RFID Tags on Clothes Change the Way of Our Life

You can see more and more fashion brands using RFID tags, including RFID labels, stickers, washable RFID laundry tags, and NFC tags in clothing for interacting with consumers. These technologies are designed to improve efficiency, accuracy, and security across various industries, especially in clothing rental, retail, supply chain management, customer interaction, and healthcare.

RFID tags are small and durable, serving a variety of purposes.

Advantages of RFID Tags in Clothing

Small and Durable Design

– Small form factor and size enables easy installation on clothing items such as garments, bed linens, and towels without affecting their use.

– Durable, washable, and capable of withstanding high temperatures, ensuring longevity and reusability. Washable RFID laundry tags can be reused over 100 times, resulting in significant cost savings.

Security and Anti-Theft Features

– Each RFID tag has a unique UID number, providing security and authenticity verification similar to an identification number for garments and bed linens. It is difficult to counterfeit compared to traditional barcode systems, reducing the risk of fraudulent activities.

– The comparison of UID numbers allows the system to quickly identify whether the item belongs to the database, facilitating immediate detection of any tampering or counterfeit attempts.

Efficiency and Cost Savings

– Improves inventory management and tracking, leading to increased operational efficiency.

– Reduces manual labor costs and associated errors in large clothing inventories through automated tracking and management.

– Clothing inventory counts are substantial, and maintaining accurate data necessitates a significant amount of manual effort. This can lead to errors, particularly during inventory in and out processes and shift changes.

Supply Chain and Inventory Management

– Enables precise and rapid access to information about material flow and supply chain lifecycles.

– Facilitates accurate location tracking of clothing inventory.

– For chain stores, timely and accurate material supply and replenishment are crucial. RFID clothing tags play a critical role in maintaining good knowledge of various inventory levels, including logistics and procurement.

Applications of RFID Tags in Various Industries

Retail, Supply Chain

Quickly finding the right goods for your clients, without needing to dig through a large pile of clothes to find what the customer wants, is fast and accurate, providing a good experience to customers, which can lead to faster purchases.

Streamlined access to material flow and supply chain lifecycle information, for inventory management, whether there is a shortage, surplus, or a need to transfer products from different stores, RFID clothing can achieve this more quickly.

It will not cause one store to have excess inventory while another lacks stock. It also allows for organizing data to understand which styles sell better, as a reference for future product development.

Healthcare

Ensuring the authenticity and tracking of medical garments for operational efficiency. Managing and tracking medical garments and linens. In hospitals, bedsheets, pillowcases, and healthcare personnel uniforms require immediate cleaning and disinfection.

There are regulations on the number of cycles they can go through before they are no longer used. RFID laundry tags can allow managers to clearly know the number of cycles.

Each cleaning and disinfection cycle can be recorded in the RFID chip.

This way, whether there is a change in management personnel or a single person is managing thousands of linens, it is possible to clearly understand when replacements are needed and when purchases need to be made.

Hospitality

Tracking and managing hotel linens, uniforms, and other textile items to enhance inventory control and efficiency in hotel operations. It is well known that hotel bedsheets and pillowcases are changed for each new guest, but due to the varying timing and frequency of these changes, managing such a large quantity of linens can be quite challenging.

RFID linen tags act as ID credentials sewn onto the linens; each cleaning cycle is recorded, and a corresponding limit is set to ensure customer comfort.

Once the limit is reached, the linens are no longer used. This approach ensures that the hotel maintains its reputation and brand image while prioritizing customer comfort.

Rental Services, Time-Based Payment

Efficiently tracking and managing rented clothing items, linens, and uniforms, simplifying inventory management and payment processes for rental businesses. The variety and diversity of clothing styles in rental shops can make it challenging to verify whether the returned clothing belongs to the shop, especially during busy periods when mistakes are more likely.

Laundry tags for clothes tracking can alleviate much of this trouble. With a simple scan using a reader, the system can quickly verify whether the data matches the shop’s records. For bulk rentals, batch reading is also possible.

Moreover, based on the return time, the rental fees can be determined quickly, facilitating efficient payment processes.

Customer Interaction

NFC laundry tags can interact with customers, collect relevant data to understand customer behavior, conduct brand authentication, and avoid price manipulation, providing assurance for customers.

It can prevent counterfeit products, maintain brand image and product authenticity, while also writing real-time product information and discounts to the brand’s official website, making it convenient for customers to access information and place orders offline.

NFC tags can also facilitate fast payment, making customer-brand interaction more convenient and transparent.

Types of RFID Tags and Materials

In clothing, there are various types of RFID tags based on their material composition and purpose:

Washable RFID Tags: These durable tags are typically made from materials such as PPS, woven fabric, and silicone, allowing them to withstand the rigors of washing and drying processes. They are commonly used for tracking and managing clothing items in industries such as healthcare, hospitality, and uniform rental services.

Paper RFID Labels: These tags are designed to be hung on clothing items and are ideal for inventory management purposes. They are lightweight and versatile, making them suitable for tracking and managing clothing stock in retail and warehouse settings.

RFID Stickers: These tags are designed to be attached to the normal label of clothing items. They are typically used for inventory tracking and management, enabling seamless integration with existing labeling systems.

Technical Specifications

Frequency and Reading Distance
Utilization of UHF RFID tags: UHF (Ultra High Frequency) RFID tags are employed for long reading distances and bulk scanning. This technology allows for efficient tracking and scanning of items over extended distances and is commonly used in inventory management and supply chain applications.
Application of NFC-enabled washable tags: NFC (Near Field Communication)-enabled washable tags are employed for customer interaction and data collection. These tags facilitate close-proximity interactions, making them suitable for engaging with customers, collecting data, and providing product information.

If you are going to apply RFID tags in clothing, setting a clear purpose, aligning the choice of RFID tags with the defined goals, and leveraging the expertise of the experienced team, the implementation of RFID tags in clothing can be tailored to meet the specific needs and objectives, ultimately achieving the desired outcomes effectively.