Don’t look now – but your bar code is going electronic!
By Mark Shyne, MMEC Field Engineer

An emerging technology that all Montana manufacturers should be aware of is RFID, an acronym for radio frequency identification, the “successor to bar codes” according to some industry experts. On paper, RFID could revolutionize the way business is done not only between businesses but eventually between businesses and consumers.

When implemented, RFID consists of a series of hardware and software components that are designed to work together as an identification and/or tracking system Each is chosen based upon the application at hand, considering the various conditions present that would affect reading the tags. For example; cows, pallets, cases, and ocean-going containers would have different requirements to be considered when designing an RFID system.

The RFID tags (or semiconductor chips) are super thin, so they can be built right into thin labels that can be applied using automated equipment. They are designed and selected based upon the following attributes:

• Power Source -- Active tags contain a battery, and passive tags using radio energy from a reader to generate power for sending responses to an inquiry.
• Frequency -- ultra high frequency (UHF), high frequency (HF), low frequency (LF) or microwave (MW), each used in different conditions, for example, moisture and humidity of the environment and product, metal packaging present, etc.
• Antenna – Small conductors that are attached to the chips to send and receive communications from a reader.
• Encoding method -- Tags can be factory encoded as read only, write once/read many, or read/write depending on the application. Reusable totes in the chemical industry might use read/write so that each time the tote leaves the building, the tag can be updated with information specific to that shipment. Case or pallet labels might be read only, since they are sent with an outbound shipment to a customer, and are not intended to be re-used.

Another component is the RFID reader, which broadcasts a radio wave signal and is capable of reading many tags simultaneously. Readers can be mobile, or fixed - to a doorway or beside a conveyor line, for example, based on the application at hand.

New Market Pressures

RFID technology has emerged in response to the need for a next generation bar code, but there are new market pressures also driving the need for companies to start preparing for RFID implementation. Automating supply chain functions is in the works at Walmart, Target, and Albertsons, to name a few. Some actually have mandates that their largest suppliers must meet, in year 2005. And even the DOD (Department of Defense) is indicating they will be “early adopters” of the technology.

The efficiencies that RFID will bring are expected to reduce operational costs for the large retailers, and improve the ability to get the right equipment into the war fighters’ hands, at the right time and right place.

So automating product scanning should make RFID simpler to operate than bar-code technology, right? Not so fast; in many ways, the technology's increased capabilities make it more challenging.

Challenges

The most basic challenge will be managing the data. Unlike bar-code technology, where information is scanned only when someone passes a printed label in front of a reader, RF scanning is always “looking” for tags in the area. For this reason, RFID systems must filter data that is being captured continuously. Another factor is these systems must contend with physical factors that can interfere with the RFID's radio waves. Facilities that have electric motors and metal obstructions can have electromagnetic interference. Even the products themselves, such as liquids or metals, may absorb or reflect RF signals.

And the technology is far from mature. Problems are being reported by companies using RFID tags. Tags fail at initial “label” production, as they are being applied to containers, or due to the general wear and tear of the distribution environment. For these reasons, bar coding and RFID are going to need to coexist for quite some time.

So what is the vision for RFID? Consider a trip to your large retailer, say about 6-8 years from now -- no waiting in line, because as you roll your cart out, your purchases will be automatically scanned using RF, tabulated by the RFID system host computer, and billed to your account."

Additional resources

Additional information is available at these Websites: http://www.rfidjournal.com/
http://www.epcglobalinc.com/
http://www.rfidinc.com/

And DOD has a February event scheduled that may be of interest:

2005 DOD RFID Summit for Industry

February 9-10, 2005
Washington Hilton & Towers, Washington, DC

If RFID implementation seems right for you as you learn more about it, contact your local MMEC Field engineer, www.mtmanufacturingcenter.com/