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Bulk detection using an RFID gate

Are you faced with the challenge of recording large quantities of goods quickly and accurately? Traditional methods are time-consuming and error-prone, which can lead to inefficiencies and additional costs. With our RFID gate technology, we offer an innovative solution: automated, reliable and time-saving bulk detection. Find out how RFID gates optimise your processes, minimise errors and reduce your logistics costs.

 

What exactly is a bulk detection?

Bulk recording using an RFID gate is a concept in logistics and merchandise management that aims to record and track groups of goods or batches rather than individual products. This approach enables more efficient data capture and processing in various areas of logistics and warehouse management.

In the context of an RFID door, bulk detection refers to the automated detection of groups of goods that pass through the door at the same time. Each cluster can consist of several individual products, but they are treated as a single unit. RFID technology plays a crucial role here, as it enables several RFID tags within a bulk to be read and identified simultaneously.

What role does UHF RFID technology play?

UHF RFID stands for Ultra-High-Frequency Radio Frequency Identification and is a wireless technology used to identify objects and capture data over long distances using RFID tags. These tags contain a microchip and an antenna that can store information and send it wirelessly via radio waves to an RFID reader.

The technology enables bulk detection, i.e. the simultaneous detection of several RFID tags as they pass through an RFID gate. This allows large quantities of objects to be captured efficiently and quickly without having to scan each tag individually. This significantly improves the speed and efficiency of data capture, especially in environments where high throughput is required, such as warehouses, logistics centres and production facilities.

The benefits of bulk detection for your company

[Translate to English:] Zeitersparnis durch Pulkerfassung
Time saving

Thanks to bulk recording, a faster throughput rate is possible as less time is needed to record each individual product.

 

[Translate to English:] Reduzierung von Fehlern
Error reduction

Entire product groups are recorded at once, reducing the risk of errors and inconsistencies.

 

[Translate to English:] Echtzeit-Transparenz
Real-time transparency

Companies receive immediate information and thus real-time transparency about stocks and storage locations for better planning, control and tracking of the supply chain.

 

Comparison with traditional recording methods: RFID gate vs. manual counting and barcode scanning

How can potential savings be quantified compared to traditional methods? To do this, the required recording times, search times and follow-up error costs must be compared with the integration and acquisition costs of an RFID gate. A long-term view also makes sense here. The integration costs of an RFID door are certainly a high cost factor at the beginning and operating costs such as maintenance and the running costs for the RFID transponders must also be factored in.

However, a long-term view shows that costs can be reduced by eliminating search times, among other things, as this also reduces personnel costs and frees up human resources. It is also possible to benefit from a reduction in errors, as bulk recording ensures inventory security and thus eliminates the time-consuming search for supposedly existing objects. There is also a positive effect on customer loyalty, as complaints caused by the delivery of goods are reduced.

[Translate to English:] Administrativer Aufwand Wareneingang

Reduction of administrative work in the incoming goods department

[Translate to English:] Zeitersparnis Pulkerfassung

Time saving through bulk detection

Industry-specific use cases

RFID doors offer a wide range of possible applications in various industries. We have extensive experience in implementing RFID gates for specific requirements. Among others, companies in the following industries can benefit from an increase in efficiency through bulk detection:

 

  • Wholesale, distributors and contact logistics: RFID technology is the key to greater efficiency with high goods throughput in incoming and outgoing goods. Even soiled transponders or transponders hidden inside load carriers can be detected.
  • Clothing industry: RFID is an ideal technology for the clothing industry - especially for folded goods in large quantities that are delivered in boxes.
  • Logistics companies: Thanks to long ranges and very fast detection, RFID gates and RFID gate-like installations can be used to identify lorry loads as they pass through.
  • Automotive industry: Smaller parts (e.g. after injection moulding) are labelled using RFID and stored in a container. They are then recorded in a gate.
  • Healthcare: Bulk registration is particularly useful for medication management. RFID gates can be defined between different areas, e.g. for area passages.
  • Agriculture: RFID tags can be used to identify and track seed, for example. This is filled into bags and labelled, then the seed bags are recorded in bulk pallet by pallet.
  • Aviation industry: RFID technology is ideal for baggage tracking. The individual pieces of baggage are labelled with RFID and recorded together in bulk before departure. This is done using RFID gates, which are strategically placed at various points in the airport. The RFID gates recognise the tags on the items of baggage and record them in real time.
  • Manufacturing industry: In general, material flows can be tracked within the company by tracking small load carriers in large quantities in different areas (e.g. KANBAN applications)

Use Case: Bulk registration at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG

Bei Hellmann wird eine UHF RFID Tor Technologie eingesetzt

The solution

Hellmann Worldwide Logistics SE & Co. KG decided to implement RFID technology at the incoming goods area of its logistics centre in the port of Nuremberg. The aim was to make the throughput of goods more effective through bulk detection and to automate digital validation processes.

