The way Midas FlagTag works is the folded part of the tag sticks out of the metal resembling a flag and the attached antenna part uses the metal surface as part of the antenna structure to increase tag performance.
'Regi-robo'
The tags are compatible with RFID printers for printing and encoding and have readability distances of more than 10 metres, depending on the geometry and size of the metal object.
Christian Achenbach, corporate communications manager, Smartrac, said Midas FlagTag has been designed for packaging at retail. The RFID inlay has a bonding surface and works well on metallic surfaces and liquids containers, such as snack bags, ice cream tubs, confectionery or beverage cans.
The company trialled the tags on a robotic checkout system ‘Regi-robo’ at Lawson Panasonic-Mae store in Osaka, Japan, earlier this year (see video below).
“Midas FlagTag is a smart concept that expands the scope of RFID technology,” said Dirk Boltersdorf, head of Product Management Inlays & Tags, Smartrac.
“Working extremely well on metallic packaging and liquid containers, Midas FlagTag expands our IoT (Internet of Things) portfolio.”
Smartrac was founded in 2000 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, with operations in APAC, EMEA and the Americas serving customers across the globe.
'Processing efficiency'
According to Boltersdorf, a growing number of companies recognize the advantages of RFID offering to make product tracking easier as well as inventory management, protect against counterfeiting and improve processing efficiency.
Midas FlagTag features an Impinj Monza R6 IC and utilizes RAIN RFID technology, based on the UHF RFID protocol standard developed by GS1 and ISO.
Traditionally, tagging metallic packaging and liquids presented a challenge in many applications.
The Midas FlagTag is intended for use in authenticating retail, health-care and industrial items, as well as for supply-chain and asset-management applications.