Mid South Graphics, a narrow web converting company in Nashville, TN, USA, has ramped up its RFID label and tag production with the acquisition of high speed inlay insertion equipment. AB Graphic International has supplied Mid South Graphics with an Omega Ti150 RFID/EAS Converter.
Mid South Graphics has invested proprietary technology into the production of RFID labels and tags and works mostly with 2 to 4 mil polyester RFID inlays that are supplied on rolls. These are then converted through the company’s proprietary process into pressure sensitive, diecut RFID inlays that are subsequently inserted into various grades of film and paper label stock. When the insertion process is completed the integrity of every RFID label is verified prior to shipment.
“With an affiliate company, RSI ID Technology, we developed the Presizzia TVS roll-to-roll verifying machine,” says Mid South Graphics President Mark Davenport. “When a bad label is detected, the machine will fail it by marking the label. When the roll is finished, the system tells us how many good and bad labels there are. The bad labels are removed and replaced.”
The company started producing RFID labels about two years ago, “and at that time a lot of it was done by hand” says Davenport. “This was painful because it took a lot of labor and time to produce a quality RFID product. Most everything we do today is automated and that has improved our efficiency. This is not an easy business to be involved in and you have to keep in mind that RFID smart labels is an emerging technology, and that means that we do not have all the answers for everything that may go wrong with a tag or label. This is bothersome at times, but if you are committed to participating in this industry it is par for the course.”
Mid South Graphics purchased the Omega Ti150 “to achieve high speed RFID insertion and accommodate large orders that have to be produced on a daily basis,” adds Davenport. “We run at up to 180 feet per minute.