Get Smart
Paul de Blois, HIDE-Pack’s vice-president and general manager, explains that his company’s method for turning plain brown boxes into “smart boxes” is based on the embedding of RFID inlays with a special applicator that uses a cold-set adhesive immediately prior to the corrugated packages being folded and shut on the folder/gluer.
Once embedded, the passive RFID inlay remains completely enclosed within the wall of the box—invisible either from inside or outside of the package—without losing any of the functionality and remaining fully protected from elements.
Rob Latter, vice-president of Kruger Packaging’s containerboard division, explains that the HIDE-Pack boxes incorporate the UHF EPC Class 1 Generation 2 short dipole RFID inlays developed by the Finnish company UPM Raflatac, which proved to provide faster set-up times, real-time connectivity to the plant’s central HMI (human-machine interface) terminal, and a pre-application verification system.
“There are considerable advantages for a retailer to use smart boxes containing these microchips,” states Latter, “including enhancing the order accuracy, reducing losses due to theft and piracy, and simplifying product recalls.”
Although Normerica has only started using the HIDE-Pack boxes this past summer, Than relates: “We’re very happy with the system so far.
“It’s easy for the production employees to use, and that saves us a lot of time,” he expands. “It’s also relatively low-cost when compared to the slap-and-stick scenario, but best of all—it doesn’t disrupt our current workflow.”
In operation, after a Normerica employee scans the UPC barcode from the product, the plant’s RFID mobile cart system—installed by the Montreal-based company Ship2Save—takes over to apply the EPC coding into the embedded boxes as they pass through a motion detector upstream of the RFID antenna.
Each of the Ship2Save RFID mobile carts is equipped with a Speedway RFID reader from Impinj Inc., Than reveals, along with an onboard PC, an adjustable antenna, a hand-held barcode scanner, and an LCD screen—providing a full hardware package that can be easily moved between conveyor lines where it’s needed.
Than says that for a retailer-driven company such as Normerica, being able to provide clients with customized solutions in product, packaging and category expertise will become an essential core competence in the fiercely competitive industry facing a turbulent economic outlook.
“For example, right now we are also looking at ways to reduce our environmental footprint by developing a thinner-walled plastic pail, or with our recently developed litter box package with an integrated pour spout,” says Than.
“And now with our capability to provide RFID tags within the packaging,” he sums up, “we can help ensure that our clients remain ahead of the technology curve as well.”
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