Jul 28, 2016The following are news announcements made during the past week by the following organizations:
Vizinex;
Global Tag;
Champion Healthcare Technologies, VueMed;
Business Expert Press; and
New York & Company.
Vizinex RFID Releases Sentry UltraSlim 270 RFID Tag
Vizinex RFID, a manufacturer of RFID tags tailored to specific applications, has launched a new ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) tag for mounting on metal, known as the Sentry UltraSlim 270. The tag's narrow footprint and low profile make it suitable for use on small tools, weapons, slim IT assets, laboratory equipment and work-in-process tracking, the company reports. Like all Sentry products, the UltraSlim 270 can easily be adapted for applications involving overmolding or overspraying, embedding in metal or composites, and repetitive high-temperature exposure, such as autoclave service.
The tag features an Alien Technology Higgs 3 integrated circuit and supports the EPC Gen 2 and ISO 18000-6C specifications. Measuring 36.3 millimeters by 6.9 millimeters by 1.8 millimeters (1.4 inches by 0.3 inch by 0.07 inch), the Sentry UltraSlim 270 is a mount-on-metal tag with a read range of 3 to 5 feet. Its thin profile, only 0.07 inches thick, keeps the tag out of a user's way, the company reports, and makes it very unlikely that the tag will become dislodged during use. The tag provides 96 bits of Electronic Product Code (EPC) memory and 512 bits of user memory.
Vizinex offers various options for the UltraSlim 270, including those that support the U.S. or E.U. UHF bands, as well as an embeddable version for customers who wish to mount the tag within the body of an object. With the high-temperature/high-impact (HT/HI) upgrade, the tag's temperature tolerance is -58 degrees Fahrenheit to +365 degrees Fahrenheit (-50 degrees Celsius to +185 degrees Celsius), and the upgraded tag is resistant to rough handling and aggressive chemistries, and can survive hundreds of autoclave cycles. Flexible label configurations and data encoding options are also available.
Global Tag Intros Metally and Fibery RFID Tags
Global Tag recently announced two new RFID tags: the Metally, an on-metal ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) tag, and the Fibery, designed for tracking optical fibers, Ethernet and electrical cables and, more generally, cylindrical objects less than 3 centimeters (1.2 inches) in diameter.
The Metally tag works indoors and outdoors and can be used for a variety of applications, including tracking metal bins, containers, pallets, fire extinguishers or construction vehicles. The tag features Impinj's Monza R6 chip (other chips are available on request) and supports the EPC Gen 2 and ISO 18000-6C protocols. The tag has a read range of 4 to 5 meters (13 to 16.4 feet), measures 97.5 millimeters by 27 millimeters by 0.9 millimeter (3.8 inches by 1 inch by 0.04 inch) and weighs 3 grams (0.1 ounce). It features an IP-67 rating, which signifies it as being water- and dustproof. The Metally is made from an EVA material, can be mounted via adhesive, and is available singulated or in reel delivery formats. The Metally is available now, as are sample kits.
The Fibery is available with various chip options, supporting the ISO 15693 high-frequency (HF) ISO 14443 Near Field Communication (NFC) standard, the ISO 15693 HF standard, and the EPC Gen 2 and ISO 18000-6C UHF standards. The tag is covered by a polypropylene layer, with an inner foam layer that protects the internal chips and the antennas. It is affixed via a strong 3M adhesive so the tag can be wrapped around a cable, by folding the tag onto itself. It measures 115 millimeters by 20 millimeters by 0.5 millimeter (4.5 inches by 0.8 inch by 0.02 inch) prior to being wrapped around a cable and 55 millimeters by 20 millimeters by 1 millimeter (2.2 inches by 0.8 inch by 0.04 inch) when affixed to a cable.
Fibery can be customized with a logo, a bar code, a QR code, a serial number or UID printing, the company reports. Another available option for this product is that the memory can be encoded with a customer's data, as well as progressive serial numbers, which can be associated with different tags.
Champion Healthcare Technologies, VueMed Partner on Medical Device Tracking
Health-care information technology company Champion and VueMed, which offer products for capturing point-of-care and clinical inventory transactions data, have announced a new partnership to provide health systems with a technology platform designed to help medical device manufacturers take advantage of unique device identifiers (UDIs), which have been mandated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA is mandating that all implantable devices must be labeled with a unique identifier and a production identifier, which has a lot number or a serial number and an expiration date, in order to improve patient safety. The FDA's UDI System does not specify whether device manufacturers should use bar codes or RFID technology, but by 2018, most health-care supplies will need to be compliant with the UDI regulation.
