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SATO RFID Solutions

SATO RFID Solutions

“Cost savings and strategic benefits can deliver an impressive return on investment. RFID can help many businesses become more competitive by achieving new efficiencies.”

RFID or Radio Frequency IDentification is an intelligent technology that allows the identification of data by radio waves. It allows multiple reads of data instantly and does not require line-of-sight like barcodes.

RFID uses High Frequency (HF) and Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) radiowaves. The technology's enhanced accuracy and security in data collection makes it an ideal platform for all industries. The main advantage is nonetheless traceability.

SATO's RFID Solutions present an excellent opportunity for businesses to improve efficiency, trim down on wastes and reduce prices for consumers. Be it Compliance Labelling, Warehouse Logistics, Access Control, Assets Tracking, Baggage Tagging, Retail Tagging or Product Traceability, SATO has the answers to your RFID needs!

Difference between HF and UHF

	High Frequency	Ultra High Frequency
Frequency	13.56MHz	860 - 960MHz
Read Range	Up to 1.2m	Up to 6M
Performance in Humid Environments	Relatively Good	Poor
Performance in the presence of Metals	Poor	Poor
Data Rate	Medium	Fast
Anti-Collision	10-40 tags/sec	100 tags/sec
Coupling	Inductive	Backscatter

An increasing number of supply chain management companies worldwide are embracing RFID technology. Pioneers of RFID users include the Department of Defense (DoD) in America, Wal-Mart, and its top suppliers like Nestle, who successfully implemented the Automatic Pallet Labelling Project using the SATO RFID Solution. The main advantage is nonetheless traceability.

The advantages of RFID technology are:

Information stored on the tag can be updated on demand
Large data storage capacity (up to 10k bits)
Higher identification speeds
Ability to collect accurate data from multiple tags at a time
Data collection without line-of-sight requirements
Longer read range
Greater reliability in harsh environments
Greater accuracy in data retrieval and reduced error rate
Labour costs are minimized
Reduce product recall costs
Reduce opportunity costs by the improved buffer stocks, spoilage and stockouts from better planning using reliable information

Common RFID Applications

Library Loan Systems
Access Control & Traceability Systems (Eg. Human Movement)
Patients' Identification Systems (SATO's RFID wristbands)
Smart Card Access/Identification Systems
Airline Baggage Tracking Systems
Drugs & Medications Traceability Systems
Pallet Tracking Systems
Automatic Parking & Payment System

How to Choose An RFID Printer

Most, if not all, RFID printers are essentially Barcode Printers:

RF Specifications:
- Types of RFID supported
  HF or UHF? What standards?
- Operating Frequency
- RF Power (adjustable?)
- RFID labels specifications (size, dimension, etc)
  (not all RFID Labels work well in all RFID printers!)
Other specifications of barcode printer:
- Encoding/print speed, interface/connectivity
Hardware & Software/Firmware Upgrade Capability

RFID Standards

The SATO UHF and HF Developers' Kits comprise a range of RFID-enabled printers which support worldwide radio frequency bands, Smart Tags, reliable readers and antennas.

Partners and implementation

SATO works closely with partners and industry leaders like UPM Rafsac, Infineon, SAMSys and EPCglobal to provide total RFID Solutions that are compliant with ISO and EPC Gen2 standards.

RFID Implementation by SATO

Implementing RFID solutions requires a considerable period of time. The evaluation of the investment should not only include the cost of all the different components, but also take into account both quantitative and qualitative benefits. SATO, as one of the pioneers who introduced RFID technology to the industries is glad to lead you through 8 simple steps of Development and Implementation of an RFID Project:

Analysis of Requirements
SATO leads you through an analysis of the requirements of the various stages of the process to better understand what kind of RFID solution you need.
System Design
With SATO, we will help you design your RFID system to integrated into your existing system or design a customized independent system.
Technology Selection
SATO helps you select the right RF technology best suited to your requirements: frequency range, read/write or read-only technology, range performance, environmental conditions and standards compliance.
Hardware Choice
You can trust SATO's experience as the Auto-ID industry pioneer in assisting you to select the most appropriate hardware for your RFID solution, including the choice of printer, antenna, reader, controller and RFID tags.
Software Considerations
SATO and our RFID partners can help recommend or develop a software to be integrated into the RFID system.
System Configuration
Let SATO support you in bringing together all the RFID system components and testing your system in the user environment.
System Adjustment
SATO will assist you in adjusting the RFID system according to the test results to optimize performance and worker acceptance.
RFID Solution Implementation
SATO will help you in implementing the RFID Solution System on-site and fine-tune to customers' needs.

RFID @ Work

Logistics
In the logistics and supply chain management industries, it is crucial to be able to keep track of goods that are shipped out daily. The key challenges faced by supply chain and logistics providers are speed and accuracy of product delivery. RFID enables instantaneous identification and verification of a variety of products in a container during the receiving and shipping operations. The shipping label and RFID tag can be encoded simultaneously with SATO's RFID-enabled printers. The printer encodes information on the, product name, quantity, receiving party and other critical information on the RFID tag. The RFID tag can then be applied onto cartons and pallets. Unlike barcode technology that requires line of sight reading, RFID technology allows a "one-time scanning feature". The reader automatically read hundreds of tags in a second and verifies all the cartons in the container, providing real time reliable information. The smart tag on pallets can also be re-written with the reader and recycled.

Warehousing
Readers will be installed at different storage points of the warehouse. The reader scans and sends the exact location of pallet to the system. Supply chain and production planner can now plan and keep track of inventory levels with real time information.

Manufacturing
RFID technology can be integrated with industrial systems to fully automate manufacturing processes. The RFID tag can be programmed to route the raw materials to their respective subassemblies. After processing, the tags on each raw material will be re-written to work-in progress or finished goods. The end products are then stored in the warehouse.

Healthcare
In hospitals, doctors, nurses and other administrative staff often face difficulties locating patients files that are misplaced , resulting in re-tests for patients or even delayed treatments.
RFID technology provides document tracking solutions. When a patient is admitted, his details are entered into the database. The SATO RFID-enabled printers encode patients' details on the RFID tag and prints patient details on labels simultaneously.
The smart tag is then applied on the patient's file. Every time an employee with patient files passes through a door reader, it scans the exact location and sends information on the files' location to the system.
Through the central system, staff can now pinpoint the file's exact location at any time. Locating patient files no longer poses a problem.

Retail
Transactions can be closed in a matter of seconds for the retail sector by using readers to read selected merchandise in a matter of seconds. The system can bill customers' purchase to their credit card account, thereby minimizing queue length. Retailers can also maintain a database of customers' past purchases and perform analysis on customers' purchase behaviours and preferences, facilitating marketing efforts and better planning of inventory levels.