How To Choose The Best RFID Tag for Asset Tracking
In today’s fast business pace, asset tracking is considered paramount to smoothening operations, economizing resources, and ramping up productivity. With the takeover in managing assets by Radio-Frequency Identification technology, choosing the correct radio-frequency identification tags for the assets has gone to high in order. This guide will take you through the steps involved in the selection of the right tags for your assets, considering optimum performance and reliability from a business point of view.
Why RFID Tags Are Crucial for Asset Tracking
RFID tags are one of the modern and efficient ways of monitoring and managing physical assets. Unlike traditional barcode systems, RFID allows faster scanning, higher accuracy of data, and real-time tracking across diverse locations. These capabilities of RFID avail benefits to manifold industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and retail.
Key benefits of RFID tags:
- Real-time Tracking: Monitor instantly any asset over large areas.
- Smarter Data: Eliminate chances of manual errors while auditing and tracking.
- Scalability: Handle an increased inventory with ease
- Flexibility: Efficient tracking of assets even in the toughest environments such as high temperatures or/and areas filled with metal
By deploying just the right RFID tags for asset tracking, organizations achieve what was considered impossible hitherto in terms of efficiency and clarity.
Things to Consider While Choosing RFID Tags for Asset Tracking
The best asset tags selection is based on a number of factors. Here are the things that you need to consider:
1. Type of Asset
First, ascertain what you will be tracking: the nature of the assets since there is machinery, IT equipment, vehicles, and documents; different types have different classes of RFID tags. For example,
- RFID metal tags can be attached to the metallic surface of machinery.
- Water-resistant RFID tags will be ideal for those areas that are to face outdoor or wet environments.
2. Environmental Conditions
Consider the type of environment the tag is operating in.
- High-Temperature: High-Temperature RFID tags.
- If the tags are to be exposed to water or chemicals, then use a waterproof RFID tag.
3. Range Requirements
How far apart the RFID reader and the asset are to be determines whether you will require passive or active RFID tags.
- Passive RFID tags: to track in a very short range-up to 10 meters
- Active RFID tags: to track over a long distance, up to 100 meters or more.
4. Attachment Surface
The surface on which the tag is to be attached also becomes very important.
- RFID sticker tags or RFID labels shall work for flat, non-metallic surfaces.
- For metallic surfaces, RFID metal tags would keep at bay interferences.
5. Size of the Tag
For applications requiring discrete tracking, you can choose either micro RFID tags or small RFID tags that are compact yet powerful.
6. Customizability
Special applications will require features like branding or variable data printing; you shall, therefore, have to choose printable RFID tags.
7. Compliance Requirements
Most industries, ranging from health to logistics, have their own set of compliances. You need to be sure that the tags selected will meet the requirements as imposed by the regulatory bodies.
Type of RFID Tags for Asset Tracking
RFID tags are available in different shapes and forms for various applications. The following are major types you can consider:
1. Passive RFID Tags
- Description: These have no internal power source and most of their power is drawn directly from the RFID reader.
- Applications: Very good for asset tracking applications that need to be tracked within a limited radius, inventories, office equipment, and tools.
- Advantages: Affordable, light in weight, and have long life spans.
2. Active RFID Tags
- Description: With the inbuilt battery, an active tag offers continuous data transmission to the reader.
- Applications: It can be used to track vehicles, containers, and expensive assets over a large distance.
- Advantages: Larger coverage area and real-time tracking accuracy
3. Special Tags
- Metal-Mount RFID Tags: The design is on metallic surfaces, which avoids interference with the signals
- Waterproof RFID Tags: Constructed in a way that they can bear water and extreme outdoor conditions
- High-Temperature RFID Tags: Industrial environments with a high temperature
- RFID Sticker Tags: Very simple in installation and cheap for non-metallic surfaces.
How to Implement RFID Tags for Asset Tracking
Since the implementation of RFID tags requires careful planning and expertise, here is how you can go about it in steps:
1. Asset Audit
Enumerate the assets you will have to track and group them by size, environment, and value.
2. Choose the Right Type of RFID Tags
Depending on your assets and the surrounding environment, options could include RFID sticker tags, metal tags, or waterproof RFID tags.
3. Choose Compatible Readers
Select the type of RFID readers installed, which will be able to work with the tags; or opt between handheld and fixed readers depending on whether the customer needs mobile or fixed units.
4. Integrate Asset Management Software
Tag physical assets with RFID and make integrations with an asset management system for smooth facilitation. This offers complete transparency with real-time visibility along with synchronized data.
5. Train Your Team
Let your employees understand how to work with RFID systems to bring maximum efficiency.
Benefits of Using RFID Tags for Asset Tracking
Selecting appropriate RFID tags for asset tracking has a number of advantages, including:
- Smarter Efficiency: It saves time while tracking and reduces manual effort.
- Improved Security: Theft and loss of assets will hardly happen since they are followed accurately.
- Cost-effective: Operational costs can be brought down by the accurate tracking inventories.
- Scalable: Tracking systems can grow with business easily.
Frequently Asked Questions on RFID Tags Used for Asset Tracking
Q: What is an RFID tag?
A: The RFID tag is a small-sized device that is embedded with chips storing and transmitting data about the assets it concerns upon being scanned through an RFID reader.
Q: How would I go about choosing the right RFID tag for my business?
A: Asset type, environment, distance range, attachment surface, and so on, are factors to be considered.
Q: Can the RFID tags be reused?
A: Yes, most of the RFID tags are reusable and hence save money over time since they may be redeployed when whatever item they were attached to is no longer needed.
Q: Can an RFID tag be customized?
A: You bet! Stuff like printable RFID tags you can add your logo, barcode, or serial number.
Q: Which are the main industrial users for RFID asset tracking?
A: Asset tracking via RFID finds heavy applications in health manufacturing, retailing, and logistics.
Conclusion:
Fundamentally, choosing the right RFID tag for asset tracking is in fact a first step to efficiency and effectiveness in cost reductions toward assuring smooth tracking across various diversified environments. Metal tags, waterproof RFID, or micro RFID tags the right solution ensures effectiveness to provide smooth tracking across varied environments.
At Acube Infotech, we design and build customized RFID solutions to cater to each and every need of your business. With our expertise in both asset tags and RFID technology, be rest assured that no matter the application, all your assets will be present.
Contact Acube Infotech today to learn how our innovative RFID solutions can take one giant leap in redefining your asset-tracking processes.
