 | Thursday, August 30, 2007
Issue 674 | | Will Smith, Editor |  |
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Editor's Note: Today's top story is a pipe tagging deployment that was almost shelved until systems integrator Barcoding Inc. found an unlikely solution in apparel tags.
More NFC product news this week as systems integrator Adaptive Planet BV, project management and consulting company MICHAEL LETTERER-PM&C, and NFC solutions provider RFCyber announce what they indicate is the industry's first NFC mobile point-of-sale deployment, based on NFC chips from semiconductor manufacturer NXP. Social workers in Breda, Netherlands, carry NFC-enabled cell phones, with which they check-in and check-out citizens who come to receive social services. The citizens carry NFC e-voucher cards, from which the appropriate number of credits are deducted as social services are rendered. The system offers an accurate and efficient accounting of the social services that are provided to the citizens of Breda. See the announcement for more details.
Lastly, consumer blog The Consumerist points to recent television coverage of VeriChip on leading US morning program Good Morning America. The coverage looks at VeriChip usage in tracking Alzheimer's victims, and closes with an obligatory clip of anti-RFID activist Katherine Albrecht. |
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| Products & Services | | - Free RFID Software with Alien 9800 at RFIDSupplyChain.com (site) | | - Until you manage assets with ESP, you might want to try RFID. (site) | | - Real-Time WIP Visibility Appliance from Omnitrol Networks (site) | | - Peel - Stick - Ship(TM): SimplyRFID Pre-Programmed Tags (site) | | | Upcoming Events | | - RFID World Boston - September 18 - 20, 2007 (site) | | - Midwest RFID Symposium, Oct 23-24, University of Kansas (site) | | - IDGA's Military Logistics Summit, Sept 10-13, Adelphi, MD (site) | | - LogiPharma 07, Sept. 17-19, Loews Philadelphia Hotel, PA (site) | | - IDTechEx's RFID Europe; 18-19 September, Cambridge, UK (site) | | | Research & Whitepapers | | - How RFID Can Decrease Manufacturing Errors (site) | | - RFID Marketing Strategies Report from RFID Update (site) | | | RTLS & Active RFID | | 
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Apparel Tags Provide Unlikely Solution for Pipe RFID
RFID performance is governed by physics, but finding the right solution is sometimes more art than science. That's the lesson integration firm Barcoding Inc. learned during a project to identify specialty metal pipes. Tags specifically designed for use on and around metal didn't provide acceptable performance, yet flexible adhesive tags created for garment tracking did. As a result, a U.S. specialty pipe producer (that wishes to remain anonymous) uses RFID instead of manual methods to track inventory and verify loads.
"Prior to finding this tag, we were close to giving up," Bill Paulsen of Barcoding told RFID Update. "We tried about two dozen different tags, and there were certainly times we thought it just wasn't going to work out."
The pipes, which are about 20 feet long and range from approximately six to 24 inches in diameter, have too much metal for most UHF RFID systems to handle. The customer's processes required more range than HF technology could deliver. Bar codes weren't suitable since the symbol is often inaccessible to the reader due to how the pipes are stacked and stored.
Finished pipes look similar but often differ by the alloy used and may have slight differences in diameter, so accurately identifying them to meet customer specifications can be a challenge. Furthermore, they may be stacked 20 feet high and are stored in a warehouse or outside in a yard. Pipes were previously identified by writing ID numbers on them with a permanent marker, which made it difficult for workers to quickly locate and identify pipes to fill orders.
Some metal-mount UHF Gen2 tags had acceptable reading performance, but couldn't be used because the mountings might scratch the pipes. Barcoding spent two to three months testing various tags and mounting options.
"Trying all the different tags was a chore, not so much to get good reads, but to find a place were we could put the tag without it being destroyed," said Paulsen.
Barcoding solved the problem by using a flexible garment tag that is produced on a smart label printer/encoder. The design resembles a flag on a pole and includes an adhesive strip that folds down and adheres to itself. The tag is attached to the lip of the pipe so the flag hangs below, where there is enough air around it to avoid excessive interference.
The pre-encoded tags are provided by RFID TagSource. They are run through a printer/encoder from Zebra Technologies, which generates an EPC number and prints text on the label.
