The spring blossoms continue in RFID - bright colored tags
Posted by Patrick Sweeney on Fri, Apr 20, 2012
Innovative RFID Tags
Onchip a subsidiary of FEC Inc. displayed the world’s smallest on metal and non-metal mount RFID tags at the show. The on metal RFID tag utilizes the metal surface as a booster antenna for optimizing RFID read performance. Both tags have a very short read-range, but are suitable for authentication and loss prevention.
Figure 1: An Onchip tag attached to a specimen vial on
Xerafy and Omni-ID continued the trend of battling each other with similar solutions established with tool tags (as discussed in our last blog post) as both companies used the RFID Journal Trade Show to introduce thin metal-mount tags designed for use in label printers.
Metal Mount RFID Tags from Printers
The Xerafy MetalSkin and the Omni-ID Flex LP/AI RFID Tags are sold on rolls that can be printed and encoded with Zebra, Intermec, or other RFID UHF printers. Printer vendors commented that it would take some tweaking and tuning for the printers to print and encode either tag, but the ability is not far off.
Figure 2: The Omni-ID and Xerafy printable on/off metal RFID tags
Omni-ID won Best in Show for the ProView UHF RFID tag. The ProView operates on both passive UHF and active 433 MHz protocols, and includes an LCD display that can be programmed over either protocol. The ProView is suitable for changing human readable information on re-usable bins in manufacturing, supply chain, advertising and similar verticals.
Vizinex (formerly RCD) released a line of wristband UHF tags meant for people tracking. Applications such as automatic patient tracking at hospitals will benefit from these tags. Integration into a dwinQ based social-media solution at sporting events, conferences or shows will allow users to experience full social media integration into everyday activities.
PS - if the Caps and Bruins series wasn't such a nail biter this blog would have been up much sooner. Go B's! CAPS!! (correction made by editor)