Tracking the movement of objects through workshops or warehouses is a rather urgent task. To track the movement of objects across the territory, we recommend the use of UHF tags. To account for movement, you can use both one label and a group of labels. At the same time, another approach is also possible, when a group of goods can be identified by a single label.

ISBC RFID equipment has a wide range of placement options, both covertly and openly: in an archway, in a passageway, in a gate, under a false ceiling or under a false floor. Our specialists will help you determine the optimal layout to ensure the best performance and quality of reading tags. At the same time, we will help to solve the issue of integration into the information system, which can be carried out both by our forces and by the IT employees of your company (). If necessary, we will definitely hold a training seminar in which we will tell you in detail about RFID technology and our equipment.

An example of the use of RFID equipment and tags for identifying car tires

An example of the use of RFID equipment and RFID tags for the control of returnable containers

An example of cargo tracking by production workshops

Sample application of RFID in dough production (vacuum packaging identification)

Challenges and benefits of using RFID technologies in warehouses

• Organization of effective accounting of Inventory assets.
• Control over the movement of products in the warehouse.
• Significant reduction staff errors when picking orders.
• Reduction of personnel and other costs for warehouse maintenance.

RFID-equipment that is suitable for use in your enterprise

To automate warehouse accounting and logistics, you can choose RFID readers and RFID tags of almost any configuration that will best suit the specifics of your enterprise. On the page you can get acquainted with and which operate in the UHF frequency range.

When choosing readers, pay attention to the "Type of execution":

• to terminals or automatic systems,

Similarly, you should pay attention to the "Type of execution" of RFID tags, they can be:

• , which are conveniently mounted on pallets or attracted to accounting objects with plastic clamps,
• or .

Transition from Barcoding to RFID

Currently, most enterprises and, in particular, warehouses, have introduced a product accounting system based on Barcodes. To make it easier to understand the possibilities of using RFID, it is worth treating this technology as an analogue of a barcode, however, it does not have the disadvantages of barcode-based systems, but, in addition, it has a number of advantages. We list some of them:

• high wear resistance
• high reliability,
• the ability to write additional information to the label,
• the ability to read data at considerable distances (for example, a stationary RFID reader paired with a highly directional antenna is able to read information from a passive tag from a distance of up to 20 meters),
• there is no need for direct visibility of the label, it can even be embedded inside the object,
• the ability to simultaneously scan several tags at once (for example, a stationary RFID reader can simultaneously process up to 150 tags per second), so you can significantly reduce the time for receiving and shipping goods.

Warehouse application examples

A brief description of the use of readers for solving warehouse management tasks can be downloaded in .pdf files from the links below:

1. Handheld RFID reader for inventory and product accounting. General information about the device and application (link)
2. Long range RFID readers Automation, inventory, monitoring, control. General information about the device and application (link)

The antennas are aligned and tuned to achieve maximum "readability" and performance inside and minimum outside. The equipment allows you to evaluate the signal level and set up filtering of tags by numbering (or by belonging to a particular product class).

Many years have passed since the appearance of the first warehouses, but the problem of accounting for the contents of warehouses has not been finally solved. The advent of RFID systems helped to solve this problem, with the introduction of RFID, it was possible to optimize and automate the accounting and control of objects in the warehouse.

The integral elements of the RFID system are the place of the database operator and stationary readers with antennas that are attached to metal frame, forming an RFID gate.

RFID tags of various types for a warehouse

If you need to mark metal objects, then special body marks are used, they allow you to remove antennas with chips from metal surfaces at a distance that will allow you to confidently read the information.

Based on the goals and objectives set for the integrator during the development of the project, different tags can be used: destructible, RW with hard-filled memory, and others. You can also adjust the antenna reading range and reading direction. This makes it possible to get rid of problems with excessive reading.

Warehouse RFID technologies provide many benefits. Thanks to RFID, effective control over the rearrangement of goods in real time is ensured, liability for violations is established, a high-speed search and inventory of goods takes place, and the number of human resources involved in collecting goods according to invoices and shipping them is reduced.

The influence of the physical conditions in which the tags will be used, such as humidity, electromagnetic field, influence the choice of the type of tags and RFID technology. RFID tags are susceptible to metal attack when placed on metal surfaces, so metal containers that have foil in their packaging will require the use of more expensive tags specifically designed for metal surfaces.

