Building Your Tagging Infrastructure

Transcription

1 Building Your Tagging Infrastructure What s the best infrastructure for applying tags? How do you decide what s right for you? What are the key considerations for today? What will be important in the future? Get all the answers. June 13, 2006

2 Introduction Mary Catherine O Connor Associate Editor RFID Journal

3 Speakers Paul Baboian, RFID Business Development Manager; Zebra Matt Reynolds, co-founder and co-cto, ThingMagic Todd Warden, VP, Business Development, MARKEM Corporation Mary Catherine O Connor Associate Editor RFID Journal

4 Zebra Product Breadth Midrange Plastic Card Mobile Paul Baboian Business Development Zebra Desktop High Performance Over 4 million printers sold Print Engines

5 Zebra Profile $702 million in annual sales (2005) 45% of sales outside North America 2,500 associates located in 17 countries 23 production and sales facilities covering 600,000 square feet ZBRA (Nasdaq), $2.5B market capitalization Paul Baboian Business Development Zebra

6 Are smart labels the best method to mark products for RFID compliance? Paul Baboian Business Development Zebra

7 RFID Smart Labels Application Needs: Human readable information is required Bar coded data is required There will be a variable mix of bar coded and RFID tagged items Electronic systems fail periodically; data consistency is a must You want to leverage existing applications Paul Baboian Business Development Zebra

8 RFID Smart Labels Visual identification Bar coded data Add RFID Human readable Smart Label Barcode readable RFID readable Paul Baboian Business Development Zebra

9 RFID PRINTER/SMART LABEL INTERACTION How RFID Printers Work Printer/encoders utilize near-field RF technology (very low power at close proximity). When writing data to a tag (smart label), the strategy is to isolate the tag being written to Isolation is achieved by printer and RFID module design and tuning the printer s reader antenna Paul Baboian Business Development Zebra

10 RFID PRINTER/SMART LABEL INTERACTION Inlay position within the label is critical for encoding: Engine frame Label Feed Direction Inlay A X Paul Baboian Business Development Zebra Y print line Antenna location

11 RFID printer installations Apply Labels Manually in the DC picking or post pick Business Value Automated Line Tagging Stage 3 Stage 2 Manual DC Tagging Stage 1 +/- s prior to substantial investment, provides learning and experience to better understand technology and business use additional labor costs, inefficient, not scalable less costly to deploy Investment Paul Baboian Business Development Zebra

12 Lessons Learned Get involved! Start early Select the best fit for your application RFID inlays (product packaging effects RF) RFID label design (applying in new environment?) RFID printer/encoders (performance/throughput) The value of working with RFID Integrators Paul Baboian Business Development Zebra

13 Lessons Learned Gen2 is here! Significant performance enhancements more robust more sensitive faster throughput Available today Gen1 sunset dates Paul Baboian Business Development Zebra

14 Summary Get started now! Learn the technology...explore process change... Tag/Label feasibility Map out your printer/encoder requirements Pilot with Gen2 gear Consult Trusted Advisors - seek partners with experience/references Paul Baboian Business Development Zebra

15 Example Reading & Writing Hardware Matt Reynolds Co-founder & Co-CTO ThingMagic Mercury 5 Fixed Reader Mercury4e Embedded Reader

16 Example Reading & Writing Hardware Fixed Readers Work in near field or far field Can write tags at: Conveyors Palletizers Other user defined locations Benefits Long range, good for volume Flexible standalone product Built-in intelligence for data processsing Matt Reynolds Co-founder & Co-CTO ThingMagic Mercury 5 Fixed Reader Drawbacks Customer must do mechanical integration Customer must do software integration

17 Example Reading & Writing Hardware Embedded Readers Can be part of: Label Printers Print & Apply Machines Handheld computers Benefits High speed on singulated tags Can be integrated with printing Less expensive than fixed readers Low power, small size Matt Reynolds Co-founder & Co-CTO ThingMagic Considerations Upgrade path for different tag protocols Support for Gen 2, Gen 3, and beyond Mercury4e Embedded Reader

