Bielomatik

RFID has been the “talk of the town” ever since Wal-Mart laid out its expectations to its largest suppliers in 2003—lots of press, lots of hype. Now, it seems as though more participants are asking that famous question posed in Wendy’s® commercials many years ago, “Where’s the beef?” It is true that the glowing light of RFID has dimmed during the last couple of years—reality has not lived up to the expectations that were created. That doesn’t mean, however, that RFID is no longer something package printers need to consider. RFID is being implemented in a wide range of applications and some of

This year’s Smart Label Summit Europe, taking place November 15-16 at the Hotel Okura in Amsterdam, will focus on the combined advances in Smart and RFID label technology. The summit, hosted by the organizers of Labelexpo Europe, is designed to help label converters learn about the size of the market and growth forecasts, as well as provide practical advice on how to adopt this technology. Leading experts from some of the world’s top consumer brands will be taking center stage in Amsterdam later this month to share their expertise with the international delegation. The retail, healthcare, IT, transport, and FMCG sectors are all represented on

Do you know understand the acronym jungle of RFID standards groups—IATA, CEN, ETSI, ANSI, AIAG, ISO? Does HF and UHF mean anything to you? How about ISO18000, EPC Class 1, Generation 2, ISO10374.2, ISO17365, or ISO17364? If not, you have to read packagePRINTING’s July TechnologyUpdate, called “A Dog’s Tale on RFID Standards.” Written by TAGSYS’ Director of Global Marketing & Public Relations Ken Reich and the company’s Chief Technology Officer Alastair McArthur, the article explains the ins and outs of RFID standards—where they are today, where it appears they are headed, and what new developments are in the pipeline. RFID standards are confusing and

Standards and RFID Converting Equipment Standards and their impact on smart label converting equipment is questionable, according to machine manufacturers. Much of today’s RFID converting technology can produce tags and labels of a variety of frequencies. However, there are a few points to consider when looking to purchase RFID converting apparatuses. First, it’s important to remember that, while notable advances have been made in smart labels and their construction, RFID in general is still a developing technology. This means converters need equipment that can develop along with the progress made in RFID. “Converters should purchase converting equipment that permits them to evolve with the on-going evolution of

By definition, “standards” is “fulfilling specific requirements as established by an authority, law, rule, custom, etc.; a guiding principle.” However, I can state without equivocation that sometimes the pursuit of standards can literally go to the dogs. When discussing this matter with TAGSYS’ Chief Technology Officer, Alastair McArthur, he instantly recalled his experience with his children’s pet bulldog, Oscar. It seems Oscar has had an encounter of the closest kind with RFID. As an unsuspecting pup, the French bulldog was injected with an RFID tag. The use of RFID for the identification of companion animals, referred to as micro-chipping, is a very mature