Q&A of Industrial & Enterprise NFC

Q: How much is Ironside Micro NFC?
A: Good question! Please work with our distributors to get a quote. It varies greatly based on volume and personalization needed (encoding, laser engraving, data labels etc.).

Q: Do you offer any on-metal RFID labels that can be applied and read on both metal and non-metal products running thru the Zebra printers? Right now, I only saw on-metal and some applications for customers need to label both metal and non-metal products but do not want to use 2 different RFID labels.
A: If they absolutely only want to use 1 label then it’s best to use an “”on-metal”” capable label which will work on all surfaces. However on-metal capable labels are typically more expensive than off-metal labels so the customer will need to evaluate if the added tag costs justifies having the convenience of only using 1 label. What I would recommend is to use both label types and have 2 separate printers set up on site: 1 specifically for each label type.

Q: Do you have tags with Temperature or other sensors?
A: We do have some sensors available including temperature which is accomplished with a different IC. Since this specialty IC is not part of our standard offering we would consider it in part of our Design Studio process.

Q: I need some consultation what type NFC tags I need for RFID student project on industry 4.0. Do you have kit for industrial NFC tags?
A: Yes, we have an NFC sample pack that we offer via our distributors. In the pack you will get labels (both on and off metal) as well as our hard tags. Please be sure to specify which ISO protocol you will be needing.

Q: What are your reading distance for typical NFC use cases?
A: It depends on the tag, ISO protocol, and power of the reader used but in most cases the read distance for NFC is 5cm or less.

Q: In comparison to barcode technology, how costly are NFC solutions? At least in %
A: NFC tags are more costly than barcode tags and labels. However, the overall solution doesn’t cost more as mobile devices are in the field and infrastructure costs are significantly less for both initial capital outlay and ongoing maintenance. NFC is a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) architecture which greatly reduces up-front costs.

Q: How long do NFC tags last?
A: Passive RFID tags typically last until they are physically damaged. Other considerations are data retention. For NFC tags, this can range from 3 years up to 50 years depending on the IC memory. Finally, you must consider the lifetime of the adhesive which depends on the environmental conditions and use of the tag.

Q: Does Confidex have a NFC tag for beer kegs or gas cylinders?
A: Confidex Ironside Micro NFC comes in both 14443 or 15693 variants and is perfect for mounting to gas cylinders, beer kegs, and other metal RTIs.

Q: How do you see NFC used in the automotive industry?
A: NFC is used for RTIs (racks, bins, containers) as well as parts (both during build and aftermarket). NFC is also used with Automotive IT organizations for tagging of assets.