company news about Checkpoint Systems Launches New Tags, Encoding Solutions

All of these new products and services work in conjunction with Checkpoint's existing Open EPC Number Management Solution, a cloud-based software application providing complete global EPC number management. New to the lineup of Checkpoint's integrated tags is the RFID Full-Color Graphic Tag—a custom, finished tag featuring full-color graphics to meet apparel retailers' branding needs. Checkpoint's line of integrated tags is available in a variety of form factors, the company says, including swing tickets, woven and care labels, and pocket and hard tags. The various tag and label formats for such applications as merchandise visibility and RFID-based electronic article surveillance (EAS) work with Checkpoint's existing RFID Overhead EAS Solution and RFID Pedestal EAS Solution.

Checkpoint now offers three new EPC Gen 2-compliant passive UHF RFID tag inlays for apparel brands, optimized for use on apparel merchandise: the High-Kick, Whirl and Triumph models. The Triumph is suitable for general apparel, basics, denim, intimates, wallets, hanging garments, poly-bagged packaged garments and densely stacked clothing, the company reports, and is optimized for heavier dielectric RFID performance for physical inventory control and RFID-based EAS applications. This model measures 72 millimeters by 16 millimeters (2.8 inches by 0.6 inch).

Triumph RFID Tag

The High-Kick, according to Checkpoint, is intended for general apparel, activewear, soft sports equipment, hanging apparel, poly-bagged packaged garments and densely stacked clothing. It has a square shape—which, according to the company, is a good form factor for smaller hangtags and compact label formats. This version measures 40 millimeters by 40 millimeters (1.6 inches by 1.6 inches).

Finally, the Whirl is suitable for general apparel, activewear, soft sports equipment, shoebox labeling, hanging apparel, poly-bagged packaged garments and densely stacked clothing. This model offers the strongest read-range performance of the three, relative to antenna size, and is Checkpoint's smallest far-field RFID label for apparel-tracking purposes. It is also tuned for heavier apparel dielectrics, the firm notes, allowing it to be attached to a variety of locations on a garment, including on stacks of jeans and other heavy items. This inlay measures 52 millimeters by 24 millimeters (2 inches by 0.9 inch).

Both the Triumph and the High-Kick models are manufactured with NXP Semiconductors' G2iL integrated circuit (IC), containing 128 bits of EPC memory, while the Whirl leverages Impinj's Monza 4D chip, which features 128 bits of EPC memory and 32 bits of user memory. All of these new products and services are available immediately, with the exception of the in-plant printing solution, which is expected to be made available next month.