Interference that comes from working devices determines the choice of equipment frequencies. Any frequency range has certain features: different speeds sending data, signal encoding methods. This should be taken into account when choosing a frequency signal when solving a process problem.

Labels by frequency bands:

• Low-frequency (125, 134 kHz) are used when there is a minimum distance from the object to the reader. They are cheap, consume little power, the signal is better through non-metallic objects. Many access control systems use this kind of tag.
• High-frequency (13.56 MHz) work perfectly where you need to transfer a large amount of data. The tags have a high information transfer rate, they are energy-intensive, their signals do not pass through materials very well, so a direct line of sight between the reader and the tag-chip is needed.
• VHF (800-900 MHz) and microwave tags (2.45 GHz) are applicable when information is read over long distances and a high reading speed is needed.

Thanks to RFID, the goods are tracked during production, during transportation, at the time of warehouse processing and sale.

For chipping products, packages, shipping containers in the warehouse, different types labels. For labeling products - labels with RFID chips that are printed by RFID label printers.

For shipping containers, tags are taken in special cases, which allow you to protect the tags and fix them on the product.

Metal containers require special labels designed for metal.

The accounting model for RFID tags in a warehouse can vary and be combined with barcode technology. The main accounting of products is carried out by barcodes, and transport and shipping containers are equipped with RFID tags: boxes, containers, trolleys, loaders, hydraulic trolleys.

Warehousing steps and RFID chips

1. Product acceptance:

   A variety of tags for warehouse automation is smart tags, that is, self-adhesive labels with the ability to print on them that do not contain electronics. When the goods arrive at the warehouse, there is no need for direct visibility between the reader and the tag, and it is also possible to read multiple tags at the same time.

2. Warehouse inventory and product inventory tracking:

   If the products are labeled with chips, they do not need to be removed from the shelves to see the smart labels glued to the packages. The portable reader will scan the tag at a distance of up to 3.5 meters, through the packaging and its contents. Thus, the inventory is carried out very quickly.

3. Control over the shipment of inventory items:

   If the goods are shipped in large quantities, portal reading systems with multiple antennas will be able to read all the chips from the packages at high speed. The warehouse management system will automatically detect that a shipment is taking place and the corresponding documentation will be generated.

RFID tags are attached to any surface and work in extreme conditions: shock, vibration, bad weather; readers recognize objects through dirt, snow, cardboard. The use of RFID tags and technologies is an ideal solution for optimizing warehouse activities.

ERFID presents a new integrated solution for warehouse accounting automation based on RFID technology. This solution allows you to significantly reduce the time of cargo handling, ensure full transparency of the warehouse and minimize the number of errors caused by the human factor.

RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is a technology for the unique identification of physical objects using radio tags. The introduction of an RFID system in a warehouse makes it possible to identify up to 100 objects per second. At the same time, each of them is recognized by the system “under its own name” - the unique identifier is the EPC code recorded on the microchip of the RFID tag. Reading information from the tags is carried out remotely, and the marked objects do not even need to be removed from the packaging. The system is able to carry out group accounting of goods directly in boxes or pallets.

RFID technology allows:

• take inventory every day;
• form large orders in a few minutes;
• to quickly search and sort goods;
• supervise loading and unloading operations;
• automatically prepare all accompanying documents at the time of order formation;
• minimize the number of errors;
• reduce personnel costs;
• promptly identify "bottlenecks" in the work of the warehouse;
• fight theft.

The key advantages of the RFID solution from ERFID are ease of implementation, scalability and wide functionality.

The solution includes RFID tags for marking goods, reading equipment and special software. It is fully integrated with any customer's accounting system, which makes it possible to avoid errors associated with an unusual interface or changes in the database when switching to new technologies. The system created by ERFID specialists does not require special skills and is available for warehouse employees who do not have technical training.

At the first stage, goods subject to accounting must be marked with RFID tags. They are applied to products like regular stickers. Recording information on labels and linking it to the accounting system is done by simply pressing a button.

The further process of work looks even simpler: the goods placed in the reading zone are automatically recalculated by the system. All information about products is displayed on a computer monitor - the operator has the ability to track the current list of products available. When placing orders, the system compares this list with the picking list and gives a signal about what exactly needs to be added or removed, and after all the necessary actions have been completed, it will automatically prepare a complete set of documents - they will only need to be printed.

