Reject RFID tag technology eases supplier pressure
as a cost effective means of helping suppliers meet tight retailer
mandates on RFID implementation.
The system has been specifically designed for packaged goods manufacturers, and features a patent-pending reject identification and recovery system.
"The bad tag reject system is vital to making this a cost effective solution. It catches bad tags before they make it to the product and into the supply chain," said Ian Carver, Videojet RFID product manager.
The development is the result of an alliance between Videojet and its sister company, Accu-Sort Systems.
"This unique combination allows us to offer the best RFID solution aimed at easing customer concerns over reliability and performance," said Carver.
"These customers already know and trust Videojet as the supplier and servicer of their product coding equipment. And Accu-Sort, the leader in automatic identification in major retailers around the globe, brings the experience and reliable technology of the RFID system."
RFID technology is being driven hard by retailers such as Metro and Wal-Mart, which see RFID as the natural replacement of industry's current bar code-based tracking systems, allowing companies to automatically track inventory throughout an entire supply chain. RFID automatic data collection typically does not require line of sight or manual scanning as do most bar code-based systems.
For example, information from RFID-tagged cases on a pallet can be read automatically using fixed, mobile or handheld readers rather than requiring individual bar code scanning.
Wal-Mart is now but six months away from its deadline for the top 100 suppliers to put tags on all pallets and cases. In Europe, legislation enforcing manufacturing traceability comes into force in January 2005.
The Videojet Broadcast System has been developed to help suppliers meet this deadline. The device encodes and applies RFID tags utilising a Videojet label applicator, an Accu-Sort RFID reader, The label applicator in the Broadcast System is manufactured by Videojet, and boasts proven reliability and performance, demonstrated by the over 4,000 of these labelling systems in operation today.
The Broadcast System is a fully-functional, RFID tag application system available for immediate installation. With the deadline for the Wal-Mart® initiative quickly approaching, Videojet has already shipped several of these units to major Wal-Mart supplier sites.
Videojet will support this new RFID technology through its extensive service network in North America, which features over 150 service technicians in the United States alone.
"Videojet's market-leading service organisation is ready to support our RFID system solutions and assist our customers in implementation of this technology," said John Dion, vice president of global services for Videojet.
The Videojet Broadcast System is a portable, flexible, affordable RFID tag application solution. It supports Class 0 or Class 1 tags, and is EPC Global Standard upgradeable. This RFID solution delivers high-speed performance and low maintenance, from an efficient, consistent and reliable system.
