RFID technology has been shown to provide excellent tracking abilities to businesses, which allows them to optimize their operations and security. One such type of RF component that is very popular for use in a variety of industries, is the Cable Tie Tag.
These tags have shown to be the jacks of all trades, I.e., provide identification & tracking, security, and serve as tampering countermeasures. So, without wasting any more time, let’s check out RFID Cable Tie Tags.
What is a Cable Tie Tag?
These are a type of tag that consists of an inlay safely packaged inside an outer shell, and a cable tie attached to the shell. Instead of other methods of mounting like adhesives, epoxy, screws, etc., these tags use zip ties to secure themselves on an object.
Cable Tie Tags Improving Tracking Operations
If you know anything about the RFID market, you’ll know that there are a variety of components available and suitable, depending on the type of applications and the environment of the business premises. So, what makes cable tie tags so popular?
Let’s check out how these tiny ties help in optimizing your tacking operations.
(A). Multiple Uses
Unlike most other type of tags, these provide more than one function. For example, in addition to asset identification & tracking, these tags also act as fasteners due to their method of mounting. Cable ties are extremely resilient to tampering as once they are fastened, they are near impossible to come off without permanent damage.
They also provide a measure of safety by ensuring that the product remains closed in the event of physical impacts.
(B). Operational in Harsh Environment
These tie tags are manufactured using high-quality industrial plastic that is resistant to extreme environments like high temperatures, scratching, and chemical exposure. This makes these tags compatible with a variety of industrial applications where other tags may fail.
(C). Simple and Easy to Use
If you have ever used a cable tie, you know how easy they are to use. Unlike tags with adhesive layers, screws, etc., as mounting methods, cable tie tags just need to be looped and fastened. Making them extremely easy to work with. This improved the tagging speed of your supply chain.
(D). Compatible with Variety of Surfaces
Due to the mounting method, the RF inlays inside the tags are not in contact with the surface of the product/item. This provides the tags with the additional benefit of being able to work in a multitude of environments that would pose problems for other types of tags, like around metal surfaces or containers with liquids.
(E). Impossible to Counterfeit
This is perhaps the biggest advantage of using a cable tie tag, on ordinary tags, there is always a risk that someone can remove the tags and place it on another item that is unauthentic, without damaging the tag.
However, due to the very nature of the ties, these tags cannot be removed without permanently damaging the cable ties and alerting the users of possible tampering.
How Does an RFID Tag Work?
A tag is an essential component of an RF system, they are responsible for storing the identification information & a unique id and communicating with the rest of the system wirelessly. There are two primary methods by which a tag can communicate its data, namely Broadcasting, and Backscattering.
(A). Broadcasting
The first method of wireless communication that a tag uses, is broadcasting a signal using electricity and their antennas. Two types of tags/communication protocols allow communication using broadcast, namely – Active Tags, and Induced Coupling.
An active tag has an integrated power supply, like a battery. They use this battery to broadcast a strong signal, giving them a far larger range than other types of tags (up to 100 meters). On the other hand, a passive tag can use radio broadcasting to communicate too. They just need to be inside the near field of the reader’s antenna. Within the near field, the antennas can use electromagnetic induction to induce an electric charge within the tag. The tag can use this charge to power up and send back a carrier wave.
(B). Radio Backscattering
The other way of communicating data within an RF system is by utilizing backscattering. This refers to the property of metals to be able to reflect electromagnetic waves (like radio waves) back at different angles (almost like a scattering pattern). When a passive tag is inside the read zone, it modulates the signal from the reader and backscatters it as a carrier wave.
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