In order to ensure the most complete and high-quality warehouse accounting, ERFID specialists used several types of readers in this solution. To control the movement of goods, stationary portal readers were developed that are installed at the entrance to the warehouse. To account for objects in the warehouse, desktop stationary readers are used. These devices can be used to record RFID tags, formation of orders, acceptance and sorting of goods. With the help of a mobile inventory complex from the ERFID company, it is possible to carry out an inventory in a warehouse without removing goods from the shelves, quickly and without errors.

Additional features of the solution can be implemented using virtual readers. These readers are perceived by the customer's accounting system as separate independent devices, and allow using one "physical" reader to simultaneously solve several different tasks. For example, if the reader is installed in the aisle, it can not only record the movement of goods, but also keep track of working hours and work as an anti-theft system. Thanks to the use of virtual readers, several people can work with one "physical" reader. Each of the employees can use one of the 4 antennas connected to the reader for their own task: receiving goods in 1C, placing an order, marking labels, etc.

You can learn more about the ERFID solution at http://www.erfid.ru/warehouse.html

ERFID is a system integrator specializing in the development and implementation of integrated solutions based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. All work performed by ERFID is carried out in accordance with state standards and requirements of regulatory authorities, our specialists have extensive experience in creating, integrating and supporting complex distributed IT systems. ERFID is an active member of the EPC Global and GS1 RUS associations that set global and Russian standards for working with RFID technologies, as well as a member of the technical committee for standardization TK355 "Technologies for automatic identification and data collection and biometrics" of the Russian Federation.

The solutions developed by ERFID can be found on the website www.erfid.ru

G. Frolova

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is gradually entering our lives. Chips are already actively used in logistics, the synthesis of RFID technologies and global positioning in Russia, they predict great prospects, but so far the market growth is still constrained by the price of the issue, or rather, radio tags

A radio tag, or transponder (tag), is the main component of this technology and a direct carrier of unique information and an identifier for objects and even people. The first radio tags were used during the Second World War: then the tags were used in military aviation and cost several thousand dollars, and information about them was classified. It wasn't until 1973 that Mario Cardullo et al. published US Patent No. 3,713,148 describing the first passive RFID transponder (radio tag). By the 1980s, tags had fallen in price to $1 and were used to pay for public transport. The development and widespread introduction of radio identification has long been held back by the lack of standards. But in the 1990s, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) adopted a number of fundamental standards in the field of RFID, which were widely supported by manufacturers of reading equipment and RFID tags. This fact, along with the reduction in the cost of transponders, undoubtedly pushed enterprises to actively implement RFID.

Further price “evolution” brought the technology to trade and warehouses: after the cost of tags reached $0.2, they began to be used to account for goods and control their movement. Even then, there were predictions that eventually tags would replace barcodes. Perhaps someday this will happen, but experts believe that for this only in Russia, tens of billions of tags worth no more than $0.05 will be needed annually. By the way, German scientists have recently taken another step towards reducing the cost of tags, and here's the one.

nanoink

A few years ago, bulky television receivers were common items in our apartments, and now the screens have become so light and flat that they can be easily fixed to the wall. A detailed examination of their device will reveal very thin conductive elements and transistors that regulate the electrical signals supplied to the pixels of the screens.

The architecture of electronic devices in question is created layer by layer, usually using the photolithography method. On a specially prepared surface (cleaned and leveled), materials are deposited - a substrate and a photoresist (polymeric light-sensitive material), which are then exposed to light in the presence of a mask-photomask with a pattern that allows only certain areas of the substrate to be illuminated. As a result of exposure, the “exposed” photoresist changes its properties, for example, becomes soluble, after which it is removed, and then the substrate is removed from open areas by etching, leaving only an unexposed pattern on the substrate.

However, the described process has a major drawback: most of the deposited materials, which are then removed by etching, are not used. The goal of any production is to reduce the cost and resources used in the technology, so the development of a method in which the material is applied only to areas that directly form the pattern has become an urgent task.

The technology of "printed electronics" has already been developed for the application of polymeric conductive materials. However, in terms of electrical properties, they are inferior to inorganic counterparts. In polymers, charge transfer occurs more slowly, so, for example, printed RFID chips have a shorter conduction band compared to classical ones. electronic circuits. In addition, they are more sensitive to moisture and ultraviolet radiation.

Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute of Integrated Systems and Device Technology (Fraunhofer Institute of Integrated Systems and Device Technology, Erlangen) have prepared for the launch production line, with which you can print inorganic electronic components by feeding material for deposition in the same way as office printers work. “We developed a nanoparticulate ink with a stabilizer added to improve processing and prevent aggregation,” says research team leader Michael Jank.

The nanoink has already passed the first technological tests, and, according to Jenk, could appear in devices that perform simple functions within a year. “We expect products based on our design to be about half the cost of products that use silicon electronics for relatively simple purposes,” comments Jenk. Printable tags need to be cheap enough to be placed on the packaging of low-cost products such as yogurt, where they can help control temperature and other storage and shipping data.

Market

As tag companies struggle to lower their prices, the RFID market continues to grow. According to ABI Research, in 2009 its volume will reach $5.6 billion (forecasts for 2008 - $5.3 billion *), taking into account sales of RFID transponders, receivers, software and services. "There is no doubt that the crisis will affect the market," said Michael Liard, an analyst at ABI Research. “But despite this and some other factors, the dynamics of its development will be positive.” Analysts do not think that because of the crisis, revenue will decline. In any case, now it will continue to increase, although not at the same pace as previously expected. According to experts, RFID solution providers should focus on their cost-effectiveness, low cost of implementation and maintenance. This is especially important in the current economic environment.

Despite the unresolved technical problems that limit the use of RFID, talk about its potential and extraordinary possibilities does not subside. Recently, journalists from the PBS Nightly Business News program, along with [email protected] compiled a list of the top 30 innovations made in the last 30 years. PC World, in turn, chose from this list seven technologies that have changed the world the most. RFID turned out to be among them, and in a very worthy environment of such inventions that have already turned the world upside down, such as graphical interfaces, the Internet, online social networks and e-commerce, mobile phones, laptops and desktops.

*Cm. article "New steps in RFID technology", "C&T" No. 11 and 12, 2008

Unbelievable, but it is a fact

We have already written about the different areas in which RFID can be used. Recently, Wired magazine named ten of the most unexpected uses for this technology, some of which CIT has already covered in previous publications.

Arizona cacti. On the black market landscape plants these large cacti cost more than $1000. Arizona's Saguaro National Park plans to use RFID tags to monitor the safety of these rare giants.

Elephants. The New Delhi Department of Forestry requires that all of these animals participating in national holidays be RFID tagged. So it will be easier to identify them and take them under control in case of sudden attacks of aggression. The proposal comes in response to police reports that there have been about 50 incidents over the past four months involving elephants in parades. The aggressive behavior of animals led to destruction and even human casualties. Chips are planned to mark about 1000 elephants. To accomplish this task, the authorities need the cooperation of their owners. A tag smaller than a grain of rice is placed under the elephant's ear, but it requires the animal to lie down to place it.

Surgical sponges. According to statistics, during surgical operations on the abdominal cavity, in one case out of a thousand, a surgical sponge remains in the patient's abdomen. Now, with the help of the SmartSponges system, the doctor can quickly detect the loss by swiping the reader along the body of the operated person.

Mexicans. Xega Company's security team has developed a chip the size of a grain of rice that is injected into a client's body. GPS can then be used to track his movements and locate him in the event of a kidnapping. The chip costs $4000, another $2200 is an annual subscription fee. But in a country where 6,500 people were abducted last year, such a measure may well be in demand.

Pirelli tyres. The chip in Pirelli's "cyber tires" transmits information about road conditions and the coefficient of friction to the on-board computer. This allows you to optimize your work electronic systems vehicle: ESP, ABS, ASR.

Clubbers. The Barcelona club "Baja Beach" switched to new system working with VIP clients. They are injected with an RFID chip linked to their bank cards and thus allowing them to go to parties without a wallet. The radio tag gives the right to enter the VIP area, and is also used to pay for drinks at the bar. The owner of the establishment himself was the first to implant such a chip from VeriChip Corporation.

Tokyo. The Japanese capital seems to have set the task of covering all elements of the city's infrastructure with microchips - from bus stops to restaurants. It looks like tourists will soon be able to get maps, timetables and any other information just by waving their phones.

