Accu-Sort Installs FAST Tag RFID System
July 14, 2006 -- Accu-Sort Systems, Inc., announced today it has installed another FAST Tag In-Motion automated RFID tag application system. The customer is a leading distributor of entertainment products, and this installation will help the company meet RFID compliance standards for a large retailer, including direct-to-store delivery. The Accu-Sort FAST Tag system will save the customer $83,000 in annual labor costs in addition to meeting its RFID compliance mandates.
FAST Tag In-Motion provides a complete solution for automating the process of applying and verifying RFID tags on cartons. Accu-Sort was chosen as the RFID solution provider due to its edgeware, IT integration, material handling and RFID expertise. With over 400 FAST Suite installations to date, the maturity and configurability of the FAST Tag solution provided the customer with confidence that the system would meet their needs today, while providing the features and scalability to grow as needs changed.
The in-line tag application system installed for this customer incorporates an on-pitch tag applicator that is controlled by the FAST Tag software platform. The use of on-pitch tags, which are slightly larger than the raw antenna inlay, provides the customer with a 50 percent savings in tag cost compared to larger 4x2 RFID tags. The system selectively tags cartons destined for RFID enabled stores at a rate of 30 cartons/minute, with 100percent verification and accuracy in tag placement. This throughput provides the customer with the ability to efficiently tag more than 14,000 cartons during an eight-hour shift while eliminating the need for additional manual labor. The benefit of the solution was realized even before installation as the distributor’s customer doubled the rollout target midway through the project. This change posed no problem for the FAST Tag system because of its configurability and scalability. Doubling volume required no software changes and no additional hardware to meet the increased tagging requirements.
FAST Tag In-Motion replaced a “slap and ship” system that was increasing the distributor’s labor costs and was becoming a throughput bottleneck. “Our system allowed this company to meet their own customer’s requirements without costing them more in labor or requiring large IT changes or investment,” said Mike Kuhno, Accu-Sort RFID Product Specialist. "They were so impressed with the solution that they even organized a demonstration to show their customer."
Accu-Sort’s FAST Suite software controls the process and provides data aggregation, filtering and seamless reporting to the customer’s warehouse management system (WMS). Another key feature is FAST Tag’s ability to provide optimal tag placement. Accu-Sort’s system allows the RFID tag to be placed in the best location for the best reading performance, which can be different from the location of the bar code tag. This is particularly important for certain consumer products that may not be RFID friendly.
FAST Tag In-Motion integrates RFID and bar code readers, label printers, tag applicators, in-line verification systems, material handling controls, and data management software into a product that plugs seamlessly into an existing IT infrastructure, WMS or ERP system.
FAST Tag In-Motion is part of Accu-Sort’s FAST Suite, a collection of flexible, configurable applications that can be used as stand-alone products or combined together to provide systems solutions to satisfy a company’s automation needs. Accu-Sort provides complete solutions designed with the customer in mind from concept to integration, including installation, training, comprehensive service and support designed with the user in mind.
www.accusort.com/FASTTag01