Authentication, Track & Trace, Inventory, and Temperature Monitoring
RFID technology is being increasingly deployed in various industries. This includes the tire industry, pharma industry, and in production and manufacturing. From tire authentication, to the track and trace of medication and medical equipment, to temperature monitoring in production processes: RFID technology offers numerous benefits. Leon de Ridder, CEO of Cisper Electronics, shares insights into the key RFID hardware required in each of these industries.
Leon de Ridder started his career in the Electronics industry in 1997 at Omron Electronic Components Europe. In 2007, he moved to the IoT industry and joined Impinj, the leading company known for producing RFID chips, devices, and software. The following year, he co-founded Cisper Electronics with Arthur Fioole. Today, Leon de Ridder is active as the Managing Director of Cisper Electronics, using his deep knowledge and experience to guide the company’s success.
Interview with Leon de Ridder
1. What are the key applications in the tire market?
A key application in the tire industry involves the utilization of UHF RFID to authenticate and identify tires. This authentication process connects to the Global Data Service Organization (GDSO) backend, which serves as the foundation for what is commonly referred to as the digital product passport for tires. Presently, major tire manufacturers are actively innovating solutions aimed at integrating UHF RFID technology into tires. This integration enables operators and technicians to access comprehensive insights into the tires they handle. This enhances operational efficiency, without causing workflow disruption.
2. What kind of hardware is necessary for the authentication of tires?
The main hardware components necessary for tire authentication are the UHF RFID tag, fixed or handheld RFID readers, RFID antennas, and a backend data base system. The UHF RFID tags are typically embedded in tires during production. These contain unique identification codes with relevant tire information. RFID readers are equipped with antennas and are usually deployed throughout the supply chain in order to capture the tags at every stage. These readers have enhanced reading capabilities and are often equipped with reader ICs and/or reader modules. The antennas transmit and receive radio frequency signals between the tags and the readers. This information is stored in the backend database system, enabling real-time access to tire authentication data.
Interview with Leon de Ridder
1. What are the key applications in the tire market?
A key application in the tire industry involves the utilization of UHF RFID to authenticate and identify tires. This authentication process connects to the Global Data Service Organization (GDSO) backend, which serves as the foundation for what is commonly referred to as the digital product passport for tires. Presently, major tire manufacturers are actively innovating solutions aimed at integrating UHF RFID technology into tires. This integration enables operators and technicians to access comprehensive insights into the tires they handle. This enhances operational efficiency, without causing workflow disruption.
2. What kind of hardware is necessary for the authentication of tires?
The main hardware components necessary for tire authentication are the UHF RFID tag, fixed or handheld RFID readers, RFID antennas, and a backend data base system. The UHF RFID tags are typically embedded in tires during production. These contain unique identification codes with relevant tire information. RFID readers are equipped with antennas and are usually deployed throughout the supply chain in order to capture the tags at every stage. These readers have enhanced reading capabilities and are often equipped with reader ICs and/or reader modules. The antennas transmit and receive radio frequency signals between the tags and the readers. This information is stored in the backend database system, enabling real-time access to tire authentication data.
Leon de Ridder started his career in the Electronics industry in 1997 at Omron Electronic Components Europe. In 2007, he moved to the IoT industry and joined Impinj, the leading company known for producing RFID chips, devices, and software. The following year, he co-founded Cisper Electronics with Arthur Fioole. Today, Leon de Ridder is active as the Managing Director of Cisper Electronics, using his deep knowledge and experience to guide the company’s success.
Cisper Electronics
- Distributor of AIDC products
- Clients: System integrators, solutions providers, independent software vendors, and OEMs
- Products: RFID readers, handhelds, antennas, hard tags, labels, label printers, BLE beacons, smart facility sensors, IoT routers and switches, RTLS
- Applications: Shipment verification, asset management, baggage tracking, loss prevention, among others.
RFID in Healthcare and Production
3. What are the main benefits of using RFID in the pharma industry?
UHF RFID technology offers significant advantages in pharma industry. With RFID, consumers and users can easily access information about the origin, authenticity and expiration date of medication, medical equipment, and instruments. This facilitates automated recalls and streamlines patient notifications. These items can be efficiently monitored and identified. Medication mix-ups are prevented. Anti-counterfeiting measures are also made possible with RFID.
4. What kind of RFID hardware is used for the tracking of medication and medical equipment?
Hospitals and pharmaceutical companies commonly use passive UHF RFID tags, RFID readers, antennas, and the associated backend database systems in order to track medication and medical equipment. Passive UHF RFID tags are attached to assets, and readers strategically placed throughout facilities detect and communicate with them. Data captured by the readers is transmitted to backend databases, storing data such as medication details and equipment locations. This technology streamlines inventory management, ensuring medication availability, reducing stockouts, and enabling real-time equipment tracking to improve utilization and minimize search times.
5. What are the most important applications for RFID in production process control?
Some of the key applications for RFID for production process control include the temperature monitoring of process equipment during production, the temperature control of composite materials during curing processes, and the automation of hydration monitoring in concrete curing processes.
6. What kind of hardware is necessary for these applications?
Passive RFID sensor tags enable the measurement of parameters such as temperature, strain, and humidity without requiring an onboard power source. The batteryless sensors can be seamlessly integrated and read wirelessly. These sensor tags utilize energy harvested from the RFID reader‘s signal to power the sensor and transmit data back to the reader.
RFID in Healthcare and Production
3. What are the main benefits of using RFID in the pharma industry?
UHF RFID technology offers significant advantages in pharma industry. With RFID, consumers and users can easily access information about the origin, authenticity and expiration date of medication, medical equipment, and instruments. This facilitates automated recalls and streamlines patient notifications. These items can be efficiently monitored and identified. Medication mix-ups are prevented. Anti-counterfeiting measures are also made possible with RFID.
4. What kind of RFID hardware is used for the tracking of medication and medical equipment?
Hospitals and pharmaceutical companies commonly use passive UHF RFID tags, RFID readers, antennas, and the associated backend database systems in order to track medication and medical equipment. Passive UHF RFID tags are attached to assets, and readers strategically placed throughout facilities detect and communicate with them. Data captured by the readers is transmitted to backend databases, storing data such as medication details and equipment locations. This technology streamlines inventory management, ensuring medication availability, reducing stockouts, and enabling real-time equipment tracking to improve utilization and minimize search times.
5. What are the most important applications for RFID in production process control?
Some of the key applications for RFID for production process control include the temperature monitoring of process equipment during production, the temperature control of composite materials during curing processes, and the automation of hydration monitoring in concrete curing processes.
6. What kind of hardware is necessary for these applications?
Passive RFID sensor tags enable the measurement of parameters such as temperature, strain, and humidity without requiring an onboard power source. The batteryless sensors can be seamlessly integrated and read wirelessly. These sensor tags utilize energy harvested from the RFID reader‘s signal to power the sensor and transmit data back to the reader.
Cisper Electronics
- Distributor of AIDC products
- Clients: System integrators, solutions providers, independent software vendors, and OEMs
- Products: RFID readers, handhelds, antennas, hard tags, labels, label printers, BLE beacons, smart facility sensors, IoT routers and switches, RTLS
- Applications: Shipment verification, asset management, baggage tracking, loss prevention, among others.