According to Champion and VueMed, many hospitals have been slow in adopting technology to take advantage of the many benefits that UDI presents, largely because they are often unaware of the relatively inexpensive software and data-capture devices (bar-code scanning or RFID) that could save them millions of dollars through more efficient inventory management and risk mitigation by preventing the use of recalled or expired items on patients.
While some device manufacturers are opting to use bar codes to comply with the FDA mandate, other companies view this as an opportunity to adopt RFID since it also allows them to improve their internal processes (see A Turnkey Solution for Medical Device Manufacturers ).
The unified platform from Champion and VueMed includes Champion's UDITracker solution and VueMed's ecosystem of RFID-based technologies—VueTrack-RF, VueTrack-UDI and VueTrack-Mobile solutions—so manufactures will be able to track anything from tissue to devices and beyond, including assets and individuals, the two companies reports.
As an example, VueMed's VueTrack-UDI—which features VueMed's software and Zebra Technologies' RFID printer encoder (R110Xi4, ZD500R or ZT400 models)—is designed to facilitate UDI compliance and provides supply chain visibility. Device manufacturers use an RFID printer to encode UDI data onto RFID tags and print the required labels. VueTrack-UDI can work with any EPC Gen 2 passive UHF RFID tag containing the extended user memory required for UDI on-tag data (512 bytes).
"Both companies are pioneers in UDI compliance – Champion with its history in tissue tracking and implantable devices and VueMed in a broad range of devices and supplies management," said Arnold Chazal, VueMed's CEO and co-founder, in a prepared statement. "We have been operating on parallel tracks, with the same vision of bringing global product identification standards to health care, as well as clarity and accuracy of data, to achieve greater efficiencies and cost savings. So it is a natural progression for us to come together to provide a more integrated and comprehensive offering."
According to Peter I. Casady, Champion's co-founder and CEO, during the next few years, new regulations on meaningful use of health information technology will mandate the capturing of UDIs in electronic health records by participating health-care providers. What's more, UDIs may appear on medical claims forms by 2022, if the FDA and the Medicare program have their way.
New Version of RFID for the Supply Chain and Operations Professional Available
The second edition of RFID for the Supply Chain and Operations Professional, authored by Pam J. Zelbst and Victor E. Sower, is now available.
The book, published by Business Expert Press, is a 100-plus-page, eight-chapter publication detailing current RFID applications and specific examples of RFID usage in a variety of industries. It also delves into the use of RFID with other technologies, such as global positioning systems (GPS), enterprise resource planning (ERP) and robotics, as well as providing an overview of the RFID implementation process.
This second edition, updated to reflect advancements in RFID, contains new information regarding the technology and its uses, a new chapter on the Internet of Things, new and updated examples, and a new case study. The book, designed for individuals who have no prior knowledge of RFID, explains the basics of the technology, offers guidelines for considering its use, provides examples of how RFID is being used effectively in a variety of organizations and presents guidelines for implementing an RFID system.
Author Dr. Pamela (Pam) Zelbst is an associate professor of management, as well as the director of the Center for Innovation & Technology and the Sower Business Technology Laboratory at Sam Houston State University (SHSU). She earned certification in radio frequency identification technology from CompTIA, BBA and MBA degrees from SHSU and a Ph.D. degree in operations management from the University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Victor Sower is a distinguished professor emeritus of operations management at Sam Houston State University. Before entering the academic arena at SHSU, he served two years on active duty as an officer in the U.S. Army and worked for 18 years in a variety of manufacturing positions. Sower has a BS degree in chemistry from Virginia Tech, an MBA from Auburn University and a Ph.D. degree in operations management from the University of North Texas.
The book can be purchased from Business Expert Press' website. The price is $59.95 for the print edition, and $29.95 for the ebook version.
New York & Co. Stores to Use Shopkick App, Beacons
Shopkick, a shopping app designed to make in-store shopping more personal and rewarding, has announced a new partnership with specialty women's fashion apparel and accessories retailer New York & Company, a manufacturer and retailer of women's fashion apparel and accessories. At more than 170 New York & Company stores across the United States, customers can now earn promos and rewards points called "Kicks" for walking in, visiting the dressing room and making purchases in-store.
Shopkick's app leverages Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons that transmit data via a Bluetooth connection to BLE-compatible devices, such as smartphones and tablets. The company is already working with other retailers, including Macy's (see Macy's Tests Shopkick's ShopBeacon at New York, San Francisco Stores).
As part of this partnership, shopkick will install at least two shopBeacon devices at participating New York & Company stores—one at the front door (to reward customers for the simple act of visiting the store) and another at the dressing rooms (to reward them for trying on clothing).
Other retailers that use the shopkick app include American Eagle Outfitters, Best Buy, Macy's, Marshalls, Micro Center and TJ Maxx.
The shopkick app is available for free at the iTunes and Google Play websites.
