Mounting RFID tags in Demanding Locations

Filed in archive Tags and Readers on May 15, 2004

MACtac, a global manufacturer of adhesives, has created as series of solutions for bonding and mounting RFID tags on surfaces where conditions are demanding or where a lightweight or inconspicuous tag is needed.

At a MACtac presentation I attended yesterday in Akron, Ohio, USA, I saw some pretty interesting RFID tag solutions:

• There were paper-thin tags mounted on clear plastic strips measuring 1.5 x 3 inches (smaller than a business card). These plastic strips are designed to be mounted on a window, such as a vehicle window. The antennae consist of paper-thin copper wire bonded to the plastic. From the outside of the window, the entire tag solution would appear very inconspicuous -- you'd have to be looking for it to really notice it.


• I saw another paper-thin tag mounted on a long, narrow strip of plastic. These tag solutions are designed to be affixed to, say, a cylindrical-shaped object. They are very light-weight and flexible.


• One of the most interesting tags was mounted on the inside of a car tire. It too was very lightweight, and bonded flush with the interior surface. The presenter mentioned that when MACtac was initially presented with the RFID tag that the manufacturer wanted to use, it was the size of a hockey puck. MACtac reduced the size and adjusted the properties of the tag so that it would not interfere with the tire performance. And it had to be affixed securely enough so that it would not dislodge while the tire was being driven. This one is a prototype and not in production.

I wish I had digital pictures. I will attempt to get some images for you -- they are worth seeing.