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RFID Pallet Tracking

RFID Pallet Tracking

What is RFID Pallet Tracking?

There’s been quite a buzz building about pallet order tracking – and RFID pallet tracking is one of the techniques used to track a pallet’s location.

Read on to learn more!

How Does RFID Tracking Work?

Radio-frequency identification utilizes electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects.The tags contain electronically stored information. This technology allows users (customers and vendors) to sort, track, identify any object they choose to tag. It is a very common practice in warehouses for distribution and tracking.

RFID System Overview

RFID systems consist of three components:

  1. RFID tag or smart label
  2. RFID reader
  3. Antenna
RFID Tag Reader

RFID Tag Reader

RFID Tags

RFID tags contain an integrated circuit and an antenna, which are used to transmit data to the RFID reader (also called an interrogator).

RFID Tags are available in two basic types: Active and Passive.

Active RFID Tags

Active RFID Tags contain a self-powered transmitter (frequently battery powered), allowing the an internal microchip’s circuitry to send a signal to the RFID Tag Reader.

Active RFID Tag

Active RFID Tag

Passive RFID Tags

Passive tags are powered by the RFID Tag Reader. A magnetic field forms around the coiled antenna inside the passive tag in the presence of radio waves transmitted by the reader. The passive tag draws power from the magnetic field, energizing the tag circuits and completing the data transmission back to the tag reader.

Passive RFID Tag

Passive RFID Tag

RFID & ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Compatibility

ERP software can use RFID tracking to locate products and resources along their journey through supply chain, including both inbound and outbound delivery processes.

Why is this important? The locational visibility helps establish supplier transparency and accountability; furthermore, this also allows customers to track their items during shipment to drive greater customer satisfaction.

When a plastic pallet bearing an RFID tag reaches a particular location, the pallet can be processed using an automated receipt and validation of the advanced ship notice (ASN). This receipt can also mark and notify mistakes in the vendor fulfillment process, eliminating added labor and receiving resources that would normally be expended to correct the mistake.

With outbound deliveries, tagged pallets can be identified, notifying suppliers to contact their customers with the good news. After all, excellent communication is a superior service.

While the tagged item is stored at a plant, RFID tracking can be used to organize and pace maintenance processes, such as work orders. Work order phase and status data can be updated and saved on the tag to aid in throughput monitoring and production management.

RFID & Plastic Pallets

Does Tag Choice Matter?

Best practices reveal that robust RFID tags are the best fit for plastic pallets.

How Many RFID Tags Should I use?

Single tags are sufficient in systems that only use a handheld RFID reader. Plants using a gate system should consider using two tags to play it safe, in case one of the tags signals is blocked during transmission.

Plastic Pallet RFID Integration & Placement

RFID devices should be placed in a location that allows them to be read, but also in a secure spot that protects them from damage that would occur through handling.

Custom RFID – Do You Need It?

Custom RFID Advantages

Custom RFID printing always goes through a quoting and approval process, but a high level overview of our capabilities includes:

  • Encoding RFID tags with your data.
  • Printing/Encoding Barcodes to label your tags.
  • Printing Images on your tags.
  • Expedited Fulfillment is available.

What Do You Think?

Please leave your comments below and let us know how RFID pallet tracking has helped you rule your warehouse – or if you need assistance in taking the next step.

Shopping Plastic Pallets?

Contact us for assistance or to shop plastic pallets. Our pallet experts will help you find the perfect plastic pallet for the right price.

About Robin Kiefer

Robin Spencer Kiefer connects customers with solutions and products. Robin is the Digital Marketing Manager of One Way Solutions.

Three Tips For Improving Warehouse Efficiency

No matter how smoothly you think your warehouse runs, it’s a pretty safe bet that there are a few things you could be doing to make it run even smoother.

Efficiency in a warehouse can make a big difference for a company, affecting everything from workplace safety to customer satisfaction.

By taking a few relatively simple steps, you can drastically improve one of the most critical parts of your business. Continue reading

About Brian Pigott

Brian Pigott is an engineer and customer-centric entrepreneur. Brian is the Managing Director of One Way Solutions.

When Warehouses Attack (They’re Usually Provoked)

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A few months ago, we did a post on the stupidest things ever done with a forklift.

It was an amazing piece, full of haunting imagery and biting criticisms, but it lacked one very critical element: video.

So this time, we’re going to change it up a little bit and do a play-by-play of a few videos of warehouse accidents and see if can’t learn a thing or two (which we might, but really we’re just here to watch people do stupid stuff). Continue reading

About Brian Pigott

Brian Pigott is an engineer and customer-centric entrepreneur. Brian is the Managing Director of One Way Solutions.

A World Without Pallets

While watching HBO’s The Leftovers this past Sunday, I started thinking of what would affect me significantly if it one day just poofed and disappeared.

The answer was simple. The answer was pallets. And even though the answer was simple, the implications of how pallets would affect the world if they just vanished wouldn’t be.

Grant it, it wouldn’t be enough to fill an HBO drama (True Pallet Detective, anyone?), but the effects would be sprawling nonetheless. Continue reading

About Brian Pigott

Brian Pigott is an engineer and customer-centric entrepreneur. Brian is the Managing Director of One Way Solutions.

Pallets Stacking And Forklift Safety – Real Life Applications Of 2048

There are two types of people in the world right now: People who have heard of 2048, and people who are still able to focus on their jobs. Yes, the ever-popular tile-stacking math game has successfully stolen the attention of people across the nation who are trying to focus on things that don’t involve numbered tiles.

Believe it or not, there are some very important warehouse safety lessons that we can learn from this focus-siphoning life-stealer of a browser game.

When you really break down the strategy involved in 2048, you’ll find that it can actually be applied to a few different areas. Continue reading

About Brian Pigott

Brian Pigott is an engineer and customer-centric entrepreneur. Brian is the Managing Director of One Way Solutions.

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