Flexible read-on-metal smart labels expand the possibilities and benefits of RFID tracking
This week, we released a white paper that focuses on several of the leading use cases for Xerafy’s groundbreaking Metal Skin series of read-on-metal RFID labels.
Despite stops and starts in the supply chain segment, there has been virtually uninterrupted growth in RFID adoption for asset management, process control, product authentication, work-in-process tracking, autoclave and sterilization processes, inspection and maintenance, and other operations. However, there have always been items that were traditionally either difficult, if not impossible, to tag. In particular, the presence of metal often impeded the use of RFID. Depending on the item being tagged, metal can reflect, amplify or otherwise interfere with the RF signal, which greatly reduces the performance of an RFID tag or label.
Xerafy’s Metal Skin changed the landscape, providing real solutions that removed many of the remaining barriers to using RFID labels on metal. The introduction of the Mercury Metal Skin and Titanium Metal Skin created a standard, flexible tag option for curved meal surfaces and other applications requiring a very thin, low profile tag.
Here are some of the current and planned projects that we highlighted in our white paper that are using Metal Skin smart labels:
- IT Asset Tracking
- healthcare
- Gas Cylinder and Drum Tracking
- Industrial Product Identification
- Anti-Counterfeiting
- General Asset Tracking
Composite Aircraft Component Tracking Takes Off
Aircraft manufacturers are increasingly turning to composite materials to construct lighter and stronger airframes. Because many of the composite materials used in the manufacturing process require precise temperature controls, solutions for tracking the composite materials used are taking off faster than Airbus’s newest A350 XWB.
Airbus and Boeing combined are slated to produce more than 8,000 aircraft combined over the next six years, making composites the dominant material in the manufacturing of aircraft by 2015, a massive increase from 1980 when under 5 percent of an aircraft relied on composites.
RFID Journal this week featured commercial aircraft component manufacturer ATK, which is using a solution provided by Xerafy partner OATSystems and employing Xerafy’s MicroX II tags to track composite materials and associated tooling. Continue reading
Xerafy Showcases Surgical Tray and Instrument Level Tracking at IAHCSMM
Along with partner Surgical Instrument Service Company, Xerafy showcased our healthcare surgical tray and instrument level RFID tracking solutions at the 2013 International Association of Healthcare Central Service Material Management conference (IAHCSMM) from May 6 to May 7 in San Diego. The result was another stellar show of support from SPD managers, directors and equipment manufacturers for improving the process of managing surgical instruments through UHF Passive RFID.
IAHCSMM is an annual conference dedicated to central sterile supply department (CSPD) professionals and includes education, certification programs and exhibits showcasing the latest CSPD equipment and technologies. The industry continues to undergo a rather massive transformation to ensure CSPD professionals have the proper training and tools to properly manage inventories and monitor the sterilization processes, which is no easy task, especially when important items tend to disappear or be misplaced and those errors can be costly or even life threatening. Continue reading