DePuy Orthopaedics implements RFID with UPM Raflatac and ODIN

DePuy Orthopaedics, a division of Johnson & Johnson and a supplier of orthopaedic implants, has incorporated RFID technology into its day-to-day operations, leveraging UPM Raflatac Gen2 RFID tags and a complete solution developed by ODIN technologies.

The goal of the end-to-end solution was to improve efficiency in DePuy Orthopaedics' supply chain logistics by automating the manual inventory inspection process for the company's Express Care sets containing titanium and cobalt chrome joint replacements. The company places UPM Raflatac's UHF Gen2 DogBone RFID tags on individually boxed orthopaedic implants, as well as the completed Express Care sets.

RFID has streamlined DePuy Orthopaedics' inventory processes as well as delivered increased efficiency and accuracy by reducing the Express Care set processing time from between 10 and 30 minutes to less than one minute. Instead of scanning each item individually, employees are now able to replenish and reship the company's daily output of 675 Express Care sets faster than ever before. The ODIN solution, which is based on sound physics and infrastructure automation, relies on the UPM Raflatac UHF DogBone tag to deliver 100 percent accuracy.

RFID technology has provided DePuy Orthopaedics with reliability and scalability under challenging conditions. Tags must be read accurately in the presence of metal which can cause RF interference, parts are not necessarily placed uniformly in boxes, and the majority of the company's incoming orders require same-day processing and shipment. The end-to-end solution offers 24 x 7 monitoring and remote diagnostics, deploying configuration and firmware changes electronically from a secure data center using ODIN’s proprietary EasyMonitor solution.

‘The accuracy with our RFID process so far has been amazing,’ said Dave Johnson, director of distribution for DePuy Orthopaedics. ‘I see RFID as a competitive advantage because now I can take some of my resources and allocate them to other areas.’

‘The system we developed for DePuy Orthopaedics was more challenging than most product or inventory applications for a number of reasons,’ said Patrick Sweeney, president of ODIN technologies. ‘One hundred percent accuracy is a requirement to ensure that DePuy's surgical clients have what they need in the operating room. After extensive physics testing, it was clear UPM Raflatac's DogBone RFID tag would be the optimal tag for DePuy.’

‘UPM Raflatac has invested considerable time and resources ensuring that its UHF RFID tags provide perfect reads,’ said Jan Svoboda, RFID sales & marketing director, Americas, UPM Raflatac. ‘Our major role in this end-to-end solution is proof of our commitment to delivering exceptional RFID technology.’