Fujitsu Frontech North America has developed a new, low cost, Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) RFID tag suitable for fashion apparel, garments, and accessories. The new Fujitsu WT-A522L Fashion tag, which is about the size of a typical shirt collar stay, is virtually imperceptible when installed in the sheerest of garments.
Unlike most garment RFID tags, this new low cost washable tag is made from transparent materials and is virtually invisible when sewn into clothing or accessories. From fine silks and lace to sheer evening gowns, the new WT-A522L Fashion tag provides Fashion Designers and Retailers protection against counterfeiting and fraud. Fashion Apparel Rental enterprises will also benefit by providing precise tracking of rental garments and accessories at the item level, without having to individually read a bar code. Designed for permanent installation into fashion apparel, suits, formal wear, jeans, shoes, handbags, and accessories, the washable WT-A522L can easily be sewn into hems, seams, or under manufacturer’s labels. Fujitsu will also offer an adhesive version of the tag for shoes, handbags, and accessories. Availability of the WT-A522L tag is targeted at the end of first quarter 2016.
The WT-A522L Fashion tag is a breakthrough in fashion apparel tracking. Fashion Rental enterprises will no longer have to read individual items when shipped to, or returned by the customer. The ability to include RFID tracking in High Fashion apparel will provide positive confirmation of an items authenticity and also help reduce incidents of so called ‘price arbitrage’ where items are returned for full price by simply exchanging the retail price tag.
Fujitsu’s washable UHF RFID tags permit bulk reading of hundreds of articles simultaneously in seconds, with a reading range of more than 6 feet. Bulk reading enables streamlined automated processes and significant reductions in labor costs compared to typical bar codes systems which require single garment manual processing. Fashion Retail and Rental enterprises no longer have to unbox or separate items to read each tag individually. The Fujitsu tags, which conform to the EPCglobal Gen2 specification, each have a unique ID pre-encoded into the Electronic Product Code (EPC) of the tag which inhibits fraud and counterfeiting. The new WT-A522L Fashion tag, which measures 55mm x 10mm x 0.3 mm, is suitable for typical home washing or dry-cleaning and is also ironing safe.
