The tag is the smallest and cheapest part of an RFID system, yet the wrong tag is the most common cause of poor read rates. This guide explains which tag to use where in a TrueStock deployment.
The workhorse: ALN-9662 UHF labels
The ALN-9662 is the standard label we supply and support. It is a paper faced adhesive label with a high performance UHF inlay, excellent read range, and it encodes quickly at the UDR102 desktop station. Use it for:
- Corrugated cartons and boxes.
- Plastic containers, crates and bins.
- Fabric, garments and packaged goods.
- Wooden pallets and furniture.
The metal problem
Standard labels stuck directly on metal barely read at all, because the metal surface detunes the antenna. If you stock steel parts, appliances, machinery or metal drums, you have three options:
- On-metal tags: special hard tags with a built-in spacer, designed to sit on metal surfaces. Slightly costlier, very reliable.
- Foam spacer method: an ALN-9662 applied over a few millimetres of foam can work for budget deployments, but test read rates first.
- Tag the packaging: where items ship in cartons, tag the carton instead of the metal item.
Small and awkward items
- Very small items, like fasteners or cosmetics, are best tracked at box or pouch level rather than per piece.
- Liquids absorb UHF signals, so place the label on the cap area or the outer carton, and always run a walk test through the gate.
- For items sent to customers, decide whether the tag stays on, is removed at dispatch, or is disabled in TrueStock at outward.
Test before you buy in bulk
During installation we test your actual products with sample tags at the UDR102 and the UDM9R gate. Order in volume only after those tests pass. For samples and pricing in INR, open a ticket with Tech Guru IT Solutions.
