Pallet Wrappers Incorporate RFID Tag Reading

Lantech is introducing RFID tag-reading capability as a standard option on all its semiautomatic pallet stretch wrappers.

Lantech is introducing RFID tag-reading capability as a standard option on all its semiautomatic pallet stretch wrappers.

The company demonstrated a working system at Pack Expo on a Q-300 semi-automatic stretch wrapper utilising Symbol Technologies' new RD5000 portable reader.

Said to be capable of reading Gen 1 and 2 tags, the battery-powered system can read tags at the pallet or case level.

William Caudill, Lantech's marketing manager for automatic stretch wrapping products, said: "We are now offering this system as a standard option on all our turntable stretch wrapping systems and it will migrate quickly to our overhead straddle stretch wrappers as well.

The portable and wireless RD5000 is the most elegant, hands-off RFID system currently available for this application." He added: "We have already quoted systems to the largest consumer goods maker in the USA and we expect interest to build in 2007.

As a simple drop-in option, it eliminates all brackets, cables, external antennae and any interface to the machine or control system, working independently of the machine with its own motion-sensing." The reader measures 7" x 9" x 2" (LWH) and weighs less than four pounds.

Although it is battery operated, Caudill said the system can be wired to the machine's power supply as a customer option.

The RD5000's integrated wireless LAN is compliant with 802.11a/b/g standards, allowing it to communicate with any standard WiFi network.

The unit is sealed to an IP66 rating against water jets and dust, and runs under the Windows CE operating system for application support.

Caudill explained: "Our development machines with the reader mounted on the film delivery system have proven that stretch wrappers have a natural advantage in tag reading by repeatedly exposing five sides of a pallet load to the reader's antenna.

The wireless, portable design of this unit makes it a great retrofit system too, because there is no interface or power connection of any kind between the stretch wrapper and the RFID reader." Lantech currently has development systems at Exel, Kimberly-Clark, Alien and Wal-Mart-related facilities.

And Caudill elaborated: "In collaboration with our industry partners, we're evaluating the most appropriate methods for an industry-standard RFID implementation so that our customers will benefit from products that have been tested and proven successful in real-world applications." Lantech said that its Q-300 semi-automatic stretch wrapping system is a suitable RFID-development machine, with claimed capability for processing 25-35 loads per hour up to two-metres (80") tall and weighing up to 1,814kg (4,000lb).

The machine's electronically controlled, variable wrap force and 200 per cent pre-stretch on the film ensure consistent, tight loads with economical use of film, reduced labour and improved ergonomics, added the company.

Pre-stretch up to 300 per cent is available as an option.

The Q-300 features Lantech's patented Power Roller-Stretch system and E-Z Threadand#129; roll carriage to make film-threading safe, easy and consistent, claimed the company, reducing the chance of mis-threading and ensuring the highest film yield.

The Q-Series of turntable stretch wrapping systems also includes automatic models for what it claimed to be affordable automation and high-speed automatic models designed for high throughput or fully automatic operations.

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