Cable Company Reels in Benefits With RFID

When warehouse workers at Singapore company Keystone Cable process an order for its telecommunication and electric cables, they need to locate large reels of specific products and then return them to storage so that those reels can be accessed again for future orders. The warehouse contains thousands of reels, and a single worker can spend 30 to 45 minutes locating the correct one. The company has installed a technological solution that employs passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID tags on reels, as well as on racks at its storage locations. The firm reports that a forklift driver now requires only about five minutes to retrieve a cable reel. The RFID solution, provided by the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), includes Xerafy passive Data Trak II RFID tags and Phychips' Arete Mobile Pop Smart RFID dongle readers connected to Android phones.

How to Grow the RFID Market

When I look at the use of RFID worldwide, it's clear that different industries are at different stages of adoption. Health care has a problem no other technology can solve (the real-time location of medical equipment), and it has whole products that deliver what customers want. But there is no agreement on which type of active RFID should be used. Some hospitals employ Wi-Fi-based real-time location system (RTLS) technology, some use ZigBee systems, and others use proprietary active technology or even ultrasound. There is no gorilla yet, and we have not reached critical mass (the lack of consensus on the standard is inhibiting users from adopting, which is preventing the industry from reaching critical mass).

Checkpoint Systems Implements RFID at Apparel Brand Zara Distribution Centres

Checkpoint Systems, Inc. has been selected by the Inditex Group to implement Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology into its Zara distribution centers. Inditex’s RFID implementation project was recently unveiled by Chairman and CEO Pablo Isla at the company’s Annual General Meeting.

Checkpoint provides the massive item-level encoding solution of RFID labels at Inditex distribution centers for garments in boxes, pallets and hanging items at a speed in line with Inditex’s logistics needs. The high-speed bulk encoding solution, which combines hardware and software, ensures the highest levels of accuracy and encoding speed without needing to manually open boxes and handle individual garments. RFID label encoding means that Inditex products are associated with a unique code allowing the apparel retailer to manage its inventory automatically.

Checkpoint’s solution also enables Inditex to automate the sending of garments from the distribution centers to the stores, avoiding any possible packing mistakes in quantity, model, size or color. The RFID solution automatically checks the accuracy of the content of the boxes regardless of the packing format -- with a high level of precision and at a high speed -- in line with Inditex demands before they are sent to the stores.

The RFID project is already active in more than 700 Zara stores in 22 countries. According to Pablo Isla, Inditex Chairman and CEO, "Implementation of this next-generation technology is one of the most significant changes ever in how the Group’s stores operate."

B.O.S. and Live in Clean City Launched an RFID Based System for Waste Management

B.O.S. Better Online Solutions Ltd. ("BOS") announced that its RFID & Mobile division in cooperation with Live in Clean City Ltd. ("Clean City"), has successfully completed the first implementation of an RFID based system for tracking garbage trucks ("RFID System").

Clean City is a provider of technological solutions for waste management in municipalities in Israel. By using an RFID System, waste can be identified and tracked through the entire waste chain. RFID tags are attached to waste containers and the trucks are equipped with RFID readers thereby improving  the verification of pickups and tracking the number of times a container is used for collection. The RFID System was integrated at the Modiin municipality in Israel.

Iron Mine Uses RFID to Locate and Control Equipment

Equipment used at a West Australian open-pit iron mine is being managed across a 40-square-mile area via active radio frequency identification tags to identify where certain equipment is located, as well as control its operation. The solution, provided by IT and professional services company CSC, using Precyse Technologies's Smart Agent battery-powered RFID tags, enables the mining company to control the power within more than 100 mobile light towers used to illuminate the mine during nighttime work hours. "Improving 'time-on-tools' for maintenance crews was the primary driver for the project," says Jarrod Bassan, a CSC senior consultant. The amount of time workers spend with tools is a measure of productivity, he explains, and the mining company sought to reduce time-wasting activities, such as searching for assets or discovering that critical equipment was out of fuel.

What are the Hot Applications for RFID in Supply Chain?

In terms of supply chain, the RFID industry, especially in the US, was really set back after the failure of the Walmart case-level tagging program, which ultimately died in about 2009. But RFID has been making a strong comeback of late, noticeably in item level apparel tagging for retail, but also in many areas of manufacturing and distribution.

Moving RFID Forward

With the help of RFID (radio-frequency identification) and other connected technologies, more often, tools, equipment, and materials on the jobsite are becoming connected—providing construction teams with valuable data about the asset. Software and hardware providers for the construction industry continue to come to market with new solutions designed to provide field managers with data about assets.

