Huge RFID order for crate tracking

The premium quality barcode and RFID solutions provider is producing 40 million RFID identification cards for a market-leading international discount supermarket chain. The exceptionally large RFID card order was placed after the discount supermarket’s strategic decision to install new crate track and trace systems.

The project which is due to be completed in 2024 is being rolled out throughout Germany and Austria. After its deployment, it is hoped that the scheme will be extended to the supermarket's other supply chains across Europe.

The project involves the replacement of the supermarket’s classic wooden grocery crates with more durable and economical recycled plastic pallets. Each pallet will carry Inotec’s inotag Diocard RFID identification cards. These cards are embedded into two sides of each pallet together with Inotec’s Diobond Imould barcode labels. So far a total of four million of these RFID card-carrying pallets have been distributed to the supermarket's supply chains.

Inotec’s RFID identification cards on the new plastic grocery pallets monitor stock on the supermarket's new track and trace system. The RFID chips and barcode labels contained in the cards enable fast, accurate, automatic location-specific detection of the pallets without the need for contact or ‘line-of-sight’ scanning.

The extremely robust inotag Diocard and Diobond In-mould barcode labels are fully encapsulated to withstand the tough environments they will be subjected to such as washing, weathering, mechanical abrasion and UV light exposure.

The supermarket’s director of logistics management said: “The plastic pallets are technologically state-of-the-art. They deliver real innovation for optimising our supply chains. At any time the pooling service provider can track how many pallets are in the depots, at the suppliers and dealers. The tracking also reduces pallet wastage.

“We selected Inotec to supply its range of RFID cards and barcode labels for our pallets as it is a specialist in container management labelling. Its labels are manufactured to be robust enough to last the pallets’ lifetime and so they delivered the most cost-effective and reliable label solution for our requirements.”

For more information, visit www.Inotec.co.uk