Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology uses radio waves to identify people or objects. Passive RFID systems use tags with no internal power source and instead are powered by the electromagnetic energy transmitted from an RFID reader. Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) passive tags can be read at distances ranging from an inch to over 65 feet.
UHF passive tags are most commonly used for inventory control and supply chain management of goods, parts, and materials. They have been widely deployed on reusable transport items such as case and pallet tracking in retail, manufacturing, pharma, logistics, military, and other industries. Passive tags are also used for asset management that includes computer and IT asset tracking as well as personnel and patient tracking. The era of COVID-19 has created even greater demand for RFID as we enter an ever-increasing non-contact world.
Advances in chip manufacturing has led to significant decreases in the cost of UHF tags. This opens up many new opportunities whereby the business return can be realized in a very short time. With advances in IoT (Internet of Things) technologies, RFID readers have become much more advanced. New readers imbed edge data analysis capability along with the latest in secure, wireless data transfer. The net of these advances is that RFID has reached the tipping point in operational deployments.
INPD is using RFID deployments to create “actionable intelligence” whereby near real-time visibility of operations can provide decision makers with instant notification of anomalies in their processes. New vehicles in a storage lot can be easily inventoried and located for advanced preparation procedures. Automated weapons inventory can save countless hours in deployment preparation. Smart labels in parcel delivery are helping to prevent lost or stolen packages.
Applications of RFID in Maintenance and Inspection is a major growth area for INPD. Intelligent toolboxes help to preclude lost tools on the flight line. RFID tagged travelers provide real time visibility for work in progress on repair operations. Instant inventory of spare parts is vital to supply chain operations. A single system designed to track any type of asset from personnel to forklifts and cargo containers, INPD is creating a unique inventory management and tracking suite.
INPD solutions are more than simply RFID tags and readers. Intelligent gateways quickly transfer the operational data to our local or enterprise cloud. From there, ASI’s OptiAM asset management software swiftly processes the data, providing rapid updates to connected enterprise systems, real-time operational scorecards, and appropriate anomaly alerts based upon defined business rules.
For more information, contact Robert Ufford at robert.ufford@androsysinc.com