RFID electronic tags are data carriers used for item identification, have information storage mechanisms, can receive electromagnetic field modulation signals from readers and writers, and return response signals. They are usually called electronic tags, and can also be called radio frequency cards, radio frequency tags, radio frequency labels, etc. They are the hardware body of the RFID system together with readers and writers. The basic components of the RFID system include RFID electronic tags, readers and writers, radio frequency antennas, and application software. It is an automatic identification system that uses radio frequency identification technology for data collection and transmission. Under the general trend of intelligent manufacturing, RFID, as a non-contact automatic identification technology, can automatically identify target objects and obtain relevant data through radio frequency signals. The implementation and deployment costs of RFID are low, and the data collection and transmission methods are very convenient, so it has attracted more and more attention from enterprises.
RFID electronic tag technology
RFID electronic tags are tags that use non-contact automatic identification technology to identify target objects and obtain relevant data through radio frequency signals. The identification work does not require human intervention. As a wireless version of barcodes, RFID electronic tags have the advantages of waterproof, anti-magnetic, high temperature resistance, long service life, large reading distance, encrypted tag data, larger storage data capacity, and easy change of stored information that barcodes do not have. The encoding, storage, and reading and writing methods of RFID electronic tags are different from those of traditional tags (such as barcodes) and manual tags. The encoding storage is stored in a read-only or read-write format on an integrated circuit, especially the reading and writing method. RFID electronic tags are implemented by wireless electronic transmission.
In general, the more prominent technical features of RFID electronic tags are: they can identify a single, very specific object, unlike barcodes that can only identify one type of object; they can read multiple objects at the same time, while barcodes can only read one by one; they store a large amount of information; they use radio frequency to read data through external materials, while barcodes must rely on lasers or infrared rays to read information on the surface of the material medium.
Commonly used manufacturing processes for RFID electronic tags
In the process of wireless communication, the antenna is an indispensable component, and RFID uses radio waves to transmit information. The generation and reception of radio waves need to be realized through the antenna. When the electronic tag enters the working area of the reader antenna, the electronic tag antenna will generate enough induced current to obtain energy and be activated.
For RFID systems, the antenna is a crucial part, which is closely related to the performance of the system. At present, according to the differences in antenna wire material, material structure and manufacturing process, RFID tag antennas can be roughly divided into the following categories: winding antenna, etching antenna, printed antenna, additive antenna, ceramic antenna, etc. The most commonly used antenna manufacturing processes are the first three.
The manufacturing process of winding RFID tag antenna with copper wire is usually completed by an automatic winding machine, that is, the copper wire coated with insulating paint is directly wound on the base carrier film, and the copper wire with low melting point paint is used as the substrate of the RFID tag antenna. Finally, the wire and the substrate are mechanically fixed with an adhesive, and a certain number of turns are wound according to different frequency requirements.
Etched antenna etching method is also called metal etching process. First, a layer of copper or aluminum with a thickness of about 20mm is covered on a base carrier, and a screen printing plate of the antenna positive pattern is made. The anti-corrosion agent is printed on the surface of the copper or aluminum by screen printing, thereby protecting the copper or aluminum below from corrosion, and the rest is dissolved by the corrosive agent. However, since the etching process uses chemical erosion reaction, there are problems such as long process flow and large amount of waste and wastewater, which is easy to pollute the environment. Therefore, the industry has been working hard to find a better alternative.
Printed antenna directly prints or prints the antenna circuit on the substrate with special conductive ink or silver paste. The more mature ones are gravure printing or silk screen printing. Silk screen printing saves costs to a certain extent, but its ink uses conductive silver paste with a high silver content of about 70%, and obtains an antenna between 15 and 20um. It belongs to thick film printing and has high cost.
The production process of electronic tags mainly consists of three parts: binding packaging, composite die-cutting, and post-processing. It is manufactured through related hardware equipment. After the product is completed, the product is labeled, packed with anti-static bags, vacuumed, and packed. To avoid the product from being exposed to the air and to meet the conditions for long-distance transportation.
RFID electronic tag classification
RFID electronic tags can be divided into: active RFID electronic tags (Active Tag, active tag or active tag), passive RFID electronic tags (Passive Tag, passive tag or passive tag) and semi-active RFID electronic tags (Semi Active Tag).
RFID electronic tags are divided into: paper tags, plastic tags, glass tags, and anti-metal tags according to the packaging materials. RFID electronic tags can be divided into: film adhesive labels, card labels, column labels, buckle labels, identity identification labels, implantable labels and special-purpose special-shaped labels according to the packaging shape.
RFID electronic tags have many advantages
First: Unlike ordinary labels such as barcodes that require one-to-one reading of data, RFID reading and writing devices can read and write data to the corresponding tags one-to-many.
Second: The penetration of radio frequency technology, RFID tags can be completely contactless, and there is no need to expose the label for scanning.
Third: RFID tags have low environmental requirements and can work in various harsh environments. The labels are not easily damaged and do not affect reading.
Fourth: Data can be identified with high accuracy, speed and a large range, so it can be used for identification and reading on fast-moving objects.
Fifth: Automation and intelligence reduce manual operations. This is also why RFID tags are called smart tags, and they play an important role in intelligent construction, such as smart home, smart medical care, smart transportation and other fields.
