Smart packaging and RFID to be major forces in logistics

Liu briefly outlined the kinds of technology involved in RFID applications. “Some 98 percent of applications use passive tags (no power source) as opposed to 2 percent with active (battery powered).” Active tags send out their own signals, while passive merely respond to those sent by readers.

Then, there are the different frequencies. Low features 125 KHz, high 13.56 MHz, ultra-high 860 MHz to 960 MHz and microwave 2.45 GHz or 5.8 GHz.

A basic system will feature a tag, an antenna, a reader to capture information, a data collection system and an API (the backend IT system).

According to Liu, low-frequency tags are used mostly for animal tracking and security as read distance, transfer rate, reader cost and memory capacity are all quite low. High-frequency is for security, ticketing, process control and automation. It, however, suffers interference problems from metal objects.

Ultra-high is used for supply chain management and real-time location. It, too, suffers from interference from metals, water and electromagnetic waves. Finally, microwave is for ETC, security, real-time location and ticketing. The only negative is that costs are high.

The challenges facing the RFID industry include magnetic-wave interference from cellphones, motors and ignition systems, poor readability due to background material used in products or packaging as well as how the goods are stacked, regulation differences worldwide, high application costs, incompatible industry standards, and lower power.

“While tags that address some or all of these problems have been developed,” said Liu, “they come at a higher cost.”

Liu discussed three types of smart package solutions: ultra-high-frequency, high-frequency and anti-static. The CLC i-Carton, an example of the first, said Liu, is used in logistics and supply chains by Wal-Mart and BestBuy. It operates at a frequency of between 902 MHz and 928 MHz and has a sensing distance of three meters. It is pasted inside or outside the package or embedded or inserted.

The high-frequency CLC e-Box is for anti-counterfeiting and e-Pedigree applications. The frequency is 13.56 MHz or 2.45 GHz with a sensing distance of eight centimeters and it is pasted inside containers or embedded.

Finally, the anti-static CLC e-Box is used with electrical components and for card protection. It has a surface resistance of 50 KOhms per square millimeter and it is printed inside or outside the container.

Liu also pointed out that there are two kinds of testing: static (HF and UHF) and dynamic (HF and UHF). These are used to determine read and write rate as well as read distance.

“Ultimately, we want to enable our customers to meet retailer compliance requirements through providing product tagging, packing solutions, and RFID readability and shipment verification,” said Liu. “Cheng Long conducts integrated tests to ensure that solutions are stable and reliable and to help customers apply RFID on packaging more efficiently and economically.

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