Key Takeaways
- By upgrading the MOT S20 RFID Tunnel with Impinj R700 readers, M800 tags, and Gen2X, Clustag and Impinj raised item-level verification accuracy from 91.7% to 100% in 90 of 100 lab test runs under demanding, high-throughput conditions.
- The solution reads densely packed tags on hard-to-read metal items in under 1.5 seconds per carton, enabling fully automated, near-100% shipment verification that feeds continuous item-level data into supply chain AI systems.
Clustag has teamed up with Impinj to upgraded its MOT S20 RFID Tunnel to enhance tag reading performance that enables near-100% accuracy inbound and outbound shipment verification in demanding, high-throughput intralogistics environments.
Powered by the Impinj R700, the solution combines Clustag’s patented RFID Shield Technology with Gen2X’s improved tag readability and read-zone confinement to create a highly controlled RF environment that minimizes interference, reduces stray reads, and enables reliable item-level verification under challenging operating conditions.
This controlled RF environment enables a fully automated verification process, where cases, cartons, and packages can move continuously through the RAIN tunnel without manual intervention, increasing throughput while ensuring consistent and reliable reads.
How the Clustag/ Impinj Solution Works
“Using Gen2X-enabled Impinj R700 readers and M830 tags, our Clustag MOT S20 can read densely packed tags on hard-to-read metal items with near-100% accuracy,” said Manolo Reguart, Director of Business Development, Strategy and Alliances at Clustag, in a statement. “This incredible performance enables high-volume logistics operations to deliver superior shipment verification and achieve new levels of efficiency.”
Across warehouses and distribution centers, autonomous RAIN RFID solutions are transforming operations by turning items flowing through supply chains into data-producing units that feed AI systems with accurate, continuous item-level intelligence. Retailers, logistic providers, and warehouse operators are increasingly relying on item-level visibility and traceability to automate their supply chain processes, reduce costly shipping errors, and support faster, more efficient omnichannel fulfillment operations.
How RFID is Deployed
The challenge faced by retailers is becoming increasingly common across modern supply chains: These autonomous solutions must deliver near-perfect data accuracy continuously for business-critical processes, while operating in challenging RF conditions where increasingly small RFID tags are being applied to items densely packed within cases, cartons, and packages.
To support an ongoing enterprise deployment scenario, Clustag and Impinj recently tested this claim of near-perfect item-level verification under challenging conditions in Impinj’s RFID Solution lab in Seattle, WA.
The test replicated the retailer’s real-world operating environment, with 60 RFID-tagged metal glass cases densely packed inside each carton and moving on a conveyor belt through Clustag’s MOT S20 RFID tunnel. Each carton had to be read and verified in less than 1.5 seconds.
Pilot Program Results
Achieving greater than 99% item-level verification accuracy under these conditions is particularly challenging. Metal items can detune RFID tag antennas, reflect RF energy, and create multipath interference that degrades read performance. At the same time, random tag orientations eliminate any guarantee that tags will be optimally positioned relative to reader antennas, while dense packing increases tag-to-tag interactions that can further reduce readability. Together, these factors create one of the most demanding environments for autonomous RFID verification systems.
The previous solution used non-Gen2X readers and tags, achieving a sub-par average accuracy of 91.7% across 100 test runs. By upgrading the solution to Gen2X—enabled with R700 readers and Impinj M800 tags— Clustag and Impinj were able to achieve near-perfect accuracy, with 100% verification accuracy in 90 out of 100 test runs.
Gen2X enables the system to reliably deliver high read accuracy even in challenging conditions, including extreme tag density, complex item composition, and tight time constraints.
MOT S20 delivers seamless integration with warehouse and distribution center workflows, enabling Gen2X-enhanced item data to feed into supply chain AI systems, and powering continuous traceability of inventory movement throughout the supply chain.