I viewed the HIDE-Pack at EPC Connection in October and left with a
favorable impression that was reinforced during a December Webinar.
HIDE-Pack consists of an RFID inlay embedded within the structure of a
package, corrugated case, or folding carton during box manufacturing.
Sandwiched within the manufacturer’s glue joint and encapsulated in a
dab of adhesive, the inlay becomes an integral part of the packaging.
It’s also protected from moisture and cold storage, as well as from
bumps along the supply chain. HIDE-Pack won Top Innovator from the
Assn. of Independent Corrugated Converters (AICC) in fall 2008.
The consumer packaged goods company or other end user is not required
to operate an RFID-encoding print-and-apply system. Instead, HIDE-Pack
uses an RFID encoder and verifier and eliminates smart labels.
Customers can use an ink-jet coder to apply the needed human-readable
information to the outside of the case. That’s according to DISG’s
Teresa Williams, who says it’s a win-win for both CPG companies and box
manufacturers. “For CPG companies, it’s a process pushed back to the
corrugator, and the corrugator can expand their product lines,” she
says.
DISG states that it reduces RFID label costs by least 30% by shrinking
the form factor from a box label to an inlay priced at eight cents
apiece.
DISG estimates the costs for a startup RFID line for a CPG company
drops from around $400,000 to $100,000. Additionally, consumables costs
versus smart labels are cut by $60,000 yearly for 1 million RFID tags.
A box manufacturer that has been using the HIDE-Pack is the Krupack
Packaging (www.krupack.com) division of Kruger. John O’Hara, vice
president of Business Logistics for Kruger, says, “Using the HIDE-Pack
technology enables faster implementation and minimizes the capital
required to ship EPC-compliant cases.”
Paul de Blois, HIDE-Pack vice president and general manager, says that
corrugator speeds represent a challenge, but confirms the inlays are
embedded and encoded at a rate of five per second. “There’s an interest
from those who like the idea of not having an RFID label application
system,” he says. “It removes a [potential] headache from their
production lines.” He notes that pilot sites have turned into
customers.
The technology also passes the all-important sustainability test so
crucial in today’s environment: After use, the box—inlay and all—is
still 100% recyclable, DISG reports.
