RFID tags can store 512 bytes to 4 trillion data depending on the type of merchant. The data stored in the tag is determined by the application of the system and the corresponding standards. For example, tags can provide product production, transportation, storage, but also identify the identity of machines, animals and objects, these are similar to the information stored in the bar code, but the bar code is a category identification, and RFID is a single product description. RFID tags can also be connected to a database, store product inventory numbers, current location, status, selling price, lot number information. Correspondingly, the RF tag can directly determine the meaning of the code without referring to the database when reading the data.
As a result, RFID has become a hot topic in the label industry driven by major international leading applications such as Wal-Mart and the US Department of Defense. After going through the concept popularization phase in 2004 and earlier, RFID technology has stepped out of the laboratory and quickly penetrated into various industry sectors, moving toward broader and deeper industry applications. With RFID as the center, a complete and clear industrial chain is being formed.
In the field of retail and logistics, the current application of RFID tags is in logistics, such as automatic inventory operation and management, shelf management, and goods distribution. It is reported that Wal-Mart has installed more than 14,000 hardware and more than 230 meters of cable, and 57 of the 100 suppliers have completed the requirements for the installation of RFID tags. So far, Wal-Mart has read 7,161 tagged pallets and 210,390. A cargo box has already recorded 1.5 million electronic product code information. In addition to this, several other major retailers and merchandisers such as Target Group and ALbertson are also taking the same measures. The German retailer Metro tested the use of RFID tags. The report showed that the loss and theft rate of goods were reduced by 11% to 18%, the labor cost was reduced by 17%, and the arrival rate of goods on shelves increased by 9% to 14%.
In terms of tracking, management and monitoring of baggage, terrorist incidents and market demand using aircraft as a tool have prompted airlines and airports to switch to using RFID to enhance baggage tracking, distribution and transmission, and improve safety management. The RFID baggage tracking system can track the entire process from when the passenger checks the baggage to when the bag arrives at the destination baggage claim. In the fall of 2003, Delta Air Lines used an RFID baggage tracking system on flights between Jacksonville and Atlanta, Georgia. In a test of 40,000 pieces of luggage, the accuracy of reading the RFID tagged baggage reached 96.7% to 99.8%, far exceeding the bar code system. In the spring of 2004, Delta Company completed another RFID baggage tracking system experiment at the Ohio Airport Center and found that the accuracy of sorting was significantly improved. China’s Hong Kong International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world, with an annual passenger flow of about 35 million passengers. At present, RFID tags and readers are also being used to improve airport security and passenger satisfaction.
By analogy, RFID technology can also be used in children's playgrounds to prevent the separation of children and parents, drug industry supply chain tracking and management, anti-counterfeiting, and so on. Can also be used for animal tracking, in large-scale breeding plants, through the use of radio frequency identification technology to establish breeding files, vaccination files, etc., to achieve efficient, automated management of livestock purposes, while providing food safety protection. If used for pigeon racing, horse racing identification, etc., it can also accurately determine the arrival time.
At the same time, the application of RFID technology in highway toll collection and intelligent transportation systems fully embodies the advantages of non-contact recognition. The payment of fees is completed while the vehicle is passing through the toll station at a high speed, which solves the bottleneck problem of traffic, improves the speed of the vehicle, avoids congestion, and improves the efficiency of fee collection and settlement. Hong Kong's "Easy Access" uses RFID technology. Vehicles with RFID tags can be automatically identified, without parking fees, greatly improving the speed and efficiency of driving.
In terms of RF card applications, in January 1996, South Korea installed radio frequency identification systems on 600 buses in Seoul for electronic commuter passes, enabling cashless settlement and facilitating travel. The German Lufthansa Airlines began trials of radio frequency (RF) cards as airline tickets, which changed the traditional way of buying and selling tickets and simplifies the entry procedures for airports. According to Mr. Teng Yujie, in China, radio frequency cards are mainly used in public transportation and subways. Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Beijing and other places have adopted IC bus cards and subway tickets one after another. In the next year or two, the application of smart labels will go deep into various fields, such as the labeling of liquefied gas cylinders and the security of college student cards.
In library management, RFID systems can help establish a quick and easy self-service system, reduce the number of people used for traffic management, establish a good security system, reduce time and costs, and increase efficiency. When a book with an RFID tag is installed on a receiver installed in the book lending registry, the tag is activated, and the information stored on the tag is immediately transmitted to the library traffic server. The system quickly updates the inventory information and sends it back if necessary. Feedback. At present, the Homer Babbidge Library at the University of Connecticut has tasted the convenience and efficiency of RFID technology.
