RFID technology has become firmly established in logistics, but what if the conditions for the utilization of conventional RFID labels are less than perfect? In that case, the process and product developers from Schreiner LogiData are challenged to come up with a solution. Their most recent development is a specialty antenna for applications in metallic surroundings—as well as the first RFID label from Schreiner Group with UL and CSA certification!

The objective was to find a customer solution for industrial applications in metallic surroundings. The available space was very small and the environment anything but ideal. “The label was supposed to be utilized in a harsh industrial environment with a lot of metal in which our existing onMetal RFID solutions were not usable,” explains Alexander Bohlender, product and process developer at the Schreiner LogiData competence center.

The beginning of the development involved many simulations but the initial idea for a novel kind of Near Metal RFID-Label emerged quickly. The space available to the developers for accommodating the entire technology was only 4 mm! The exacting requirements regarding readability were another aspect. “No matter in which position the rotating component is,” says Bohlender, “readability must be ensured for the customer at all times, which in plain terms means readability of 360°, in other words from any angle.”

The new RFID label is attached on the side of the rotating component and thanks to its design does not need the typically used spacers and ferrite materials. The special attraction of this solution is its readability in operation by means of a smartphone and without removing the component, which avoids downtime. The label is programmed and printed directly at the customer’s site.

The certifications awarded to the label also show the ruggedness and high quality of this solution: it is the first RFID label from Schreiner Group to have been certified according to UL and CSA. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) are the world’s leading provider of testing and certification services.

UL-certified products are independently tested for compliance with exacting safety and quality requirements and enable delivery of the products to the United States. The CSA certificate is the Canadian counterpart enabling exports to that country. The 360-degree readable RFID label is small, compact, and robust, and, above all, shows how the experts at Schreiner LogiData make customer wishes a reality—from any angle, if applicable.