SICK showcases new RFID interrogator

SICK (Booth 1031) launched a new radio frequency identification (RFID) interrogator at ProMat.

The RFU630 RFID Interrogator is an ultra-high frequency (UHF) read/write unit that includes a sophisticated controller, antenna and communications protocols in an industrial IP67 housing.

Key applications include bin, tote or tray tracking in warehouse settings, often for high-value goods that are small and unstable, or other goods don’t lend themselves to line-of-sight bar code reads, said Brian Orstad, a senior product manager with SICK. The interrogator is also suited to settings that are wet or harsh, or where products have to be painted or treated, thus making conventional bar coding impossible or unreliable. Some of the first uses for the interrogator have been in the automotive sector in Germany, said Ostad, where the unit supports tracking in paint operations.

Useability and ease of deployment is a major area of advantage for the unit, added Ostad, offering features like parameter cloning, a LED indicator for troubleshooting, and rapid setup with SICK’s device configuration tool. “It’s very people-friendly to set up and use,” he said. “The time needed to get it into use is minimal.”

ProMat 2013 is scheduled to be held January 21-24, 2013 in Chicago’s McCormick Place South. The tradeshow will showcase the latest manufacturing, distribution and supply chain solutions in the material handling and logistics industry. Modern’s complete ProMat 2013 coverage.