Through the efforts of all parties, the experimental and practical applications of RFID tags in various fields such as logistics, manufacturing, retail, anti-counterfeiting, and transportation have gradually begun. In-Stat survey company recently pointed out that sales of RFID tags will grow rapidly and global RFID tag sales revenue It will increase from 3 million U.S. dollars in 2004 to 2.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2009. However, in retrospect, the domestic application of RFID has not been widely promoted, and the response from abroad is not very enthusiastic. So, what are the preparations for RFID tag applications?
Technological Innovation: Opportunities for the Printing Industry
As introduced by Mr. Zhu Mingguang, general manager of Shanghai Shenbo Smart Label Technology Co., Ltd., traditional printing technology gives advanced RFID technology a new life force. RFID labels more closely integrate the printing industry and the electronics industry. Although the relationship between traditional circuit boards and the traditional printing industry is not great, the importance of printing after the emergence of smart labels is very important.
The printing industry is a traditional processing industry. The printed antenna can improve the added value of the product. A small card is worthless, but the price of a tag containing a conductive silver antenna is not the same. Print experts such as the United States and Japan are studying how to use printed methods to complete the composition of the antenna. Shenzhen Huayang Microelectronics Co., Ltd. can be said to be the first company in China to adopt a printing method to produce RFID tag antennas. According to Mr. Teng Yujie, the managing director of Huayang Microelectronics Co., Ltd., the company’s original use of printed antennas for RFID tags was designed to After receiving business orders from a well-known winery in China, the company did not reach an agreement, but the company formed its own product features in terms of RFID tags.
It is a good idea to print RFID tags with conductive inks, but when printing with conductive materials, it is not only a matter of restoring the image, but also a certain cross-sectional area. If it is possible to use thin ink for printing, the area of ​​printing will be very large, that is, the width of the line will be printed. However, the smart label itself is in a light, thin and small development trend and cannot be printed in width. The distance between the line and the line should be small, but each line must have a certain printing thickness. At present, the thickness of the printed antenna at home and abroad is 0.01 to 0.04 mm. Therefore, if the antenna is to be printed, the most effective method at present is to use screen printing. The method requires the printing thickness of the screen printer to be very uniform. Because the print pass does not mean that the electric performance is acceptable, there are a few tiny cracks or depressions in it that can affect the electrical performance. Therefore, the RFID tag antenna is first established on the basis of good use, and the smaller the gap between the two lines is, the better, but on the screen printing machine, it is very difficult to make the gap very small, so relatively speaking, The density of the printed antenna should not be too dense.
Traditional printing plants have low requirements for the environment and are often full of dust, dust, etc. However, in the course of printing antennas, no impurities are required to be incorporated in it. Otherwise, the conductive effect will be affected, or conductive dust will cross over. They will be connected between the two wires. In addition, the control of the drying temperature is also very important, because the temperature is inappropriate, the base material of the antenna will be deformed beyond the standard, and it will also cause problems for the subsequent process. In this way, problems that are not noticed in traditional printing can become very prominent. This puts forward higher requirements for the production management of the printing factory, and at the same time, it will also promote the improvement of the technical details and management level of the printing factory.
At the same time, the production of RFID tags must be combined with several manufacturers, involving the development of conductive materials, the precision of screen equipment, the matching of drying equipment and the production of substrates. Mr. Zhu Mingguang believes that printing is always a supporting process for high-end products, but after the package, there will be more new problems. Such as the thickness of the paper should be uniform, dry time and the quality of dry equipment, infrared lamps. Wavelength stability and so on are all problems, so each product will have a lot of related things, like a fist. If one of the five fingers is pinched, the fists won't matter. As a result, RFID tags have set new requirements for printers, printed materials and equipment suppliers, and have opened up new product lines for them. More importantly, the combination of RFID technology and trademark printing has brought new profit growth points to domestic label printing plants and opened up new markets.
However, as Mr. Teng Yujie said, domestic companies still need to do a lot of work to do RFID tags. Although some foreign companies sell equipment for RFID tags in China, they are expensive. The companies that make RFID tags around the world have different processes and no standards. Therefore, if we want to seize the initiative in this market, we must focus on the development and selection of production processes and materials, as well as the design of antenna production. Today, the Internet has already revolutionized the world, and the emergence of RFID will make the impact of the Internet of Things (IoT) increasingly widen.
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