Pipes are identified by RFID when they are placed into finished goods inventory, whenever they are moved into or out of storage, and when they are picked to fill customer orders. The company's legacy warehouse management system directs these activities, and Barcoding developed an interface to integrate the RFID data.
"It is very important that workers get the proper pipe that's made from the right material," said Paulsen. "Using RFID to verify what is picked is a very important part of this application."
Pipes are moved with forklifts that have special adapters that fit inside the pipe to lift them. The forklifts were already equipped with mobile computers, and were retrofit with mobile-mount RD500 RFID readers from Motorola. Some Motorola handheld readers are also used to identify pipes in different processes, and fixed-position readers are being considered.
The system has been running for about two weeks and has provided acceptable read rates and performance. It was in place approximately six months after Barcoding first spoke with the company. The company is not disclosing results such as time savings or error reductions, but may come forward in the future.
"There were plenty of times we thought about scrapping the idea, but the customer wanted to keep trying and kept pushing," said Paulsen. "They had a vision of how RFID could help them, and now they've improved their processes as a result."
This system is notable for several reasons besides the creativity required to get it to work. It illustrates how Gen2 technology is continuing to penetrate areas that were not traditionally served by UHF technology (see Kids Clothes Firm Outgrows HF, Puts on Gen2 RFID and TAGSYS Announces Two Apparel RFID Deployments for two other recent examples). The pipe tracking system also shows that although Gen2 technology is standardized, it is not a commodity and multiple form factors with different performance characteristics are needed. Finally, the application is yet another example of the value achieved from closed-loop systems, where RFID has gained strong traction even while supply chain adoption trails earlier projections.
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A premiere event at the new CMP TechMash Boston, RFID World Boston brings together the foremost luminaries on RFID technology and implementation to discuss the concepts and topics critical to making RFID a reality for today's businesses. Enter code RU01 to save $300! | Midwest RFID Symposium, Oct 23-24, University of Kansas
The 3rd annual symposium and exhibition focuses on closed-loop applications of RFID. Speakers and exhibitors from Motorola, Ekahau, Intelleflex, Fluensee, Intermec, Rush Tracking, SAVR Communications and more will demonstrate RFID's potential to error proof manufacturing, organize the office, and simplify asset tracking in industry and healthcare. www.continuinged.ku.edu | IDGA's Military Logistics Summit, Sept 10-13, Adelphi, MD
Join the "who's who" of logistics at the leading event for senior-level defense logistics professionals. Join thought leaders and decision-makers to discuss the latest implementation strategies and program initiatives to ensure the flexibility and preparedness of our military's future. Special keynote by: GEN John Abizaid, USA (Ret), Commander, USCENTCOM (2003-2007). www.militarylogisticssummit.com. | LogiPharma 07, Sept. 17-19, Loews Philadelphia Hotel, PA
LogiPharma presents 3 days of knowledge-sharing and idea exchange on the challenges and issues surrounding pharmaceutical supply chain management. For more information please visit www.logipharma.com. | IDTechEx's RFID Europe; 18-19 September, Cambridge, UK
IDTechEx's RFID Europe, in its eighth year, is the premium event covering RFID, technology analysis and market insight. Hear from AIR FRANCE KLM, Ahold, BP, TNT, MasterCard, Tube Lines, Sony, City Link and others. Explore technologies from printed RFID to smart tickets and cards to RTLS and sensor networks. Register with code: UPDATE97. | | | Research & Whitepapers | How RFID Can Decrease Manufacturing Errors
Specialized RFID tags that are optimized for use on or around metal are an effective and viable alternative to bar codes for error proofing applications in manufacturing. Learn the financial impact of errors and recalls and how RFID can be used for error proofing and other manufacturing processes. Get the full report now. | RFID Marketing Strategies Report from RFID Update
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Ekahau RTLS (Real-Time Location System) automatically tracks assets and people via your existing Wi-Fi network. Control costs and improve asset management with Ekahau. For more information, visit us at www.ekahau.com. | | | Employment | RFID Recruiters - 100% Focused on RFID Recruiting
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RFID Update is the RFID industry daily. Launched in early 2004 to provide timely analysis of RFID industry news, RFID Update publishes editorial briefings every weekday for the growing ranks of top level executives involved in the deployment of RFID. Each issue delivers the breaking news and analysis most pertinent to successful RFID implementations, allowing readers to understand global RFID developments as they happen.
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