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OMET and XINK team up for Flexo Printed UHF RFID Antenna Excellence
"High-speed printing is the most feasible option to supply RFID tags in the high billions"
September 20, 2005
The technology leaders at the OMET Company of Lecco, Italy are following the
development of UHF RFID labels with great interest, carrying out research in
this strongly developing technology. Research on applications and production of
printed paper RFID antennae has begun in earnest with the production and
testing of flexographically printed UHF antennas.
For this purpose, OMET has dedicated their new Flexy press to these trials at their new Technology Center, where it can be used to
produce pilot quantities of UHF printed antennae on substrates ranging from PET to paper to liner board. XINK Laboratories Ltd. of
Ottawa, Canada has teamed with OMET to develop and test RFID products using water-based flexographic printed antenna
technology. Recent RFID antenna printing tests at OMET on a Flexy press have produced exceptional quality XINK antennae
at speeds of up to 200m/min (650 ft/min), thanks to OMET's engineering expertise.
The OMET Flexy is a multi-purpose press for cost-effective high-quality
printing of label & film applications. The Flexy is a modular press that can
incorporate multiple printing technologies (hot air or UV Flexo, silkscreen,
hot/cold foil) that allow for excellent flexibility. The OMET Flexy press
features extractable and interchangeable inking cassettes for extremely
rapid job changes. It is ergonomic and easy to handle, thanks to a single
sliding touchscreen control panel. The Flexy is equipped with a series of
advanced technical solutions, which enable it to provide exceptional print
quality and make it ideally suited for the production of RFID transponders
on press.
Options
• Enclosed chamber doctor blade inking ideal for XINK™ water-based ambient curing flexo RFID antenna technology
• Video camera
• XINK CertiScan in-line printed Resistance Monitor for RFID antenna printing
Printed RFID Antenna Solutions
Real World Tag Performance
XINK antenna printing technology results in tags performing at or
beyond design specifications of
most RFID implementations. We take the time to understand each
application and to continually optimize the processing cost and performance for
your mass production environment.
High Speed Printing
Printable at 200 meters/minute on PET, paper, labels, liner board and heat
sensitive materials, XINK antennae provide processing advantages unmatched by
any other method of antenna production.
Environmentally Friendly
XINK antenna
formulations are VOC-free, water based and can be printed on flexographic
presses, resulting in minimal environmental impact on
production, cleanup, and disposal. Silver particles contained in XINK
formulations are easily recovered in standard paper recycling facilities, and
there is no plastic waste when printed directly on paper or label stock.
XINK antennae roll off the press dry and do not require energy-intensive and
slow curing.
Knowledge
XINK has developed and tested dozens of conductive water-based flexo ink
variations in well over 1000 documented on-press trials. Co-located with
smart packaging experts Information Mediary Corporation, XINK has access to
unparalleled knowledge in the areas of EPC transponder production, RFID sensor
technologies, Intelligent and Active Packaging applications, as well as in-line and
off-line QA and measurement systems.
Global Partnerships
XINK's scientists, engineers, and business experts are called upon by
organizations from around the globe to report on the latest advances in
conductive inks and intelligent packaging applications. Leading RFID and
smart packaging teams are counting on XINK to provide the knowledge, skills,
and know-how to reduce time-to-market and risk while utilizing cutting-edge
advances authored by our team, and validated by our global partners.
The 5-cent Tag Reality
Our antenna printing technology is clearing the path toward the sub-5-cent RFID
transponder. At a cost of under 1 cent, XINK antenna
technology fulfills the promise of massive industrial scalability without
the need for packaging and inlay producers to engage in massive
retooling. Our easy-to-apply know-how, in-line quality assurance and high
production yields on your existing press equipment are the keys to producing
RFID tags in the billions at the lowest possible cost anywhere.
"XINK & the OMET Flexy makes manufacturing billions of RFID tags at single-digit unit costs a reality."
Omet Flexy Technical Specifications
Max speed
Rotary die cutter
150 - 200 mt/min (500 - 650 ft/min)
Standard lengths
10" (255 mm)
13" (330 mm)
16,5" (420 mm)
Paper widths
255 mm
330 mm
420 mm
Unwinding diameter
1000 mm
1000 mm
1000 mm
Print
Max. width
255 mm
330 mm
420 mm
Min. length
140 mm
140 mm
140 mm
Max. length
610 mm
610 mm
610 mm
Longitudinal print adjustment
± 12 mm e 360° with tooth jump
Die cut
Flat-bed die-cutter
Min. length
152,4 mm
152,4 mm
152,4 mm
Max length
304,8 mm
304,8 mm
304,8 mm
Max width
255 mm
255 mm
255 mm
Rotary die-cutter
Min. length
140 mm
140 mm
140 mm
Max length
610 mm
610 mm
610 mm
Max width
255 mm
330 mm
420 mm
Longitudinal die-cut adjustment
± 12 mm
Rewinding capacity
2 x 750 mm (29.5")
Printing gear pitch
1/8" - (1/6") - Also available Servo Driven
For further information about Omet’s & XINK’s RFID printing initiatives contact
