Beontag, Comprion, Ellisys, Siva, NXP: RFID Journal News Roundup

Published: December 21, 2023

Beontag opens Ohio manufacturing facility; Comprion, Ellisys offer CCC Digital Key Bluetooth testing solution; Siva releases on-metal UHF hard tag for kegs and drums

Beontag to Open Ohio Manufacturing Facility

Global radio-frequency identification (RFID) company Beontag announced plans to open a 200,000 square-foot manufacturing  industrial building in Dayton, Ohio. The facility is expected to be fully operational by August 2024.

Beontag will invest more than $60 million in new equipment and machinery as well as making tenant improvements over the next two years for the plant that will serve North American customers. The company reports that the factory will allow it to boost production volumes worldwide, while using more productive machinery, such as coaters, slitters, and sheeters for roll label stock, thereby servicing the roll converter market. RFID and Linerless operations will be integrated in the same building.

The technology company has been expanding into the North American market, with an acquisition of Technicote in 2022, a company that makes pressure-sensitive adhesives. Technicote will become Beontag US and sell its products in the United States market.

Comprion and Ellisys Offer CCC Digital Key Bluetooth Testing Solution

Technology companies Comprion and Ellisys—which make tools and test solutions—have partnered to develop a test for automotive access systems, based on a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) interface for the CCC Digital Key. The companies aim to build a solution that ensures interoperability between vehicles and mobile devices.

Comprion was selected by the Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) to create BLE test cases for digital keys based on its device test centre (DTC) test management platform. This test is already used by the CCC for NFC cases. Ellisys offers protocol analyzer systems that are used for Bluetooth technology.

The Ellisys systems monitor, record and characterize all Bluetooth communications, including Digital Key protocols. When used with Ellisys, the Comprion software accesses communications from the system to validate conformance to digital key test standards while producing test reports for the user.

Siva Releases On-metal UHF Hard Tag for Kegs and Drums

Internet of Things (IoT) technology company Siva is introducing a new ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID hard tag intended for use on returnable metallic cylinders such as beer kegs, gas cylinders and chemical drums. The CylTag offers easy attachment with a high-performance foam adhesive, making it efficient to deploy in large volume without the expense of welding, according to company officials.

The product is being marketed to help reduce costs for operators who manage beer kegs and metal cylinders: thousands of the products go missing or are misdelivered each year. Siva’s solution consists of a universal-sized tag that can be applied to metal containers for inventory and supply chain management. The CylTag, three years in development, incorporates the NXP Ucode 9 chip and offers a 7.5 meter read range when attached to metal.

The new tag is designed to solve problems the industry has dealt with, related to the many different for factors and attachments of on-mental tags for metallic cylinders of all kinds. Siva’s R&D team developed a one-size fits-most approach with the tag that they say is quick to attach.