Police badges. Blackinton has come up with a security system for police badges. Now they will be embedded with identification chips, thus reducing the risk of fraud and counterfeiting. And the tricks from Terminator 2 will no longer work.

Prisoners. In Britain, prisons are overcrowded, so it was decided to release some of the prisoners. However, criminals will continue to be monitored, tracking their movements with the help of chips in order to intervene in a timely manner, if necessary.

Cat doors. The movements of pets can be better controlled and, if necessary, “lock” the cat door without letting the animal out of the house. And cats no longer need to wear a collar.

Perhaps another unexpected use of RFID will soon join this list. Recently, designer Ben Greene put forward interesting idea about how two lonely hearts can find each other. He proposes to create electronic bracelets that will contain information about personal preferences, that is, about what a person likes and what he does not like. After all the necessary information is entered into the device, the bracelet can be activated in one of two ways - in the “finder” or “sought” mode. After activation, the bracelet begins to transmit radio signals to everyone who is currently in the dating club; on the wrists of the most compatible personalities, lights will flash in unison. When the two "halves" come closer, the lights on their bracelets begin to glow brighter.

But as curious as these exotic uses of RFID are, let's return to the larger and practical solutions using this technology. Let's start with logistics.

RFID on packaging

Mondi Corrugated Packaging has started manufacturing corrugated boxes with RFID chips. The innovation will make the processes of scanning, tracking and receiving cargo much more efficient. Now smart containers will be equipped with RFID chips on a high-speed production line, and there will be no need for manual gluing of labels. Using RFID instead of traditional barcodes will allow whole pallets to be scanned, saving significant time. "Smart" packaging will provide round-the-clock access to information about the availability and location of goods. This will facilitate warehouse work and speed up the inventory process.

Rexam has introduced a new type of pharmaceutical packaging to the market - bottles, which are coated with RFID chips, which provides full control over the movement of the product from the moment of packaging. Chips manufactured for Rexam by partner company Traxxec enable reading and writing necessary information. Their use is more cost-effective compared to existing analogues.

The largest Japanese packaging manufacturer Toyo Seikan Kaisha has developed the first metal can for drinks equipped with an RFID chip (recall that in 2007 this company, together with NEC, produced plastic cover with embedded tag). As you know, conventional RFID tags do not function on a metal surface, due to the interference and diffraction of the radio signal. Specialists from Toyo Seikan Kaisha attached the antenna to the ring on the bank and connected it to the chip, and thus managed to establish communication. According to the manufacturer, the design of the jar itself and the lid has not changed, and traditional equipment can be used when filling and sealing it without any changes. New RFID chips will make it possible to contain information about storage conditions and package integrity.

RFID chips that will allow the use of this technology in any storage conditions, including on metal surfaces, were also presented by Ferroxcube. Products have a weight of 2.5 g, dimensions 25 x 12.5 x 5 mm, are attached to the package with glue, double-sided adhesive tape or bolts, operate at temperatures from -25 °C to +130 °C.

But a group of German researchers and Alcan Packaging recently presented the results of an RFID-based research and practice project to create a system for remote tracking and automatic identification of packaged food and medicine. The goal of the Smart Pack project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Science and Education since 2005, was to create a technology to protect goods from counterfeiting, theft, individual recording of information, track its path in the logistics network. The originality of the technology lies primarily in the fact that passive sensors integrated into the packaging can not only serve as information carriers, but also report on the state of the product, signaling a violation of the temperature regime and humidity parameters. Thus, the consumer at the final stage of distribution will be able to determine whether the temperature regime storage, as well as to judge the integrity of the package.

new standard

Another problem limiting the large-scale implementation of RFID is the lack of necessary regulations and standards. To eliminate it, the International Organization for Standardization ISO has introduced a new radio frequency standard ISO / TS 10891:2009, which regulates the use of RFID tags used to identify cargo containers by sea, rail and road.

The ISO/TS 10891:2009 standard regulates the use of permanently attached chips that store data about the container and optimizes the efficiency of the use of control equipment. In particular, requirements are established for RFID tags when transmitting information from a chip to processing systems, requirements for container data codification systems, and the composition of recorded data. This standard also establishes requirements for the location of the RFID tag on the container and the protection of data on it from intentional or unintentional deletion.

