RFID tags are an important component on how RFID works. The RFID tag–also called an RFID transponder–consists of the chip, some memory, and an antenna.
Xerafy is an important tag vendor. It is a global provider of passive RFID metal and on-metal tags. They are the first tag manufacturer to develop a UHF RFID tag that could be embedded into metal. Their tags are also some of the world’s smallest EPC UHF RFID on-metal tags. These tags can withstand extreme conditions, harsh environments, and high temperatures while still maintaining high performance. With these tags, manufacturers and end-users can create “smart” assets, enabling more efficient business processes and new capabilities for their products.
Xerafy was founded by a team of experienced RFID tag developers who got together to solve a universal customer problem in managing small metal assets like tool tracking, medical device tracking, and IT equipment monitoring for how RFID works. Their customers wanted an RFID tag that was small enough to embed or attach to their metal assets but rugged enough to survive extreme temperatures, humidity, and rough handling. The Xerafy team developed a breakthrough RF design to produce the world’s smallest and most rugged mount-on-metal asset tag. The company decided to name the company “Xerafy” to symbolize the smallest EPC UHF RFID tag that could be used to verify, qualify, and quantify assets.
The company is headquartered in Hong Kong, and maintains sales and technical support offices in Dallas, Texas and Shanghai, China. Xerafy’s wholly owned manufacturing plant in China allows the company to guarantee quality as well as provide unique customization capabilities and cost advantages.
There is a special set of problems when RFID tags need to be applied on metal or in a metallic environment. RFID reads of tags in this environment can suffer from detuning and RFID signal reflection that can cause a reduced read range, phantom reads, or even prevent the read signal returning to the reader at all.
Special RFID tags sometimes called “RFID on metal” (ROM) are RFID tags which perform a specific function when attached to metal assets. These tags are designed to overcome these problems that general-use RFID tags would suffer in this environment.
Xerafy has worked on the challenges of using UHF RFID technology around metal and have created a full product line for this environment. Xerafy has many read-on-metal RFID tags and smart labels that are optimized for these special environments.
Examples of Xerafy On-Metal RFID Tags
How the tag will be attached to the object is an important consideration. Xerafy has tags that attach by adhesive, welding, rivets, cords and wires and others that can be embedded completely within objects and out of sight. The attachment method affects the read performance, so it is important to consider attachment before deciding on the tag.
Does your business application area have a need for any on-metal tags that Xerafy can provide a solution for?
See the Xerafy web site for the latest information on on-metal and many other types of RFID tags: http://www.xerafy.com/en/contact.html.
For additional information on on-metal tags and RFID including readers, printers, labels & tags, and accessories contact us at the Gateway RFID store (https://gatewayrfidstore.com/).