFID hardware, systems integration, maintenance and support to enable total supply chain control.

Magellan Technology Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia, is a technology developer, manufacturer and licensor of advanced read and write 13.56MHz RFID systems. Magellan designs and offer RFID chips, inlets and a complete reader portfolio for Magellan's Phase Jitter Modulation (PJM) technology, which complies with the International Standard ISO/IEC 18000 Part 3 Mode 2.

RFID Hang Tag Tracks Pipe

RFID hang-tags, used in retail, are deployed for tracking lengths of stainless steel pipe. ...

... "The printable RFID hang tag produced for retail clothing provides an adhesive backing that is easily attached to the end of the pipe. Not only does the adhesive backing provide a secure attachment, but it also keeps the tags' antenna away from the metal surface. This has resulted in an effective way to firmly attach the tag, while providing a very high level of read accuracy. " ...

Via Barcoding: Tracking Metal Objects with RFID Tags

RFID Metal Packaging Works as Antenna

QinetiQ and Crown collaborate to develop adaptation of QinetiQ's Omni-ID Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for use on metal packaging. The improvements will enable RFID tags at the unit-level on metal items. Technology advancement is expected to integrate the metal substrate as part of the RFID tag's antenna. ...

... "This will enable brand owners to integrate ultra high frequency (UHF) RFID tags into metal packaging for a wide variety of applications at the single item level. Designed to mitigate issues such as signal reflection, detuning and grounding which reduce or negate RFID's effectiveness on metal packaging or with aqueous-based products, the unique technology leverages several of metal's inherent properties and shifts the format into an advantageous position.

QinetiQ's standalone Omni-ID tags and integrated Omni-ID packaging technology allows a UHF tag to be mounted directly onto the metal substrate. Measuring substantially less than 1mm in thickness, the unique Omni-ID structure collects and focuses RF energy and enables highly efficient coupling to the chip. Another advantage of the system is that RFID chips require only a short coupling antenna rather than the large dipole usually incorporated in UHF tags, significantly reducing manufacturing costs. Crown and QinetiQ are continuing development of the technology for metal packaging to further optimize design. In the near future, it is expected that the metal substrate itself will have an integral role in the way the technology functions. Using a beverage or food can as an example, the can itself would serve as the antenna, simplifying production of the RFID tag and further reducing costs. " ...

Via Qinetiq: Crown teams up with QinetiQ to resolve challenges of RFID on metal packaging ...