As one example, ToolWatch, www.toolwatch.com, Englewood, Colo., has updated its field application, with an RFID interface. The cloud-based solution gives users access to data about the status of tools and equipment. The application is compatible with iPhone, iPod, and iPad devices and is targeted to jobsite supervisors and field managers who need to access critical data in realtime.

Protect tappable cards and personal ID from wireless RFID pickpocketing

When I first got my Nexus card for fast entry to the U.S., I really didn’t understand the importance of keeping it in its protective sleeve. It turns out the card uses RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chip technology, which over the past five years has also become embedded in passports, health cards, drivers licenses, grocery store dongles, gas station dongles, debit cards and credit cards in many countries to help us get serviced faster by tapping/waving them when we are buying a coffee, gas or crossing a border.

Chico's Partners With Tyco Retail Solutions For RFID-Enabled Inventory Accuracy

Tyco Retail Solutions, a leading global provider of retail performance and security solutions, recently announced positive results from its RFID pilot with Chico’s. With focus on innovation in the store and evolving its omni-channel retailing strategy, Chico’s partnered with Tyco to address inventory accuracy and visibility challenges in 13 Soma Intimates pilot stores. Harnessing the power of Tyco’s RFID-based Inventory Intelligence solution, Soma associates can now access accurate, real-time inventory information in one place to better manage their deep merchandise assortment and to drive increased sales and shopper satisfaction. Having this level of inventory accuracy fosters associate confidence to provide a better customer experience.

Chico’s is dedicated to enabling customers to shop anywhere, anytime, and anyhow they choose. Having visibility to accurate and timely inventory availability is a mandate across all channels and locations to support omni-channel initiatives. Use of RFID technology by Chico’s Soma stores provides visibility to items across all pilot stores and distribution centers, extending from store receipt to customer purchase, and through the exit door. Insight into all channels at all times helps ensure customer satisfaction and limits lost sales due to inventory discrepancies or lack of item visibility.
“Our core value remains consistent: provide the most amazing customer service,” said Ken Silay, Director, Technology, Research and Innovation for Chico’s. “Innovation is an integral part of our mission to create a great customer experience. With RFID-based inventory intelligence, we can enhance the opportunity to have the right product available at the right place, at the right time to satisfy our in-store and omni-channel shoppers. Increasing our inventory accuracy helps minimize lost sales and out-of-stocks, keeping our customers happy and associates more productive. On our journey we’ve discovered innovation is always in fashion.”

Soma’s store associates are passionate about the new RFID capabilities, empowering them to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently to deliver maximum customer service. The RFID initiative delivered compelling results in the pilot store group. Weekly full-store inventory counts enable Soma to maintain 90-95% accuracy every day so associates can easily fill in needed merchandise. Having his level of accuracy helps ensure customers will have what they desire when they want it and prevent shopper disappointment. Soma also gained insight into store loss prevention. Although shrink had not been a significant problem for Soma, with RFID read points at door exits, they gained insight to specific items lost, noting exactly when (and if) they left the store.

Belgian Postal Workers Deliver Info About Missing Bikes

Some Belgian postal workers are helping police locate missing or stolen bicycles this fall as part of their daily rounds, and they are using radio frequency identification technology to do so. As they deliver mail, some employ an RFID reader, along with a PDA with GPS capability, to read RFID tags attached to the bikes' frames. The service, known as CycloSafe and provided by postal company bpost, has been taken live in four Belgian cities, with a small number of mail carriers in each city armed with RFID interrogators. The long-term plan is to expand the system's use to most Belgian municipalities.

The Business of Defeating RFID Theft

Security implementation during the early stages of the tech boom entailed using software no more complicated than Notepad, with the real heavy lifting done by the coding skills of the engineer in question. As we've evolved from that period, however, software now propels machines that allow those with duplicitous intent to steal credit cards simply by brushing by you. It's scary, and it's got everyone's undivided attention. Electronic pickpocketing has grown tremendously in just a few short years, and the forecast for tomorrow doesn't look much better. Security companies have dropped the ball into credit card issuers' courts, and it's time they looked at the following areas to help secure your purchasing power.

Trimble Introduces RFID System for Real-Time Construction Equipment Identification and Tracking

Trimble introduced today the Trimble Tracker RFID System, a new solution for construction asset location tracking using Trimble ThingMagic RFID technology. The Trimble Tracker RFID System allows contractors to locate and track assets quickly and easily in real-time, and then access the information in the office with Trimble Asset Manager, a Web-based database application.