“Containerization has reduced the time and cost of delivering goods to markets across the ocean, the number of their thefts in the process of delivery. In addition, it has led to improved transport safety. ISO/TS 10891 will help container manufacturers, shipping companies, consignees, terminal operators, rail operators benefit from the use of RFID to ensure the efficiency, speed, security of shipping and container handling,” said Frank Nechber, ISO Committee Chair, who developed this standard.

TV + RFID

Sony has announced the upcoming release in Japan of two new series of Bravia TVs with a refresh rate of 240Hz. Models have an RFID Reader built into their remote controls that allows users to pay for various multimedia services (such as video-on-demand) using mobile phones. The W5 series is available in 40-, 46- and 52-inch versions, all with Full HD resolution and 240Hz. Devices from the F5 line are more modest in size (available in 32, 40 and 42 inches), but have the same panel parameters (with the exception of the younger model, which supports a resolution of 1366 x 768 at 120 Hz). New items are thin (only 85 mm) and good contrast (3800:1).

Mobile phone instead of a credit card

Visa announced the start of "field" tests of an innovative payment system in which the function plastic card performs an ordinary cell phone. A special chip is responsible for organizing secure interaction between the payment terminal and the mobile device, which provides the possibility of short-range wireless communication. At the moment, Nokia 6212 phones are equipped with such a chip.

In order to use the service, the user only needs to purchase a phone equipped with the necessary electronic component and “link” the device to their own bank account. After completing this simple procedure, he will be able to pay for goods or services by simply bringing the phone to the payment terminal at a distance of no more than 4 cm. As a result of these manipulations, the required amount will be automatically withdrawn from the account. If desired, the user will be able to enter a password that will prevent the leakage of funds from the bank account if the phone is stolen. However, if the owner of the device forgot about the precautions, the bank will independently disable the possibility of making payments from a mobile phone at the request of the client.

Currently, the service is provided only in Malaysia, but over the next few years, residents of other countries will also be able to appreciate the benefits of this service. For greater customer convenience new technology provides for the possibility of transferring funds from several accounts. For example, Malaysian users can set up separate accounts to pay for parking or public transport. In the near future, the phone will also be able to combine the functionality of credit or debit cards provided by different banks. To quickly switch to different accounts on your mobile phone, you need to install the appropriate software.

Similar solutions based on RFID technologies have already gained popularity in the United States. However, many users will like the ability to use the phone instead of a regular card, which must be removed from a special compartment in the wallet before use.

Intel: powered by radio waves

At the Rawcon conference in San Diego (USA), researchers from the Intel laboratory (Seattle) demonstrated WARP (Wireless Ambient Radio Power) technology, which allows you to power up to 60 mW over a radio channel at a distance of up to 4.1 km. During testing, the developers managed to ensure the operation of a temperature and humidity sensor with a liquid crystal screen from a radio signal from a television transmitter.

Currently, three natural (free) sources of power are used - vibration, sunlight and warm. WARP technology completes this list with the possibility of being powered by a television signal. According to Joshua Smith, one of the co-authors of WARP, their technology is not the result of large-scale discoveries in the field of chip design or radiophysics. In fact, the implementation of WARP technology became possible only thanks to the evolution of traditional electronics and is the development of the WISP (Wireless Identification and Sensing Platform) wireless information reading platform based on serial readers for RFID tags operating in the microwave range (in most TVs this range is indicated like UHF). Each WISP module contains a radio tag with an embedded microcontroller - currently the Texas Instruments MSP430 chip.

Each WISP module includes a log-periodic antenna, impedance matching components, a radio signal energy trap, a demodulator for information from the reader to the WISP module, and a modulator for transmitting data to the reader. The module also includes a voltage regulator, a programmable microcontroller (the notorious MSP430) and additional external sensors. The energy catcher is a 4-stage charge pump generator. The power consumption of a standard WISP module is on average 2 µW to 2 mW.

The authors of the WARP technology practically repeated the design of the WISP modules, they only changed the input circuit of the energy trap, tuning it to one of the television channels. As a result, the modified serial WISP module began to receive energy not from an RFID reader, but from a TV tower!

