GM and Ikonlabel advance RFID

As RFID and connected packaging take center stage at Loupe Americas 2026, GM and Danish label specialist Ikonlabel are taking RFID production a step further with a new DC350Flex RFID machine developed for demanding smart-label applications.

The new DC350Flex RFID line, developed in close collaboration with Ikonlabel and owner Thomas Nielsen, combines RFID chip insertion and backside printing in one automated production flow.

The goal is to enable efficient production of increasingly sophisticated RFID-enabled labels for markets including logistics and high-value consumer goods, where traceability, identification and connected packaging are creating new opportunities for label converters.

For Ikonlabel, the project continues a long-standing focus on pushing the boundaries of what can be produced on a label converting line. For GM, it is exactly this kind of close customer collaboration that helps turn new market requirements into industrial production technology.

'We see a growing opportunity in RFID, particularly in logistics and high-value consumer goods, but it has to work as an efficient production process. Together with GM, we wanted to bring RFID insertion, backside printing and converting into one automated flow. That gives us the flexibility and productivity we need to take on more advanced RFID applications and scale them efficiently,' said Thomas Nielsen, owner of Ikonlabel.

A key development is the ability to insert up to four RFID chips across the web, creating the capacity needed for high-productivity RFID label production.

But inserting the chips is only one part of the challenge.

RFID production requires precise control of chip placement, registration, web tension and downstream converting. Add backside printing to the process, and the technical demands increase further.

The DC350Flex RFID brings these processes together in an automated production flow, maintaining the accuracy and control required from the incoming web through to the finished RFID-enabled label.

This is where the collaboration between GM and Ikonlabel has been particularly important: combining Ikonlabel's practical experience with advanced RFID applications with GM's expertise in converting, automation and web handling to develop a production technology around real-world requirements.

'Ikonlabel has always been willing to push technology further,' said Uffe Nielsen, GM CEO. 'Working together with Thomas and his team gives us direct insight into what advanced RFID production actually requires. We can take that knowledge and turn it into technology that makes these demanding processes industrial, repeatable and scalable.'

The collaboration reflects a wider development in the label industry. RFID is increasingly moving beyond individual specialist projects toward scalable production, while connected packaging is creating new opportunities for converters to add functionality and value to every label.

That development will be a topic at Loupe Americas 2026 in Chicago, where GM is showcasing this technology.

While a complete DC350Flex RFID configuration like the system developed with Ikonlabel requires considerably more production space than is available on a tradeshow stand, GM is showing the technology in a condensed setup based on the RD350 platform.

Visitors can see key elements of RFID production in action and explore GM's approach to RFID insertion, registration, web handling and automation, and what it takes to turn conventional labels into connected products efficiently.