The Trimble Tracker RFID System combines Trimble ThingMagic RFID technology, GPS and telematics to provide a complete, integrated solution for asset tracking, seamlessly connecting the field and office. High accuracy combined with wireless automatic updates to the office gives equipment managers the ability to quickly find assets on site or in the laydown yard for storage.

The contractor places RFID tags, available in a variety of shapes and sizes, on selected assets such as machine attachments, trench boxes, concrete forms, pumps, hand tools, signs, storage trailers and other project-related materials. Using handheld, vehicle-mounted and gate-mounted Trimble RFID readers, asset location updates are sent wirelessly to the Trimble Asset Manager database in the office for centralized data management and reporting. The data is then also wirelessly synchronized back to employees in the field.

Real-time identification and tracking can reduce the time to locate and transfer equipment, deter theft, reduce equipment loss, and increase asset utilization. Contractors can also decrease annual equipment expenditures through better management of existing assets.

Even before launch, Apple Pay the 'player to beat' in mobile payments

Though Apple Pay isn't even available to consumers yet, investment firm Morgan Stanley expects that Apple's mobile wallet service will become the industry standard and help drive wider adoption of NFC-based payment systems. Researcher Craig Hettenbach issued a blue paper to investors on Tuesday, a copy of which was provided to AppleInsider, to analyze the effect Apple Pay may have on the mobile payments industry when it launches on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus this month. Because Apple Pay is compatible with the existing infrastructure and Apple already has such a large install base of users, Hettenbach believes that the company will have no trouble gaining traction.

Internet of Things gets a hand from ARM's new operating system

In another new effort to speed up the adoption of the Internet of Things, chip designer ARM Holdings announced it has created a free operating system called Mbed, which it is launching with about two dozen partners including Freescale, IBM, Salesforce, Marvell and NXP. Desktops have Linux. Mobile devices have Android. The Internet of Things has...Mbed?

Kit Check Announces RFID Seal Tags

Kit Check announced the availability of serialized RFID seal tags for pharmacy kits. Produced in collaboration with Health Care Logistics, the RFID seal tags are a tamper-evident solution used to visually indicate the status of pharmacy kits. When tags affixed to restocked kits are used as seals and remain unbroken, healthcare professionals are assured that the kit is fully stocked and ready for use. After use, many hospitals use a second seal tag of a different color to indicate the kit is used and ready for restocking. Broken tags indicate the kit has been tampered with and must return to the pharmacy for inspection.

Embedded in each seal is a Kit Check RFID tag. Kit Check's cloud-based software solution automatically reads the tags and associates them by serial number with the appropriate kit. This eliminates today's practice of manually recording seal serial numbers for each kit and creates a detailed audit trail for State Board of Pharmacy and Joint Commission inspections.

CaixaBank launches Gemalto-powered NFC mobile payment wristband

CaixaBank, one of Spain’s largest banks, has moved into the wearable payment technology space with the launch of an NFC-enabled wristband capable of making contactless payments. Security vendor Gemalto has supplied its Optelio Contactless MiniTag, which links the wristband to the user’s existing payment card. The device will be made available this month, and has already been distributed in preliminary volumes to account holders, and is also available at all CaixaBank branches.

Fujitsu Enhances Its Industry-Leading UHF RFID Linen Tag for High Temperature Linen Processing

Fujitsu Frontech North America Inc. has announced today that it has improved the durability of its industry-leading WT-A522 linen tag when used in high temperature commercial laundry systems servicing the healthcare market. The improved linen tag targets laundries in Europe and other locations that service healthcare facilities who integrate industrial Autoclaves in their processes. The improved product, available this quarter, will maintain the same high readability antenna design which has made it the “go-to” linen tag for bulk reading garment and linen applications worldwide. Fujitsu will debut the improved WT-A522 tag the EXPOdetergo International in Milan, Italy, from October 3-6 at the Fiera Milano Exhibition Center in Rho – Milan, Hall 2, booth number B21.

The Fujitsu UHF RFID linen tags are extremely soft, flexible and durable. Because of their small size, they can easily be inserted into the seam of linens and be virtually unnoticeable to the user. This makes them ideal for tracking flat linens and garments used in hospital, hotel and hospitality applications. Able to withstand the harsh chemicals associated with laundry and dry cleaning, temperatures of 140 degrees Celsius (285 degrees Fahrenheit) and the pressure of flat linen pressing and water extraction systems, the tag’s unique antenna design allows for high density bulk reading of more than 1000 tags with high accuracy. This allows linen rental groups to ensure that they have accurate accounting of their deliveries to customers as well as recouping any lost inventory.

