Precisia develops conductive ink printed tag antenna

The new UHF RFID tag printed antenna produced by Precisia not only can reduce the cost of the tag, but also can work under the multi-frequency multi-protocol.

In order to reduce the cost of tags, increase the frequency of tags, and the versatility of the protocol, printed electronics manufacturer Precisia developed the UHF RFID tag printed antenna, the FleX Wing antenna. The antenna is 3/4 inch by 1 1/2 inch and supports tags based on Class 1, Class 0+, and Gen 2 EPC protocols. The antenna can operate at multiple frequencies, such as in the 868 MHz band used in Europe, or in the 916 MHz band used in North America.

Unlike conventional copper etched antennas and aluminum etched antennas, FleX Wing antennas are formed by printing conductive ink on a PET plastic film. Jason Brewer, Precisia’s marketing development manager, said that using printed antennas instead of copper or aluminum etched antennas saved us 50%.

To meet the needs of end-users, Precisia has developed three different types of FleX Wing antennas, such as printed antennas for use with RFID-embedded chips, printed antennas that can be embedded in labels produced by Precisia partners, and labels suitable for Precisia partner improvements. Printed antenna.

Brewer said that Precsia designed and manufactured conductive ink and developed FleX Wing model to make up for the deficiency of Flint Ink (Flint). And Precisia's production capacity is also relatively strong, producing an average of 200,000 FleX Wing antennas per hour.

Precisia collaborates with several manufacturers including label maker RF Identics to produce smart mosaic tags. RF Identics has used FleX Wing printed antennas on its own passive UHF inlaid tags that can read up to 20 feet away. Gary Burns, general manager of RF Identics, said that with the FleX Wing antenna, RF Identics' label reliability is almost 100%.

Burns said, "We value the quality of our products. Our automatic controls are sufficient to ensure that our products have zero defect rates."

Burns said that FleX Wing antennas can meet the flexible needs of those who ship products to customers around the world. Brewer said that tags using the FleX Wing antenna can be used in the United States and Europe.

Brewer explained that “the design of the antenna and its adjustment method make it possible to operate at 868 MHz in Europe and 915 MHz in the United States. In addition, the label manufacturer can also replace the silicon chip without purchasing a new antenna. Upgrade Class 1 or Class 0+ to Gen 2. So, FleX Wing is the only antenna on the market that can provide such flexible needs.”

Burns said that using FleX Wing can reduce the cost of labels and improve performance. The FleX Wing antenna can reduce the RF Identics tag cost to 20 cents. .

The FleX Wing antenna is not the first type of RFID printed antenna produced by Precisia. As early as 18 months ago, they have already started to produce printed antennas. At present, the company can provide antennas suitable for use on pallets, cases, hand luggage, and individual items. The size range of the mosaic tag antenna is 90mm × 90mm - 15mm × 35mm.

Source: RFID Radio Express