By installing an RFID gate equipped with the latest technology from SIGMA Chemnitz, Hellmann was able to reorganise the incoming goods area. The gate automatically captures all RFID tags on the dozens of packages of different sizes as they are moved through the gate on a pallet using pallet trucks or forklift trucks. The RFID technology and the GRAIDWARE software make it possible to bundle and analyse the information on the individual packages and transmit it to Hellmann's warehouse management system in real time.

The benefit

This bulk recording approach leads to a significant increase in the efficiency and accuracy of the incoming goods process. Hellmann benefits from advantages such as quantity counting, error detection (such as excess, wrong or incorrect deliveries), checking that the packages are of the correct type and correct data transfer for inventory security. Thanks to visualisation of the results, Hellmann gains transparency about the flow of goods and can identify deviations immediately.

[Translate to English:] Effizienzsteigerung
Increased efficiency
[Translate to English:] Genauigkeit
Accuracy
[Translate to English:] Transparenz
Transparency

Our findings

Despite the fact that Hellmann uses several loading ramps, it proved unnecessary to implement the RFID installation at each individual loading ramp. The internal organisation made it possible to register all RFID-tagged goods deliveries by means of an RFID gate, which was placed in a convenient area.

The RFID solution was quickly accepted by the warehouse staff for two main reasons. Firstly, no complex operating procedures are required; the containers simply have to be moved through the RFID gate. Secondly, the system saves employees numerous manual scans. In the past, several dozen packages per pallet had to be scanned manually in order to book the incoming goods.

[Translate to English:] Gabelstapler

7 challenges you might face with a bulk acquisition

... and how we solve them

  1. Areas with a high number of simultaneous RFID signals: In environments with many simultaneous RFID signals, false readings can occur that affect the accuracy of bulk detection. To avoid this, we implement signal filtering techniques. This ensures that only relevant data is captured.
  2. Identification of individual objects within the bulk: This challenge arises from the nature of bulk detection, in which several objects are detected simultaneously and treated as a unit. We enable the identification of individual objects within a bulk by clearly assigning the RFID tags to the individual objects. While the identification of individual objects is possible, their exact position within the bulk remains undetermined.
  3. Material compatibility: Some materials can impair the performance of RFID by interfering with the reading or writing of tags. Metals, for example, can shield and reflect electromagnetic waves, which impairs the readability of RFID tags. RFID transponders with conventional antennas can therefore not function reliably on metallic surfaces. For bulk detection in environments with metal components, we therefore use special RFID tags, such as hard tags or on-metal RFID labels, which are optimised for attachment to metal.
  4. Data management and interpretation: The collection of large amounts of data requires efficient data management and interpretation. With our AutoID and RFID software GRAIDWARE, we implement a software solution that stores, processes and analyses captured data in order to gain valuable insights.
  5. Confined spaces: In confined environments with multiple RFID gates, it can be a challenge to determine which gate has initiated a signal. To solve this problem, we use signal filtering and shielding technologies. While signal filtering enables the precise identification of tags, shielding minimises the risk of misreads and misassignments between gates.
  6. Number of objects and passage speed: The number of tagged objects in a cluster has a direct influence on the required passage speed. As the number of objects increases, a longer reading time is required to avoid errors during detection. Optimum performance therefore requires a balanced setting between the speed of the passage and the reading performance setting. This ensures that the RFID technology works efficiently and delivers precise results at the same time.
  7. Choosing the right transponder: The size of an RFID transponder as well as its sensitivity and performance in terms of read range and read speed must be sufficient to enable effective bulk reading. Transponders with antenna surfaces that are too small can impair the performance of bulk reading. In addition, the alignment of the antenna to the RFID gate is of decisive importance.
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Viktor Wagner
Viktor WagnerManaging Director

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