Norwegian Apparel Company in Good Mood Over RFID

Scandinavian clothing company Moods of Norway (MoN) has equipped 13 of its stores with radio frequency identification technology to better manage its inventory. This deployment follows a six-month pilot that boosted sales at two stores—not only sales of tagged items, but also of other products as well. A 14th store is set to go live with the technology later this year.

NFC Forum launches developer program

The NFC Forum launched its "Tap Into NFC" developer program, which delivers resources and support to developers worldwide to leverage NFC for innovative applications and services, according to a press release. "Tap Into NFC" is designed to support application developers via events, networking opportunities, and a new, dedicated website comprising developer kits and technical specs, news, and product spotlights. These resources will enable developers to sharpen their NFC proficiency and accelerate the deployment of solutions that bring the power and convenience of NFC to the lives of consumers and businesses worldwide, according to the announcement.

Aerospace Manufacturer Reduces Waste via RFID-based Material Asset Tracker

When companies work with expensive materials, waste can create significant costs. Physical distance between the planning and execution segments of a manufacturing process can exacerbate the issue. Plataine, an American technology firm, introduced its Total Product Optimization (TPO) software suite in 2007 to eliminate manufacturing inefficiencies. The TPO suite consists of a planning pillar and a production pillar. The planning pillar uses optimizers—WoodOptimizer, FabricOptimizer and FoamOptimizer—that synthesize information about production orders and existing inventory, in order to determine the most efficient course of action.

RFID and AIDC News: Zara's Aggressive Move to Item-Level Tagging Features Plan to Re-Use Tags

Zara, the dominant banner in Spain's Inditex SA retail portfolio, recently announced major plans to roll out item-level RFID tagging in all its stores. As details of its program begin to emerge, interesting news that Zara has come up with an approach that will allow it to re-use the passive RFID chips and thus reduce its operating costs for the program. It is assumed that Zara will ship the RFID tags to EAS tag makers, which will insert the chips into the EAS housing as part of their own production processes.
 

U Grok It Releases UHF RFID Reader for Phones, Tablets

Two years after developing an inexpensive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID reader for use with smartphones and tablets, Colorado startup U Grok It has begun filling orders from small and midsize companies throughout the United States and Canada. The solution includes a battery-powered RFID reader (compliant with the EPC Gen 2 standard) that plugs into the audio port of an iOS- or Android-based phone or tablet, as well as a software development kit (SDK), intended for developers to use in creating use case-specific apps.

Hoardings tracker system gathers dust

The City Corporation’s (Kochi) ambitious scheme to install Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system for tracking flex boards and hoardings in the city is yet to be implemented. The civic body has already purchased RFID chips worth Rs. 35 lakhs from KELTRON. The equipments however remain unattended and gathering dust in corporation office. The RFID system consisting of a reader and an electronic tag attached to the hoarding helps to electronically tag each display board. The system, once implemented would have helped the civic body to identify hoardings, its size, location and thereby helping it to track those evading or defaulting advertisement tax.

Is lost luggage now a thing of the past?

ReboundTag, the world’s first micro-chipped luggage tag is now available in Australian for international use. Founded by Max Rangeley from the UK, the idea was developed to combat a reported 20 million bags misplaced bags each year. Through the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) microchips, ReboundTAG has been integrated with global baggage handlings systems so a barcode and a number printed can be printed on the device.

Advertising Gets Personal With RFID System for Shoppers

California Startup advertising services company LUV Advertisements, owned by a firm known as Internal Positioning Systems (IPS), is selling a new solution for bringing personalized advertising or other messages to individuals carrying radio frequency identification tags. The company is currently in conversations with several big-box retailers, supermarkets and casinos to launch pilots of its brand, known as LUV Smart Digital Signage.

RFID-Reading Drone Tracks Structural Steel Products in Storage Yard

Age Steel, a United Arab Emirates (UAE) company that operates multiple steel yards in Dubai, has taken radio frequency identification technology to new heights, through its use of an RFID reader mounted on a small unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly called a drone. The Steel Yard Autonomous Tracking solution, provided by UAE technology services startup Exponent Technology Services, enables Age Steel to quickly and accurately track the locations of pipes, plates and other metal products stored onsite.