Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) trackers are quickly replacing bar codes as the standard tracking method in many materials handling applications. That’s because they offer broad range of benefits, including faster inventory tracking, more efficient safety inspections, and more accurate data collection.
RFID is a tiny wireless tracker that is about the size of a grain of rice that can be embedded into objects such as boxes, products and even livestock and pets so they can be easily tracked. Each RFID tag contains electronically stored information, such as the product’s name, serial number, lot number, where and when it was manufactured, and even its ultimate delivery destination.
The tags can be powered remotely via electromagnetic induction so that their data can be read by magnetic fields. Other RFID tags have tiny batteries and can act as a passive transponder to emit microwaves or UHF radio waves. An example of these would be the toll transponders that rest on a car’s dashboard and can be read automatically at toll booths without having to stop the vehicle.
Widespread Applications for Industry
RFID tags are now used widely in industry. In some automobile assembly plants, they are embedded into the vehicle as it moves through the production line to provide information about its progress. They also are widely used in the production of pharmaceuticals and other products.
Unlike bar codes, RFID tags don’t need to have line-of-sight with a reader. They can be embedded into everything from cash to credit cards and ID badges to clothing.
Columbus McKinnon Embeds RFID Tags in Hoists
One materials handling company that is investing heavily in RFID technology is Columbus McKinnon Corporation, the Amherst, New York, manufacturer of hoists, cranes, rigging tools, actuator and other heavy equipment. The company recently announced that it was including CM Smart ID RFID tags in its hoist and rigging products to improve inventory control and facilitate faster and more accurate data collection.
The CM Smart tags were developed by the company in partnership with InfoChip, a leading RFID supplier. Each CM Smart tag is embedded with detailed product information that is uploaded and stored on the CM Smart Cloud.Not only does this allow access to information about the products by anybody at anytime,but it gives Columbus McKinnon the ability to update the product’s service information or other data about the product long after it has left the factory.
Tim Lewis, Columbus McKinnon’s product manager for rigging products and manual hoists, said the inclusion of RFID tags in its products represents a real technological breakthrough for the company.
“CD Smart ID is versatile and easy to use,” Lewis said in a news release. “With InfoChip technology, we ensured our chips were durable and reliable in even the harshest environments and that our pre-associated product information could be easily accessed for free by customers, whether they’re in the office or out in the field.”
Advantages Over Bar Codes
RFID tags can be embedded inside a carton, box, case or even within the products themselves. Hundreds of tags can be read at the same time, unlike bar codes which can only be read one at a time.
As more companies discover the benefits of RFID technology, it’s a sure bet that their use in the materials handling industry will become wider and more common.