Plitek rolls out Wal-Mart-compliant RFID labels

Plitek, Des Plaines, Illinois, has launched its Wal-Mart and EPC-compliant range of RFID labels. The smart labels are now available to the consumer packaging, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries for improved supply chain visibility. 

‘As the Wal-Mart initiative closing date rapidly approaches, the market demand is higher than ever for this emerging Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology,’ says Karl Hoffman, President and CEO of Plitek.  Wal-Mart has mandated that all Class 2 pharmaceuticals/narcotics suppliers must incorporate RFID tags at the unit level by March 2004.  Wal-Mart’s top 100 retail goods suppliers must be tagged at the case and pallet level by 1 January 2005 and all other suppliers are required to follow suit by 2007.  The RFID tag requirements, as they stand today are: UHF 915MHz EPC, Class 1 and Class 0, until Class 1, Version 2 is available. 

‘Our RFID label converting equipment provides an in-line quality control system and is capable of using RFID technology from several sources. This ensures our clients get EPC-compliant case and pallet labels that meet or exceed their exact specifications the first time,’ says Jeff Kusiciel, RFID Product Manager at Plitek.   Direct buying from Plitek adds value to our consumer packaging, pharmaceutical and healthcare clients by keeping them more agile and profitable.  Plitek intends to roll-out out Class 1, Version 2 smart labels as they become available,’ he concludes.

The Plitek family of RFID products includes paper, synthetic and film labels, contactless cards, pressure sensitive inlays, and custom designed tags.   Common applications include smart labels, tags, tickets and wristbands. Plitek’s proficiency in the RFID market is backed by both ISO 9001:2000 and FDA registrations.  QS 9000 quality standards are practiced for those clients who require a Production Part Approval Process (PPAP). 

Plitek’s latest UHF products complement its core of HF (13.56MHz) smart products and custom die-cut products. RFID technology incorporated into its labels include products from industry leaders such as Alien Technology, Matrics, Texas Instruments, Phillips and Infineon.