Passive UHF RFID in Paper Industry: Challenges, Benefits and the Application Environment.

Radio frequency identification (RFID) systems for the paper industry is an emerging research topic due to the need for an automated identification system for the paper industry which would carry on the identification codes of paper and board reels throughout their life cycle. This paper discusses the application of passive ultra-high frequency (UHF) RFID systems to the paper industry. Challenges, benefits, and the application environment of using passive UHF RFID systems in the paper industry are presented and discussed. The major challenges are development of globally operable tag antenna designs and integration of reader units and reader antennas to paper handling machinery. To confront and solve these challenges, this paper presents novel tag antenna designs for paper and board reel identification and proposes solutions for reader and reader antenna integration to paper handling machinery. In addition, the identification locations within the paper reel supply chain and the effects of RFID systems to supply chain visibility are presented and discussed. In addition, test results of using passive UHF RFID systems in the paper industry environment are presented. Note to Practitioners--An automated identification system, which would carry on the identification code of a specified paper or board reel throughout its life cycle, is needed in the paper industry. Nowadays when barcode identification systems are used the identity of the reels disappear when the wrapping of the reel and at the same time the barcode are removed. The RFID tag, however, would be attached to the paper reel core and thereby the identification code of the reel is restored throughout its life cycle. RFID systems would benefit the paper industry by enhancing the supply chain visibility and providing a more automated identification system than barcode identification. In the future, paper reels will be identified with clamp truck-integrated reader units which, on the other hand, enables adding more real-time information about the locations of the paper reels to information databases but also sets challenges for paper reel tag performance and integration of RFID reader units and reader antennas to paper handling machinery. This paper concentrates on passive UHF RFID systems and their application to the paper industry. Challenges and benefits of RFID systems in the specific application environment of the paper industry are presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]