Ten Tips For Selecting an RFID Printer/Encoder
By Bob Trebilcock, Editor at Large -- Modern Materials Handling, 1/1/2005
With January 2005 here, the clock is ticking on RFID compliance. And in about six months, the Gen2 EPC tag will begin to show up in the marketplace. By 2006, it may very well be the de facto standard. Given the uncertainty in the marketplace and evolving standards, here are ten tips for selecting an RFID print and apply solution developed by Zebra Technologies (800-423-0442).
1. EPC Compliant - Before selecting an RFID printer for passive UHF EPC smart labels, be sure that it has been tested by EPCglobal, the organization coordinating the development of RFID for the supply chain, to be “EPC compliant.” EPCglobal (937-291-7317) is currently in the process of developing a certification program for hardware. 2. Integrated Support - Product information needs to be translated into the RFID format and verified once encoded on the tag. Some printers have integrated software for the programming and verification of tags, either developed in-house or with a partner. 3. Flexibility - Given the range of RF tag protocols in use today, look for a multi-protocol printer that offers the flexibility to choose the RFID tag that works best in each application. 4. Investment Protection - In addition to the protocols currently available, the industry will begin migrating to the next “Generation 2” standard later this year or early 2006. Be sure to ask a potential printer supplier how it will support an upgrade to the new standards. Some printers may need to be sent back to the factory; some may be field-upgradeable; others may be upgraded over the Web with “firmware.” 5. Migrating Current Applications - Make sure that the RFID printer you choose can be incorporated easily into your existing bar code labeling application, and that the application can support RFID data. 6. Proven Platform - Make sure any RFID solution is based on a field-proven product line. 7. Label Size Flexibility - The only thing anyone knows for certain in business is that whatever they do tomorrow will be different from what they do today. An RFID printer should be flexible enough to accommodate various pitch levels between the chip inlay and the label, as well as a wide range of label sizes. 8. “Certified” Smart Labels - Before you buy, identify what steps have been taken to “certify” blank smart labels for quality and compatibility with your RFID printer. Labels may perform differently from one brand of printer to the next. 9. Verification - Find out how the printer voids or rejects a smart label or inlay that fails to respond properly to reading/encoding instructions. 10. XML Support - XML-capable printers may provide for easier integration with an existing ERP or WMS system.
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