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A Groundbreaking Approach to RFID Labeling

Any pharmaceutical company attempting to comply with the Wal-Mart initiative or pursuing RFID technology on their own should know the following:

• What percentage of tags does your supplier expect will be non-readable arriving at your facility?
• What is the process that your supplier will use to support that expectation?
• How can you be sure that all tags arriving at your facility will contain EPC codes which correspond to the printed label graphics?
• How many times does your supplier read/verify each tag?
• What information can your supplier provide you regarding the serialized identities of all tags contained in each incoming roll?

George Schmitt & Co. has been on the cutting edge of printing and specialized finishing techniques for over a century. Its latest patent application outlines an exciting new methodology for providing unique answers to these questions. George Schmitt & Co. provides a complete solution from the printing of pharmaceutical labels to the final label/tag assembly, all under one roof. Most importantly, George Schmitt’s system is designed to assure that all tags shipped are 100% readable. At various stages in the manufacturing process, the following operations occur:

• Dual sequenced readers isolate individual tags, determine each tag’s identity, and verify its readability at 24” or more.
• All defective tags are automatically removed.
• A detailed sequential roll map is generated for all finished rolls.
• The EPC code on each tag is automatically cross-referenced to verify that there are no duplicate “license plates”, and that all EPC codes match the printed NDC barcode as well as the specified EPC code.

The major technical hurdle faced by any company seeking to manufacture 100% readable RFID label/tag assemblies is that RFID tag inlay manufacturers ship many defective tags to pharmaceutical label manufacturers. Wal-Mart requires that 100% of the 900mhz tags be readable at greater than 24”. These tags are, however, spaced only a few inches apart on the label web. A detailed discussion of how George Schmitt’s proprietary reader/verification system has overcome these issues is available upon execution of appropriate confidentiality agreements.