What is a Good RFID Tag?

In a real-world project, a large number of RFID tags are usually used, and they are critical to the success or failure of the project. Therefore, in the early stage of project preparation, the selection of RFID tags is a crucial link.

At present, there are many models of RFID tags on the market, which are highly similar in appearance, and they rely on invisible electromagnetic waves to work, which is indeed a headache.

So, what kind of RFID tag is the best? Naturally, I cannot provide a specific answer. However, the evaluation of RFID tags should still be viewed in specific projects. There is a big vernacular that fits very well. : The right is the best.

A good label needs to match the needs of specific application scenarios

At present, there are too many industries using RFID tags, and digital innovations around RFID have also received great attention.

In these different industries and different application scenarios, the expected goals achieved by the RFID system are often very different, and the working environment in which the system is located is also very different.

For example, some manufacturers only need to meet simple daily inventory requirements, and have low requirements for performance parameters; some manufacturers require digital traceability from production, warehousing and logistics to sales; some systems are located in the working environment It is extremely simple and hardly affected by external interference factors; some consider not only the reflection of metal, the absorption of signals by liquids, but also other complex issues such as signal interference.

Therefore, when we are preparing to launch a new project, we should start from the actual project requirements so that we can find the specific problem. For example, what frequency band should the selected RFID tag work in? How large is the storage capacity of the RFID tag? What are the requirements for safety performance? What is the reading distance range of the actual application?

In addition to the characteristics of RFID tags, environmental factors must also be taken into consideration. Including: What is the temperature and humidity of the RFID tag’s working environment? Are there factors such as liquid and metal in the environment? Are there other signal interferences in the environment? What material surface is the RFID tag installed on?

Because of the different material properties of the items pasted with RFID tags, the reflection and absorption of the signal are different. In addition, due to issues such as the material and outer packaging of the product, as well as the space distance between the products, the sensitivity of the label on different positions of the box will also vary, which requires repeated trials to find the best way.

In addition, the antenna configuration of the RFID tag is also a key. Common antenna types are dipole antennas and square antennas, and the two have different reading sensitivity. For dipole antennas, the radio waves from the axial direction can hardly respond. The square antenna has good sensitivity at all angles. However, due to the large size of the tag of the square antenna, it will be limited by the range of sticking.

All in all, a successful RFID project needs to go through thorough and systematic considerations, and make accurate judgments on this basis, so that the project can be implemented more smoothly. Even so, the “metaphysics” elements cannot be ruled out, which rely more on the actual experience and experimentation of the project party.

What is the essence of a good label?

An easy-to-use RFID tag contains many elements, such as excellent performance, strong storage capacity and environmental adaptability, as well as an aesthetic antenna design, an irresistible price, and so on.

From the perspective of RFID label manufacturing, the processing methods of each link including chip, antenna design, binding, compounding, and packaging will have an impact on the final finished label. In this process, not only must the performance of the RFID tag be guaranteed, but also the consistency of the tag must be ensured. Therefore, even the top RFID label manufacturers cannot guarantee that the labels they produce are “safe.”

In a label processing process, INLAY is usually used as a “sandwich layer” composite material. INLAY enters the compound processing production link as a material, so it must be affected by the five elements of compound personnel, processing equipment, materials, technology, and processing environment.

For example, when a customer proposes to attach an RFID tag to metal, it shows that he needs an anti-metal tag. However, this is far from enough. We need to further understand what material is the metal surface to be pasted? What kind of dielectric is it? What is the thickness and size of the metal surface? And what effect the RFID tag needs to achieve in the end, and so on.

In the footwear and apparel industry, customers may require large quantities of electronic tag, and will require the surface treatment of the electronic tag, the processor may directly perform bronzing treatment on the surface, or use other processes. In this link, the material used for bronzing is also metal. You need to know whether you are using a cold stamping or hot stamping process, what kind of dielectric is used, what kind of material, including the bronzing area, and so on.

During the chip processing, many details will be finalized. Some chips are very sensitive to bonding, and slight deviations in the position and direction of chip bonding will have a significant impact on electrical performance. The PET aluminum etched antenna will generate volatile gas when heated. In the binding process, the heating is heating and curing. Since the conductive glue has been covered on the antenna, air bubbles may be generated, which will definitely affect the performance.

When we start from the needs and approach the label processing technology step by step, we are getting closer and closer to the essence of a good label, which is composed of countless specific and subtle details. As a result, we can also more truly realize that a good label needs to gather the experience of the entire industry chain and the hard work of countless practitioners.

Final words

After years of development, the RFID industry has developed more mature. However, with the continuous development of the RFID industry and the continuous integration with traditional industries, many changes are taking place. More beautiful and complex processes will continue to appear, and the production mode of RFID tags will also change accordingly.