Virginia Tech's Center for Unit Load Design has just partnered with Finnish-based Rafsec, a developer of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, to research the use of RFID tags on pallets. Over the next few months, Virginia Tech labs will conduct sheer tests and other studies designed to measure the durability of tags and fasteners, resistance to moisture in the wood, and the best spot on a pallet to locate a tag.

"Part of the study will simulate actual warehouse conditions," says Ralph Rupert, research associate at Virginia Tech. "We will use lift trucks and pallet jacks to see how durable the tags are at resisting impacts." He adds that tests will simulate the handling steps a pallet typically receives within a cycle. The RFID tags are expected to withstand 10–20 cycles.