RFID in Russia

Recently, RFID technologies have been used in Russia as well. True, the first large-scale experience - the use of tags in tickets for passage to the Moscow metro - cannot be called very successful. Firstly, their buyers received absolutely no benefit, since they cost the same as old-style tickets, and they must be bought at the same box office. The time to buy or pass through the turnstiles has not been reduced. In addition, as it turned out, they are not so difficult to fake, which scammers were not slow to take advantage of. For a long time, they acted with complete impunity, openly selling fakes at metro stations, in particular VDNKh, where huge queues line up at the ticket office during rush hour. Only at the beginning of March, officers of the Moscow police department detained about 100 members of the criminal group.

The official supplier of tickets with chips based on RFID technologies is the Zelenograd Mikron plant. In 2008, Mikron supplied more than 250 million contactless cards to the metropolitan subway and other Russian enterprises. Despite the crisis phenomena, OJSC NIIME i Mikron still has grandiose development plans. So, Mikron has every chance this year, together with the state corporation Rosnano, to start financing a project to prepare for the development of technology for the production of microcircuits with a topological size of 90 nm. This was announced at a reception dedicated to the 45th anniversary of the enterprise, its general director Gennady Krasnikov. The technology partner for this project is the French company ST Microelectronics, which is ready to supply Mikron with new technology.

“In addition to the supply of transport cards, where we are already reaching the regions, other areas are opening up in terms of using RFID, primarily in retail, where billions of RFID tags are needed,” Krasnikov said. - Now the head of Rosnano, Anatoly Chubais, has taken personal control over the project of introducing RFID technologies in trade. This opens up a huge market for us.”

The banking sector decided to take advantage of the results of this implementation. Some banks already provide their customers with the opportunity to pay for travel in the subway using bank cards with an RFID chip embedded in them. Following the capital's Citibank, Bank of Moscow and Master Bank, the project was implemented in St. Petersburg. The State Unitary Enterprise "Saint-Petersburg Metropolitan" jointly with the Bank "Saint-Petersburg" issues for the passengers of the Saint-Petersburg Metro the "Unified" card, combined with the international bank card VISA Electron. The holder of the United-VISA Electron card can use it to pay for travel in the St. Petersburg metro, to pay for goods and services in trade and service enterprises equipped with POS-terminals, to receive cash Money at ATMs and cash points.

Another large-scale RFID project was the exchange of old passports for new ones, the so-called biometric ones. Despite financial difficulties, Muscovites are going on holidays abroad, and by spring the number of issued international passports has doubled, and 80% of them are biometric. Note that the price difference between the old (400 rubles state duty) and new (1000 rubles) passports is quite significant, but the “expensive” passport does not give any special advantages. The new document is different from the old one special sign on the front side, saying that the passport contains biometric data, but neither fingerprints nor the retina of its owner have yet been removed. The difference is that the photo page in the new passport is not at the end, but at the beginning, and the usual seal has been replaced by a hologram. However, passport office employees often strongly recommend Muscovites to issue biometric passports, arguing that old passports are produced much longer than biometric ones, although by law the procedure should not take more than 30 days, and in Moscow it was decided to reduce this period to 20 days.

The FMS claims that the document has an electronic filling: an RFID chip is embedded in one of the pages, on which the information reflected on the first page of the passport is recorded. It is believed that the chip cannot be faked, and its information can only be read using a special device. The information on the chip is also protected by an electronic signature.

Recently, a message appeared in the media about another large-scale and very promising project. The Supervisory Board of the Russian Corporation of Nanotechnologies approved the participation of the corporation in organizing a high-tech enterprise for the production of RFID tags, which will be the owner of production facilities in Russia, Italy and Serbia, as well as technologies and know-how. It will be created jointly with the Italian company Galileo Vacuum Systems S.p.a. The total cost of the project will be 43 million euros, of which 21 million will be invested by the Russian side.

According to the calculations of the largest Russian retailers (X5 Retail Group, Auchan), as a result of the introduction of RFID systems, there will be a reduction in warehouse costs, as well as a reduction in losses from theft by 40%. The project uses innovative nanotechnology from Galileo Vacuum Systems, which makes it possible to metallize any flexible surface, including selectively (according to a given pattern), with high productivity and low production costs. Another product of the new enterprise will be metallized packaging (film and paper). The production of such materials in the Russian Federation is very promising, since about 80% of the metallized film and almost 100% of paper are imported into the Russian Federation from other countries.

