Business Notes
(Issue 2, 2004)
_______________________________________
08-24-2004 --- RFID WILL AFFECT MANY
MANUFACTURERS AND PACKAGERS
Radio frequency identification (RFID) has become one of the most visible issues
in manufacturing and packaging in recent months. At its simplest, RFID is a generic
term for technologies that use radio waves to automatically identify products
to which a special tag has been affixed. To identify or access information about
the product, an RFID reader typically communicates with the tag, which holds
digital information in a microchip. While RFID technology has been available
for years, it has been too expensive and too limited to be practical for most
commercial applications. As both the capability and cost of the tags has improved,
RFID is being viewed as the solution to some of the problems associated with
bar code identification systems.
In mid-2003, Wal-Mart announced plans to begin using RFID marking at the pallet
and case level for product receipt at Wal-Mart distribution centers by January
2005. The Department of Defense followed shortly with the announcement of their
own RFID policy for received materials, to be applied to the lowest possible
piece/part/case/pallet packaging, also by January 2005. As the suppliers to these
two mammoth customers begin to implement the technology, it will naturally proliferate
to other customers and manufacturers. Regardless of the cost and technology hurdles
remaining, these initiatives have greatly increased the likelihood that RFID
use is inevitable in a wide range of industries, including food, beverage and
particularly pharmaceuticals.
To gain a basic understanding of RFID technology and applications, visit www.rfidjournal.com or www.aimglobal.org/technologies/rfid. Many trade magazines have also covered
the technology, suppliers and applications in recent months, including Control
Engineering, Automation
World, and Medical
Design [updated link, 01/09]. Also check out an upcoming RFID conference in Boston.
_______________________________________
08-24-2004 --- AUTOMATIONDIRECT
SWITCHES WEB SEMINAR HOSTING SERVICE
Effective September 1st, AutomationDirect has moved Web
seminar hosting services from Webex to Raindance, For past
seminar attendees who may have bookmarked the seminar landing
page in their Internet browser, the new address is http://www.automationtalk.com [updated link, 01/09] .
A link to the current live seminar schedule and registration,
as well as a list of pre-recorded seminars available for
download, is always available on this site, as well as at www.automationdirect.com.
_______________________________________
08-20-2004 --- DURAPULSE.COM WEB SITE
FOCUSES ON AC DRIVES
AutomationDirect's new Web site, www.durapulse.com, specifically highlights the recently launched DURApulse line of sensorless vector drives. A high-bandwidth version of the Web site uses a lot of audio and video to showcase the product's features, applications and configuration. A low-bandwidth version (for dial-up connections) relies more heavily on text and some audio. The site gives a general overview of the DURApulse drives, and it also provides links to details such as technical specifications and the complete product manual. (In any video production, there are always bloopers before you get it just right. Visit www.durapulse.com’s “Now What” page (high-bandwidth link) and see if you can find the smiley “blooper” icon to view some of these moments!)
