RFID Powerful New Tool in Data Capture

RFID technology holds the promise of automating data collection, yielding a faster and more efficient method of tracking goods versus traditional barcoding. At the same time RFID is also being employed in situations where the use of barcodes is not practical. In this case skids are loaded onto a flatbed truck for transport. The skids are picked up and moved by a loader, where the driver is physically too far to consistently scan a barcode through the windshield glass. Our solution is to print RFID labels with a Honeywell PM4i and place them on the skids during wrapping. The loaders are equipped with the Honeywell IV7 so they could read the RFID labels, and in the cab with the driver is a Honeywell CK75 handheld that registers each skid loaded, updating the order details.

Honeywell RFID Components

·       IP4 with CN3 for portable scanning.

·       PM4i label printer for RFID label/tag printing.

·       IA33B antenna for fixed mount application.

·       IA39A antenna with IV7 for vehicle mount applications.

RFID Automates Lumber Infeed

By arranging RFID antennas as a portal, and connecting them to an Honeywell® Intellitag® IF5 fixed reader, an automated system was designed that identifies skids as they are being brought into the warehouse. The IF5 is a smart reader, able to monitor 2 position sensors, turn on and off the RFID antennas, and signal if there is a problem by turning on a warning light. The antennas are positioned so they can read an RFID tag no matter where it is positioned, and the IF5 collects the data from each skid and sends it up to a host system along a LAN or wireless connection.

IP4 Portable RFID Reader

In an RFID system there is often a need for a portable reader that can be used to handle exceptions or to simply act as a label verifier. By coupling an IP4 reader to the CN3 mobile computer running Microsoft® Windows Mobile, Honeywell has delivered a powerful and flexible RFID handheld. In uses such as encoding labels to serve as replacements, scanning labels that are missed by the primary system, or incorporating manual scanning when it's not practical to move the product, the IP4 reader is the most cost-effective way to harness the power of RFID.