| Origin of RFID tags | | | | in the market. |
| Leon Theremin is thought to be the first user or | | | | Present UPC codes are confined to a single code but |
| inventor of this device as the inevitable part of | | | | RFID codes stand on the opposite end, i.e. they are |
| spy-kit for the Russian Government in 1945. This | | | | so long that they have unique code. The matchless |
| cannot be a reliable story: the tool invented by | | | | qualities of RFID tags denote that a product may be |
| Theremin was a passive covert listening device and | | | | separately tracked as it moves from location to |
| not an identification tag. The technology applied in | | | | location, eventually arriving in the customers' hands. |
| RFID has actually been since the early 1920s. The IFF | | | | This system helps organizations in fighting against |
| transponder, a much more relevant technology, | | | | pilfering and other product losses. |
| developed in 1939 and the British utilised it during the | | | | RFID in Textile Rental |
| Second World War to detect airplanes whether they | | | | The primary use of RFID in textile rental has, till the |
| were friends or foes. | | | | date, centered on automating the garment handling |
| What is RFID? | | | | process, including check-in, sorting, and checkout. |
| RFID is an all-encompassing expression for | | | | RFID systems in textile rental can eliminate significant |
| technologies that employ radio waves to recognize | | | | manual labor generating typical ROI under two years. |
| people or objects automatically. After storing a serial | | | | Additionally, RFID systems are extremely accurate |
| number or other identification data on the chip | | | | and generate significant improvements in customer |
| connected to an antenna, user can use a reader to | | | | satisfaction. |
| receive radio waves from the chip and convert the | | | | Benefits of RFID for Textile rental companies |
| signal into digital information, which can be passed | | | | . Soiled garment check-in can be conducted inside of |
| over to computers and be used of. | | | | the delivery bags saving time and increasing accuracy. |
| This technology finds its maximum usage in payment | | | | . Clean garments can be automatically or |
| systems, access control and asset tracking. For | | | | semi-automatically sorted saving significant labor |
| instance, the logistics industry often uses it in making | | | | costs. |
| out large cargos. | | | | . RFID enables automated customer premises |
| RF technology has a widespread use in many areas | | | | garment collectors and dispensers allowing for further |
| of electronics and technology such as television, | | | | reduction of end-customer costs and increased |
| radio, cellular phones, radar and automatic | | | | textile services margins. |
| identification systems. RFID (Radio Frequency | | | | RFID in the Fashion Apparel Industry |
| Identification) provides Automatic Identification of | | | | Many Fashion Apparel & Textile companies - |
| items by using radio frequency signals. RFID is used in | | | | particularly those with a large network of stores - |
| various applications like toll collection (electronic), | | | | are well underway in terms of streamlining their |
| railway car identification and tracking, intermodal | | | | supply chain and optimising sales forecasts and |
| container identification, asset identification and | | | | distribution. They are now looking for ways to |
| tracking, item management for retail, health care and | | | | enhance revenues and market share by adopting |
| logistics applications national, access control, animal | | | | modern ways of managing stores and inventory. |
| identification, fuel dispensing loyalty programmes, | | | | RFID has now become a centrepiece in their |
| automobile immobilizing and so on. | | | | strategic thinking. |
| Radio Frequency (RF) makes mention of | | | | Usefulness of RFID in Textile Supply Chain |
| electromagnetic waves with a wavelength that fit to | | | | We can conclude following advantages from several |
| use in radio communication. Categorized by their | | | | functions of RFID: |
| frequencies, radio waves are indicated in kilohertz, | | | | This technology is able to compute the total |
| megahertz or gigahertz. Radio frequencies range | | | | expenditure of commodities in the clumsy situations |
| from very low frequency (VLF), which has a range | | | | automatically. Therefore, it diminishes manoeuvring |
| of 10 to 30 kHz, to extremely high frequency (EHF), | | | | expenses, accelerates the inspecting process, cuts |
| which has a range of 30 to 300 GHz. | | | | down faults at the cash register, doubles customer |
| RFID - An Outline | | | | satisfaction and reduces pilfering. |
| RFID is the fittest and supple technology for | | | | With RFID retailers can have an excellent visibility into |
