RADIOFREQUENCY RFID AND NFC LABELS AND TAGS
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags make it possible to identify, store, manage and track production flows of goods quickly and accurately at any time, without the need for visual or physical contact. The basic components of this type of system are the tags or transponders and the read/write devices with their antennae. In the memory of the transponder, a series of variable data can be written electronically and transmitted to the readers by means of a radio frequency modulated signal picked up by their antennas. The reading systems can be fixed or portable, depending on the need for use. Radio frequency tags are designed for the logistics and production sectors, where reading variable data (processing codes, type, model, date, etc.) at any time, quickly, and without having to reorient the object to be read, becomes indispensable. Furthermore, it is important to remember that tags can be read through materials of a certain thickness, as long as they are non-conductive, or even if placed in dirty, dark or even open environments.
NFC stands for Near Field Communication and is a specialisation of RFID, with the difference that NFC is designed for the use and exchange of wireless information by devices placed within a few centimetres of each other. It is a technology now implemented in many smartphones, which is opening up scenarios for several truly innovative applications. Short-distance communication is having a major impact on everyday habits, such as fast credit card payments where you simply bring your card close to the reader without entering a code. Even in the field of access control and time recording, NFC technology is bringing great innovation. For example, the collection of start and finish times for workers on a construction site: all workers can clock in simply by bringing their personal NFC tag close to the site manager’s smartphone, thus recording the day’s work. Another example is the collection of data on the work carried out by the technicians of a machinery maintenance company; in fact, recording the activity of its maintenance workers will be very easy, simply by bringing a smartphone close to the tag stuck on the machinery and including in real time the report of the work carried out, allowing immediateverification by the management system in the company. RFID and NFC are revolutionary technologies for the fast and secure transmission of data within a company, eliminating the possibility of fraud, counterfeiting and vandalism.
