Schreiner LogiData unveils tiny UHF label with reading range of up to 1 meter; Century Link RFID intros new tag solution for retail; SafeTech debuts Bluetooth RFID universal door-locking system; RAIN RFID Alliance partners with French National RFID Center, IDTechEx.

By Beth Bacheldor

SCHREINER LOGIDATA UNVEILS TINY UHF LABEL WITH READING RANGE OF UP TO 1 METER

Schreiner LogiData has introduced a new, tiny ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID label for metal substrates. The ((rfid))-DistaFerr Mini is designed for tracking tiny components and objects in such applications as asset management and product labeling. The label allows the automated transmission of production-specific data to a UHF RFID reader integrated in a machine so that it can serve as the communication medium between product and machine, making it suitable for smart factory solutions. The label has a reading range of up to 1 meter (3.3 feet), which the company says is 10 times better than the 5-centimeter to 10-centimeter (2-inch to 4-inch) range of standard high-frequency (HF) solutions used in similar applications.

Schreiner LogiData's ((rfid))-DistaFerr Mini

Measuring 10 millimeters by 50 millimeters by 1.7 millimeters (0.4 inch by 2 inch by 0.07 inch), the ((rfid))-DistaFerr label is currently the smallest UHF RFID label offered for RFID on-metal applications by Schreiner Group's Competence Center, according to the company. The label is only half as wide as the ((rfid))-DistaFerr SL label, which measures 22.5 millimeters by 52 millimeters by 1.7 millimeters (0.9 inch by 2 inches by 0.07 inch), which also adheres to metal. "At present, there isn't a smaller UHF-RFID label for on-metal applications anywhere else in the world," said Frank Linti, Schreiner LogiData's business development manager of RFID, in a prepared statement.

Users can program and print the label individually onsite using a thermal transfer printer-encoder. In the fields of asset management and inventory management, Schreiner LogiData reports, the ((rfid))-DistaFerr Mini label is suitable for a range of applications involving non-metal objects, housings or components, which offer only limited space for an RFID label but require clear identification with a hand scanner.

CENTURYLINK INTRODUCES REUSABLE RFID TAG SOLUTION FOR RETAIL

Chinese RFID developer, manufacturer and supplier Century Link RFID, a wholly owned subsidiary of Century Group, has announced its RFID Finger, an ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) EPC Gen 2 RFID tag on a flexible lanyard. The RFID Finger is an electronic article surveillance (EAS) tag designed for use on a variety of retail items, such as garments, shoes, purses, sporting goods, appliances or housewares. According to the company, it provides retailers with options for loss prevention and inventory visibility.

The RFID Finger is reusable, can easily be attached to a variety of items via a locking pin mechanism integrated into the lanyard, and does not require any additional fixture accessories. It has a read range of up to 2 meters (6.6 feet) when used with a handheld reader, according to Century Link RFID. In addition to an RFID version, the firm offers an RFID plus RF/AM model that supports both RFID and acousto-magnetic (AM) technologies. Acoustic-magnetic systems use gates at exits that emit tonal bursts at about 58 kHz, causing magnetic material in the tags to resonate. When an EAS tag is not deactivated, receivers at the gates pick up its signal and sound an alarm.

Available now, the RFID Finger is compatible with standard RFID and AM EAS systems, according to Century Link RFID.

SAFETECH DEBUTS BLUETOOTH RFID UNIVERSAL DOOR-LOCKING SYSTEM

SafeTech Products, a startup that makes security solutions using radio frequency identification, Bluetooth, biometrics, Near Field Communication (NFC) and Z-wave communications technologies for home automation, has announced the Quicklock - Doorlock. The door-locking system combines Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE, also known as Bluetooth Smart) and NFC into a single locking system, so that doors can be unlocked via smartphones, key fobs, key cards or key rings that employ NFC and/or Bluetooth.

SafeTech's Quicklock - Doorlock

The Quicklock – Doorlock is made of a die-cast zinc alloy and can store up to 50 wireless NFC keys. Customizable smartphone apps for both Android and iOS operating systems are available. The apps include, among other features, a history log that lets users keep track of who enters a space. The Quicklock - Doorlock utilizes 4 AAA batteries, and SafeTech claims the battery life is more than one year. The lock is designed for indoor and outdoor uses and can fit on any standard door, the company reports. It can be installed with just two screws and a plug, and locks automatically when the door is shut.

Through a 30-day Kickstarter campaign that started on Aug. 26, the company is offering the Quicklock - Doorlock for an introductory price of $89, before normal retail distribution pricing is finalized. The company says it will also use the campaign to gather customer feedback.

"Our lock provides personal security and privacy for any door," said Ryan Hyde, the owner of SafeTech Products, in a prepared statement, "yet offers more functionality than any locking system on the market."

Components for the Quicklock - Doorlock are sourced globally and manufactured in Utah. Materials are scheduled to arrive next month, the company notes, so fulfillment can begin immediately once the Kickstarter campaign has ended.

RAIN RFID ALLIANCE PARTNERS WITH FRENCH NATIONAL RFID CENTER, IDTECHEX

The RAIN RFID Alliance, an organization founded in 2014 with approximately 70 member companies aimed at promoting the adoption of EPC ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID technology (see Technology Companies Create RAIN to Promote EPC UHF RFID Adoption), has announced two new partnerships. The French National RFID Center (CNRFID), a government-created nonprofit organization established to facilitate the adoption and use of RFID technology and develop its applications, and IDTechEx, which provides market-research reports covering a variety of technologies to clients in more than 80 countries, will join with RAIN to provide information and guidance to organizations involved in passive UHF RFID.

Initiated by the French Ministry of Economy, Industry and Employment, the non-profit CNRFID supports RFID suppliers, RFID end users, institutions and research organizations according to their particular needs, by promoting the use ofISO or EPCglobal standards, and brings together more than 120 national and international stakeholders involved in the development of RFID projects, according to the RAIN RFID Alliance. IDTechEx is a recognized industry expert and is widely cited in global media on emerging technologies. The company has tracked the RFID market since 1999, the RAIN RFID Alliance reports, providing accurate data regarding the industry based on interviews conducted with leading global players.

"As a government sponsored organization in France, CNRFID is leading the way in Europe in providing education to end-users and supporting the standardization efforts," said Steve Halliday, the RAIN RFID Alliance's president, in a prepared statement. "IDTechEx is the leading provider of market analysis in this industry and we are pleased to be associated with both organizations as we grow the RAIN Alliance."

Claude Tetelin, CNRFID's CTO, added in the statement that the education of RFID end users is one of the keys of market growth. "The aim is to explain what are the real benefits of the technology and the best way to implement it without forgetting to speak about the way to take security and privacy issues into account," he said.

"IDTechEx is delighted to partner with the RAIN RFID Alliance," said Raghu Das, IDTechEx's CEO, in the statement. "The partnership will help to gather and provide information about the RAIN RFID industry that will enable companies to optimize their RAIN RFID strategy.