18 Writing Tags With Fixed Readers External Antenna (Near Field or Far Field) 1. Read 2. Write 3. Verify Fixed Reader RFID Tags Enterprise System or Middleware Matt Reynolds Co-founder & Co-CTO ThingMagic Co-ordination of writing can take place locally or centrally

19 Writing Tags With Embedded Readers Mechanical System moves / applies tags Printer Or Applicator Control System 1. Read 2. Write 3. Verify Tags Internal Antenna (Typically Near Field) Embedded Reader Matt Reynolds Co-founder & Co-CTO ThingMagic Co-ordination of writing takes place in the printer or applicator control system Enterprise System or Middleware

20 Whatever system you choose Important considerations: Not all tags are the same: Variations include protocol, chip maker, antenna design New and better tags are always being developed With new Gen 2 chips come more proprietary features Vital to choose a reader that use Software Defined Radio: Adjusts to new and different tags via software upgrades Reduces risk of obsolescence Quickly supports new protocols, chips and features Matt Reynolds Co-founder & Co-CTO ThingMagic

21 Markem Core Products are product identification systems for cases, cartons and pallets SMARTLASE SMARTDATE 9064 SERIES 5000 SERIES CIMJET CIMPAK Laser coders Thermal Transfer Printers Small Character Inkjet Case Coding Print and Apply RFID labeling Pallet Labeling CimControl for Device Networking Composer for Label Composition Barcode Scanner or RFID Reader

22 The 4 stages of RFID tagging Business Value Stage 4: Integrated RFID Systems Automated Line Tagging Stage 3 Semi-Automated DC Tagging Stage 2 Todd Warden VP, Business Development MARKEM Corporation Manual DC Tagging Stage 1 Investment

23 Stage 2 Semi-Automated Tagging Solution Todd Warden VP, Business Development MARKEM Corporation

24 Semi-Automated tagging Solution: No Print Required De-Pallet Series 800 RFID Encoder Applicator ThingMagic Reader Verifier Re-Pallet CoLOS Operator Panel Sensors Linked To CoLOS Zebra R110xi RFID Pallet Label Printer Zebra R110 Shipping Label Printer Bar Code Reader To CoLOS RFID Semi-Automated De-Pallet / Re-Pallet Station with Pre-Printed RFID Tags and On-Demand RFID Pallet Tags and Shipping Labels

25 With Printing De-Pallet Series 800 RFID Encoder Applicator ThingMagic Reader Verifier Cimjet 300 TTR Label Printer Re-Pallet CoLOS Operator Panel Sensors Linked To CoLOS 5200 Case Printer Inkjet Zebra R110xi RFID Pallet Label Printer Zebra R110 Shipping Label Printer Bar Code Reader To CoLOS RFID Semi-Automated De-Pallet / Re-Pallet Station with Inlay RFID Tags, Case Markings, and On-Demand RFID Pallet Tags and Shipping Labels

26 MARKEM RFID Case and Human Readable Solution Todd Warden VP, Business Development MARKEM Corporation

27 Stage 3 Automated Line Tagging Solution Todd Warden VP, Business Development MARKEM Corporation

28 Series 800 RFID Encoder Applicator ThingMagic RFID Verifier 5200 Inkjet Or Cimjet Existing Palletizer Existing Conveyor Flat Conveyor Direction Recommended Rejection Spur for No-read RFID Tags Rejected Cases Ready for Manual Re-insertion Into Line Cimpak RFID Pallet Applicator Existing Shrink Wrap Station ThingMagic RFID Verifier

29 MARKEM In-Line RFID Solution Specifics Series 800 RFID Encoder/ Applicator In-line or stand-alone applications Applies on-pitch inlays & RFID tags Up to 100 cases per minute Gen 2 compliant Patented reject mechanism to handle bad RFID tags rejected onto backing web for easy disposal and accounting Supports EPC protocols Todd Warden VP, Business Development MARKEM Corporation

30 In the real world, we compensate for imperfection On board reject mechanism keeps bad tags on liner Secondary verification to be sure tags work On-pitch tag applicator allows small, low cost on-pitch tags Applicator peels even aggressive adhesive Gap sensing algorithm addresses gap irregularity Applicator minimizes tag skew Regular maintenance removes slitter dust Todd Warden VP, Business Development MARKEM Corporation

31 Questions?