| automatic operation due to its resilience. It offers | | | | store operations, which include obtaining back room |
| benefits not available in other identification | | | | stock information, stock outs and the locations of |
| technologies. RFID can function under various | | | | inventory in the store. This visibility improves both |
| environmental situations and offers a high quality of | | | | customer service leads and commodities safety |
| data integrity. Moreover, since the technology is hard | | | | efforts. |
| to simulate, it gives advanced level of security. | | | | Since all the commodities are equipped with the |
| Essentially RFID is not different from bar coding. Bar | | | | detectors of RFID, retailers are able to have physical |
| code uses a reader and coded labels that are | | | | confirmation of inventories for number of times |
| attached to an item, whereas RFID employs a reader | | | | everyday or whenever required. Once Inventory |
| and special RFID tools that are connected to an item. | | | | counts are created, they can be accomplished within |
| To transmit information from the label to reader, Bar | | | | few minutes without any human requirements. |
| code makes use of optical signals but RFID uses RF | | | | Retailers can enjoy the savings of bundle of dollars |
| signals for the same. | | | | every year by cutting down physical counts. |
| Radio waves communicate between an item to | | | | Extra security for goods, improvement in the visibility |
| which an RFID device is attached and an RFID | | | | and decrease in the cost of mobile commodities can |
| reader. The tool can have information of the item, | | | | be offered by RFID tags. They are perfect in |
| such as what the item is, what time a device takes | | | | sending right commodities to the right place in good |
| to travel through a particular area, even a parameter | | | | time. Effectiveness of Supply Chain not only reduces |
| such as temperature. Practically, RFID tools such as a | | | | labour force but also enhances sales. |
| tag or label can be connected to anything - from a | | | | Items can be labelled and tracked electronically with |
| vehicle to a pallet of products. | | | | RFID tags. For instance, asset tracking normally |
| RFID technology uses frequencies within the range | | | | results into better commodity management in stores. |
| of 50 kHz to 2.5 GHz. An RFID system incorporates | | | | RFID has the ability to recognize origins of change |
| following parts: | | | | and fabrication and can help in removing pilfering. |
| . An RFID tool that accommodates data about an | | | | Benefits |
| item. | | | | RFID is not new. The challenge has always been to |
| . An antenna used to transfer the RF signals | | | | identify when it is appropriate to apply the |
| between the reader and the RFID device. | | | | technology to your particular supply chain model. |
| . An RFID transceiver that generates the RF signals. | | | | The technology itself offers an opportunity to scan |
| . A reader that gets RF transmissions from an RFID | | | | many items simultaneously because it does not need |
| tool and forward the data to a host system for | | | | individual line of sight for each item. Thus, a pallet |
| processing. | | | | arriving in a warehouse with 10 cases is scanned |
| Moreover, an RFID system includes | | | | once, reading all 10 cases simultaneously - including |
| application-specific software. | | | | the two in the center of the pallet hidden from the |
| Types of RFID tags | | | | human eye. |
| RFID tags have two types: active or passive. | | | | Additionally, the ability to store more information on a |
| Passive RFID tags are lacking in power supply of their | | | | tag than a bar code enables application of the |
| own whereas Active RFID tags are full with power | | | | electronic product code (EPC) to identify items |
| source and may have extensive ranges and sizable | | | | uniquely. |
| memories than passive tags and they have more | | | | Many opportunities across inventory management, |
| space to accommodate extra data sent by | | | | batch management and logistics exist. One |
| transceiver. Today, one can find the smallest active | | | | opportunity with RFID is automating basic tracking of |
| tags in the size of a coin. | | | | products. Current manual processes require |
| Passive RFID tags are more in use because their | | | | employees to scan and record data as items move. |
| manufacturing cost is cheaper and they are not | | | | RFID can help automate this. For instance, if a pallet |
| dependent on battery. Apart from cost advantages, | | | | of yarn has a RFID tag on it and your forklift has a |
| there is nothing special in Passive Tags and exactness | | | | RFID reader aboard; your driver has immediate |
| and reliability of Active Tags make the use of Active | | | | information of the contents of the pallet when he |
| Tags common today. Classified by their radio | | | | pulls close enough for the reader to communicate |
