Schreiner ProTech has developed a mobile demonstration module designed to showcase its Robust RFID-Labels technology.
In designing the demonstration unit, nicknamed the “Free Fall,” engineers for the company were tasked to create a system that displayed the resilience and persistent functionality of its Robust RFID-Labels. The result was a stress test that, while appearing simple, considers a variety of real-world applications and scenarios.
At its core, the transparent unit showcases a series of “smash tests”— the gravitational equivalent of an automobile crash test —in which objects of various weights are dropped from differing heights. The unit allows ample room to test products with a range of shapes and sizes, simulating the impact stress of manufacturing, handling and supply chain scenarios.
Free Fall-ing
Designed at the Schreiner Competence Center Services, the demonstrator has drawn parallels to a miniature guillotine according to company officials. Operating a lever activates a mechanism that causes a weight to fall on the RFID chip from a defined height. Between each test, chips are read to affirm their enduring functionality.
“Our customers expect absolute reliability even under harsh conditions,” says Johannes Becker, head of the Schreiner Competence Center LogiData. “We wanted to make this key differentiator of our Robust RFID-Labels tangible in a fun, instantly impressionable fashion.”
Portability Feature
Key to the unit’s simplicity is portability: less than a meter in height and weighing roughly 10 kilograms, the demonstrator is compact enough to be displayed at trade shows, allowing a broad set of potential customers to witness first-hand how durable Robust RFID-Labels’ are.
Schreiner is a Germany-based manufacturer of functional labels with value-added benefits for the automotive and engineering-based industries. The ProTech Robust RFID-Labels consist of an integrated RFID tag secured via the label’s construction. This feature is intended to prevent potential damage to the RFID chip due to mechanical impact during the manufacturing and handling processes, or harsh environments during the shipping, warehousing or operation phases.
The result is more reliable RFID chip performance from production to final use on difficult-to-label containers. This allows Schreiner ProTech can offer customized label design to suit individual applications and manufacturing setups.
The Robust RFID-Labels utilize protective elements designed to systematically absorb mechanical stress. Customizable to the specific mechanical stress conditions encountered by individual customers, the thin, flexible structures are suitable for use with all RFID technologies and antenna geometries.