It’s an interesting take on the embedding of RFID technology in a challenging, packaging-related application.
Sonoco is the world’s largest manufacturer of fiber-based tubes and cores, many of which are used by companies around the world to package various grades and types of paper. The new RFID-enabled cores allow Sonoco’s customers to automatically identify, track, and locate paper rolls at any point in the supply chain.
IPICO and Sonoco developed a custom process by which RFID technology is embedded within the fiber-based cores using IPICO’s non-UHF dual-frequency technology that permits a long read range for densely wound paper rolls. That’s because the tag-to-reader operation occurs at 6.78 MHz, much higher than the tag powering done at 125 kHz. Each In-Core tag, available for five common core diameters from 75 to 300 mm, has factory-encoded unique identification. The tags are reusable to five round trip cycles.
“Sonoco is using this process to produce its new Intellicore engineered carrier, which is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of paper manufactures, says John Colyer, Sonoco vice president, industrial products, North America. “This technology can be read through any size of paper roll, which allows for easy management throughout the product’s life cycle.”
“Until now, the paper industry hasn’t been able to seamlessly provide real-time tracking and location for the hundreds of millions of rolls it produces annually,” notes Gordon Westwater, president and ceo of IPICO.
Major paper manufacturers have long sought reliable and cost-effective tools to help their customers instantly track exact paper roll location, recognizing that paper grade identification, storage visibility, and waste reduction are key opportunities for cost savings and profit enhancement.
“The RFID-enabled paper rolls represent a step-change in material management for our site,” reports Mike Ramsay, managing director, Mondi March Corrugated Packaging. “We have a working solution that enables automatic goods receipt and matching against the order and shipping document without any manual intervention. The system gives the site real-time, fool-proof data that enables us to determine exactly which reel has been used for each customer product. This, for the first time, gives us full traceability so that we can guarantee to a customer that the correct type and source of paper has been used. The technology is so simple to use that it provides a win-win solution with accurate data reporting and at less cost to acquire through savings in labor, waste, stock levels, and stock outs.”