| frequency, there are four types of tags in use viz. | | | | with the tag. Based on that, he knows where that |
| low frequency, high frequency, UHF tags and | | | | pallet belongs. When it is time to load a knitting |
| Microwave tags. | | | | machine with yarn, RFID helps locate the pallet |
| Superiority of RFID to Bar Coding | | | | stored in the warehouse, wherever it may have |
| According to research team, RFID tag has the | | | | been moved, and alerts the driver to its current |
| capacity to store more data including serial number, | | | | location. |
| individual product information and all other information | | | | Another benefit is in the area of batch management |
| the manufacturers want to insert. Unlike Barcode | | | | and quality assurance. For instance, the possibility of |
| system, RFID scrutinizes each product individually and | | | | mixing lots of yarn on a knitting machine will be |
| does not identify the whole type of product. | | | | reduced, as you now match a particular lot of yarn |
| RFID technology helps us in spotting any product | | | | with the knitting machine and the production order. |
| within a certain distance; we are not required to see | | | | The reader on the knitting machine will alert the |
| the physical existence of product. These plastic-made | | | | operator if yarn entering its perimeter is incorrect. |
| passive tags are more durable and re-usable. | | | | Data carrier and communication device need not to |
| Usage of RFID Tags | | | | be connected physically. For a common garment |
| . Low-frequency RFID tags have a widespread use | | | | retailer is happy to know that instead of walking |
| for animal identification, beer keg and automobile | | | | down each lane in the store or warehouse to check |
| key-and-lock, anti-theft systems. | | | | inventory, workers can perform their action from the |
| . High-frequency RFID tags are applied in library book | | | | same premises and accomplish the calculation of |
| or bookstore tracking, pallet tracking, building access | | | | inventory in minutes. |
| control, airline baggage tracking and apparel item | | | | Read/write capacities can be conducted within the |
| tracking. High-frequency tags are extensively used to | | | | same assembly line or remotely across continents. |
| identify badges and to replace earlier magnetic stripe | | | | Mobile-tracking tools can be reutilised or disposed, as |
| cards. | | | | per the requirement of RFID operation. |
| . UHF is normally used in pallet and container tracking | | | | In proportion to barcode system, which has 2 to 3 |
| in commerce and truck and trailer tracking in shipping | | | | percent failure rate, RFID is able to achieve 100% |
| yards. | | | | scanning rate when the item is being scanned for the |
| . Microwave RFID tags are used in long-range access | | | | first time. |
| control for vehicles. | | | | Numerous tags can be read at the same time. |
| . RFID transceivers can be used in measuring Seismic | | | | 'Cluster Reading', as the procedure is known, |
| sensors, making less complicated remote data | | | | enhances the data piling process significantly. |
| collection. | | | | RFID improves retailer's ability to scan past all sorts |
| . RFID transponders can be embedded into tyres for | | | | of weather and through other surroundings like |
| tyre tracking; RFID chips are useful in cards as | | | | metals, bodies of water and dirt. This capacity of |
| electronic cash. | | | | RFID easily overshadows barcode scanning which |
| . This system has a new usage as Smart Key; the | | | | normally fails. |
| key fob contains active RFID circuit that identifies | | | | Total expenses of retailer's scanning procedures are |
| the presence of key within 3 feet of sensor. | | | | reduced by RFID and since RFID can beef up |
| Consequently driver feels free to open the doors and | | | | preciseness and data availability, these reduced |
| start the engine even if the key remains in driver's | | | | expenses will turn into savings of time and money. |
| purse or pocket. Invented for animal marking, the | | | | Finally, the logistics benefit comes from automating |
| embeddable RFID chips are used and brooded over | | | | the manifest as a container is being loaded. As a roll |
| for human beings also. | | | | of fabric passes through the RFID-enabled dock door |
| Potential uses | | | | to the truck, that roll is automatically added to the |
| It is visualized that RFID tags would replace UPC or | | | | manifest. If you were to have the truck pass |
| EAN bar codes because the former has many | | | | through a second canopy on the way out of the |
| advantages over the barcode system. However, | | | | yard, you can again match what's on the truck with |
| barcodes have their own plus like lower price than | | | | the manifest. |
| RFID and this quality will keep the barcodes roaming | | | | |