The traditional and cheapest automatic identification technology used in warehouse automation and logistics tasks is bar coding. First of all, it is the cheapness of barcode labels that determines the high popularity of this technology, which continues to this day. However, many analysts predict that barcoding will eventually be superseded by radio frequency identification (RFID). Let's try to figure out what is the attractiveness of this technology for warehousing, why does it make sense to migrate to solutions?

Warehousing is divided into three stages: acceptance of goods, storage of goods, Shipment of goods. Consider the pros and cons of two competing technologies for automatic identification at each stage.

1. Acceptance of goods.

The most common type of radio tags for warehouse automation today is smart labels, which are self-adhesive labels that can be printed on, but also contain RFID tag electronics. In terms of marking speed with the help of a printer-applicator, they practically do not differ from barcode technology. At this stage, RFID and barcode maintain parity.

As soon as the goods arrive at the warehouse, already labeled according to one of the two technologies, the differences appear quite clearly. The most important advantage of RFID over its competitor is that this technology does not require direct line of sight between the reader and the RFID tag, and in addition, the reader is able to identify multiple tags at the same time. Let's say the goods were not delivered to the warehouse and you need to draw up a commercial act on the shortage. If barcode marking is used, a complete inventory of goods on pallets would require a manual or semi-automatic count of the missing pieces of cargo. This means that the pallet must be disassembled, the barcode of each box must be scanned. That is, such a procedure can be quite lengthy.

RFID has an undeniable advantage in this regard, since all goods on a pallet can be identified in one go within a few seconds from a distance of two to three meters. All “responded” tags on the product will be counted, and the corresponding product will be included in the inventory.

Thus, when receiving goods, RFID is either comparable to barcoding or has an overwhelming advantage.

2. Warehouse inventory and stock tracking.

If no markings are used, inventory in the warehouse can become a very long and painstaking task, requiring more than one day of monotonous work, the concentration of attention from responsible warehouse employees and accurate record keeping. Moreover, the use of a portable PC will not greatly facilitate this work.

When barcode marking is used, and a radio terminal with a built-in scanner is used for reading, inventory will be faster, but only if the goods are NOT stored on a rack in several rows. Then you have to remove the cargo from the rack, look for a barcode ... The only plus of a barcode in this regard is that you can keep records automatically, making a minimum of errors.

Finally, if the product is already marked with RFID tags, then, in most cases, there is no need to remove it from the shelves, turn the boxes so that the smart label on the package is visible. A portable RFID reader is able to read the tag from a distance of up to 3.5 meters, even "through" the packaging cardboard and its contents. There are, of course, their limitations, but even with them, RFID is gaining leadership in this category. If we take into account that the most successful models hand-held terminals with an RFID reader module also contain a barcode scanner (it can be used if the tag suddenly fails due to accidental damage, because smart labels usually print information in the form of a barcode that duplicates that recorded in memory labels). Therefore, inventory with RFID is disproportionately faster than with competing technologies.

2. Control of the shipment of goods.

If the goods are shipped in large quantities, but nevertheless, it is necessary to keep a record of each box of products loaded on a pallet, RFID technology again makes it possible to make accounting simple, fast and accurate. For this, so-called portal reading systems are used. Such RFID portals are a reader with several antennas connected to it, placed along the perimeter of the warehouse gate or mounted on a U-shaped truss.

Such a system can read all the tags from the packages of the goods that the forklift is carrying on pallets at a speed of 60-150 tags per second. At the same time, the warehouse management system can automatically determine that a shipment is taking place and generate for the client, according to the list of read marks, documentation for the batch of purchased goods.

It should be noted that RFID has its drawbacks and limitations. Here are the two main ones:

• The price of even the cheapest radio tag is several times more than a barcode label. If the product being marked is comparable in price to the price of marking, the introduction of RFID in the process is a questionable solution in terms of usefulness.
• There are materials that are "opaque" to radio waves. The most important example is metal objects. If there are metal objects in the shipping box, if you need to tag massive metal objects, the benefits of RFID are much more difficult to use. There are radio tags that can work on metal, but they are usually expensive and bulky.

However, for a large warehousing business that does not fall under these two constraints, the efficiency gains and cost savings can be very large and outweigh the costs of RFID tags and equipment. In addition, the metal significantly interferes only if the metal structures to a large extent block the “field of view” of the reader antenna. If line-of-sight is possible, one of the main advantages of RFID remains in effect - the ability to read many tags at a time.