Specialty Fabrics Review November 2023 - 31

number of times rented, quality of the
tent top, repairs required, etc. "
For L&A Tent and Event Rentals,
the implementation process of the
RFID tags was much more timeconsuming
than expected. The
company had thousands of tent tops
that all needed to be opened, graded,
have a tag installed and then entered
into the software.
" The good news is that now many
of the manufacturers are installing
tags during production so that new
inventory will be much easier to get
entered in the system, " Richardson says.
In addition to the required
installation time, L&A Tent Rentals
also has had some challenges getting
staff to buy into using the system.
" If you can't get the entire team
using it from loading to installation
to breakdown and return, you're
really not going to be able to use
the technology for its full potential, "
Richardson says. " We also currently
don't know how long the tags will last
or how washing and the environment
will affect the longevity of the tags.
My advice is that if you have large
inventory of vinyl and don't have staff
that you can dedicate to installing
the tags on your existing inventory,
be prepared for a little pain and
frustration getting up and running. "
LOOKING AHEAD
As the hardware and software
technology is improving and other
options such as mobile solutions
are hitting the marketplace, the cost
to implement RFID has dropped
significantly. And as Morizet points
out, as more people deploy this
technology, businesses will find more
creative ways to use the technology
to increase operating efficiency.
" Some of the new things on the
horizon will be dual antenna RFID
SpecialtyFabricsReview.com 31
chips which will allow us to use
standard RFID equipment as well
as our mobile phones with NFC
technology. I can also see a day
where Bluetooth® and GPS perhaps
get integrated as well, " Morizet says.
" I also believe, as this technology
reaches mass adoption and as battery
technology becomes better, active
tags will become less costly, smaller
and have multiple sensors embedded
within them. Imagine a tent not only
telling you where it is but that it's
wet or covered in mold, without any
input from an employee. We're not
completely there yet, but it is certainly
possible in the future. "
Maura Keller is a freelance writer based
in Plymouth, Minn.
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WET VS. DRY INLAY
extile companies planning to use RFID technology will need to
determine if they want to use wet vs. dry inlay applications. One of
the types of tags that Easy RFID Pro in Poughquag, N.Y., uses for
textiles involves encasing them in silicone. This process provides water
and chemical resistance while protecting the chip and the antenna.
" The choice between a wet and dry inlay for a silicone RFID tag would
depend on the specific requirements of the application, such as the
desired level of durability, flexibility, cost and performance, " explains
Darren Morizet, founder and CEO at Easy RFID Pro.
* Silicone wet RFID inlay: In this case, the RFID chip and antenna are
assembled on a silicone substrate and then covered with adhesive
and a protective liner. Wet inlays are known for their durability and are
suitable for applications where ruggedness and reliability are crucial.
* Silicone dry RFID inlay: The RFID chip and antenna can also be
assembled on a silicone substrate without the addition of adhesive or
a liner. Dry inlays are thinner and more flexible, making them suitable
for applications where flexibility and conformability are important.
" Both wet and dry inlays can be made using silicone substrates, and
the decision would be based on the trade-offs between these factors, "
Morizet says.
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