Conducted ink to help RFID tag development

Abstract: The development of conductive ink has promoted the expansion of the RFID label market, and also brought new opportunities for flexo printers.

Nowadays, there has been a lot of talk about radio frequency identification technology (RFID: Radi0 Frequenc Yidentifi Cati 0n), but one thing is very clear, that is, the advent of RFID, is caused by the ongoing logistics revolution, and is the basis for the development of the “Internet of Things”. Scholars in the commercial and industrial fields believe that if a company fails to catch the RFID flight, the company will lose a lot.

RFID technology is used in automatic identification and data acquisition systems and is the development of bar code technology. Effective RFID tags are very beneficial to the management of real-time retail supply chains and the use of smart tags.

RFID tags are more important to the industry than ever before. In the summer of 2003, the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, announced that it would require N2oo 5 years top suppliers to use RFID tags on its containers and trays, requiring all other suppliers: iJ 2006 must complete this requirement. The U.S. Department of Defense also requires that some of its suppliers begin using RFID tags on the smallest possible packaging surface in 2005.

Previously, cost factors have constrained many companies’ investment in RFID technology, especially retailing. Today, the development of conductive ink can reduce the cost of each RFID tag.

The development of conductive inks has promoted the expansion of the RFID label market and brought new opportunities for flexo printers. The conductive ink allows current to flow so that the ink acts as a wire, resistor, or antenna. The ink consists of conductive particles or more special raw materials, such as conductive polymers. This ink is used to produce conductive patterns on flexible and rigid photosensitive substrates. For RFID, conductive ink acts as an antenna and receives radio information from RFID-recognized computer systems. The most famous application of conductive inks is the elimination of copper corrosion on the circuit board. Its research results have been applied to the high-speed printing process of RFID antennas.

How RFlD tags work

The RFID tag contains two basic components: a silicon chip and an antenna. The chip is used to receive and transmit data, such as transmitting an identification code through an antenna. These components can exist as separate labels and can also be integrated on the packaging material. The data on the chip can be read by the wireless RF signal emitted by the reader. The reader is connected to its antenna and computer network to form an electronic module. The reader sends special signals from its antenna to RFID tags in a certain area. These tags will provide information feedback (such as their unique identification code), and the readers will be sent to the computer network after identification processing. For example, when a warehouse manager wants to know the type of product on the shelf or the quantity of the product, he can read the information on the shelf and check the inventory data to infer which product is more popular.

RFID labeling can be divided into three major categories: passive electronic labeling, semi-active electronic labels, and active electronic labels. Passive electronic tags are the simplest. They derive their energy from the wireless RF signals emitted by readers without the need for a power supply. Instead, they use cheaper forms of semi-active electronic tags and active electronic devices. The internal power supply allows the recording data to be obtained from the sensor in a wider range. Such an electronic tag is usually complicated, has many superior functions, and is relatively expensive.

The electronic bear fork division is divided into: read-only electronic label and read-write electronic label read-only electronic label is set an identification code, identification code can not be changed, but in most cases F can be repeated Read. The readable and writable electronic label allows the data on the label to be updated if necessary. The two types of electronic labels have their advantages in different fields.

Supply Chain Management

One of the most talked about applications of RF1D technology is its application in supply chain management. If bar code scanners are used to retrieve information on the bar code, they must track the goods online in the supply chain. This is time-consuming and labor-intensive. On one pallet, 3O bags of goods need to be scanned. Using RFID technology, all goods on the pallet can be automatically recorded in seconds or in less time, releasing the labor force. Make production more effective and I1, when goods are removed from the pallet, or the goods are placed on the shelf, the system will automatically update the inventory and order more urgently needed goods. 4. The shortage of goods is a headache for retailers and consumers. The use of electronic tags has made this headache problem a thing of the past. Automatic identification technology makes the inventory management system faster and more detailed, thereby reducing the cost of supply chain management.

The role of conductive ink

The most important obstacle to widespread adoption of RFID technology in the retail industry is sufficient cost. now. The cost of each RFID tag is between 30 and 60 cents. For an expensive product, the cost of adding 50 cents per product is easily accepted. RFID is a very good inventory tracking management device. Using RFID on some low-cost consumer products requires finding a cheaper electronic label. Imagine using a 5O cent electronic tag on a $2 toothpaste tube. This cost is unacceptable.

The application of the oil-conductor to the ID electronic climbing can effectively reduce the cost, mainly reflected in two aspects: First, the cost of conducting ink raw materials is lower than that of the traditional gold foil antenna produced by the traditional foiling method or etching method. Traditional foiling or etching is a depletion process, so this process wastes some metal. On the other hand, and on the other hand, the more important aspect is that since the high-speed printing process is fast and efficient, the application of conductive ink to print the antenna or circuit can be said to be a quick and relatively inexpensive method of choice.

People are working on RFID to develop etched metal antennas that use conductive ink instead of frequency bands. We have found that in the ultra-high frequency bands (860 MH 0 to 950 MHz) and microwave frequency bands (2450 MHz), the antenna can be printed using conductive ink. As effective as a traditional copper antenna, additional physical steps are required at high frequencies (13.56 MHz), such as raising the temperature or plating, in order for the conductive ink printed antenna to be as effective as a conventional copper antenna.

Smart tag

Oil conductors can also be used in smart labels. Smart labels have functions beyond traditional labels. They include RFI8 electronic labels, covert or open trademark protection indicators or sensors that alert the user about the condition of the product. With its function, ink is integrated into its associated label structure, acting as a sensor and RFID antenna. Smart Labels for manufacturers, distributors and consumers understand inventory in real time. Helping manufacturers monitor the status and position of their products in the supply chain has played a large role.

Many packaged foods and pharmaceuticals must be stored and transported at a specific temperature or low pollution. Smart labels can be used to monitor the temperature of perishable items during transportation. The smart label has a special chip, an ink-conducting antenna, and a sensor. , Can measure the temperature during transportation, alert suppliers to prevent temperature changes.

Smart labels also have great potential in the field of anti-counterfeiting and are particularly important to the pharmaceutical industry. Conducted inks are being used in the field of RFID in smart labels, packaging, and inventory, and are currently being tested for inventory management in the retail industry.

Reprinted from: Foreign Plastics