Avery Dennison has debuted two additions to its expanding Dual-frequency (DF) range of RFID inlays, which offer combined NFC (HF) and RAIN RFID (UHF) functionality for item-level tagging in a small, cost-effective way. The new AD Medio Web DF EM4425 and AD Web DF EM4425 V12 inlays and tags are designed for brand protection, supply chain management and customer engagement.

AD Medio Web DF has been developed for pharmaceuticals and healthcare applications, while AD Web DF focuses on retail use cases. Based on Avery Dennison’s successful AD Web RAIN RFID product line, both products combine excellent performance with dual-frequency capability. Operating in both HF and UHF RFID frequency ranges, they offer cost advantages compared to using two separate, single-frequency inlays.

Dual-frequency capabilities provide powerful all-in-one solutions for inventory management and product authentication, enabling a consistent customer experience regardless of channel. In addition, dual-frequency technology offers another key benefit: shared memory functionality. By using both UHF and HF protocols, each interface can be used to update product information in real time.

Retailers can use RAIN RFID technology to establish a cost-effective inventory and supply chain management system. With up-to-date inventory information, retailers know where the item is in the store or where it is in the supply chain. This level of accuracy can help protect against theft and improve inventory efficiency such as faster product returns.

Near field communication (NFC) technology allows consumers to verify the authenticity of a purchased product and interact with the brand before, during and after the purchase in-store or at home via their NFC-enabled device. They can also access more detailed product information such as carbon footprint analysis simply by tapping the label with their smartphone. For pharmaceutical manufacturers it could mean they enhance the medical information associated with the product such as dosage information, origin and ingredients. 

AD Medio Web DF EM4425 tags have a compact form factor (48 mm x 31.5 mm / 1.89 inch x 1.24 inch), which can be easily converted into end-application usage, and are available in paper tag delivery format. AD Medio Web DF EM4425 comes with EM Microelectronic’s EM4425 V12 echo-V IC that is equipped with 2048 bits of shared user memory. It is accessible via UHF RFID and HF frequencies, enabling the use of inexpensive, generally available readers (NFC-enabled smartphones) as supplements to dedicated UHF RFID or HF reader infrastructures.

AD Web DF EM4425 inlays and tags have a compact size (53 mm x 33 mm / 2.08 inch x 1.29 inch), equally easy to convert into end-application usage, and are available in paper tag and wet delivery format. AD Web DF EM4425 also features EM Microelectronic’s EM4425 V12 echo-V IC.

Avery Dennison Smartrac inlays are compliant with ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management and ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management, which ensure a reliable RFID product that meets a variety of application needs, especially in the retail environment.