As August comes to an end, September brings a lot of great events in the ADC industry. Below are a list of events, some of which can be attended online, right from your chair!

September 1, 2009 | 10 AM – 1PM EDT
Webinar
RFID In Construction
RFID can play a key role in helping companies manage the inventory of materials arriving on a construction site, as well as reduce theft and help improve the management of tools and other critical assets. Without leaving your desk, hear from end users about their use of RFID, and how the technology has benefited their company. Additional presentations will explain the role of RFID in various applications, which types of RFID systems are most applicable and how businesses can begin employing the technology on their construction sites.
Register here.

September 9, 2009 | 11:30 AM – 7:00 PM
Chase Field, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Game Winning Solutions Technology Seminar
Join Intermec and its partners for this complimentary seminar focused on solutions to save you time and money. You will learn about the latest in mobile computing technologies, device management, and software solutions for increased productivity.
Register here.

September 10, 2009 | 2:00 PM EDT
Webinar
Compliance Labeling: How to keep your customers happy without impacting your bottom line
Compliance labels are a way for distributors to quickly and efficiently accept products from many different vendors. Many times, a single, specifically designed label template is what stands between your customer and shipping their product to a distributor.
Register Here

September 16 – 18, 2009
Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Check-In ‘09
Check-In 09 will bring together all the major players across the travel industry under one roof to discuss the key issues surrounding check-in practices. Visit Intermec in Booth 21 to see mobile computing and printing applications.
Register here.

September 20 – 23, 2009
Gaylord Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
TMW Systems TransForum 2009 Users Conference
One of the great benefits of TransForum, and one of my great personal pleasures, is the chance to rub elbows and talk business with so many forward-thinking and innovative companies. TMW is proud to count among our customers many of the most growth-oriented and best-run transportation service firms in North America. Visit Intemec Booth #205 to understand how to save money and increase your productivity with new rugged mobile computers and portable printers.
Register here.

Sep. 22, 2009 | 11 AM – 1:45 PM EDT
Webinar
RFID in Oil & Gas
The Oil & Gas RFID Solution Group, comprising petroleum companies, RFID vendors and an academic think tank, hopes to develop a common approach to deploying RFID across the industries. Additionally, the Chemical Industry Data Exchange trade group has teamed up with EPCglobal to develop an RFID business model and foster RFID standards that benefit chemical manufacturers. This virtual event will examine the benefits RFID could provide to chemical, gas and oil companies, and explore the challenges that must be overcome to achieve such benefits.
Register here.

Sep. 29, 2009 | 11 AM – 1 PM EDT
Webinar
RFID in Manufacturing
Manufacturing companies across many industries are employing RFID to achieve major benefits, both in their supply chains and in their factory operations. This can be done cost-effectively by tracking reusable containers, work-in-process and finished inventory. Without leaving your desk, hear how leading manufacturing companies are using RFID to achieve benefits today.
Register here.

September 29, 2009 – October 1, 2009
Deutsche-Messe, Hannover, Germany
Courier & Parcel Logistics/Post Expo Europe 2009
The Courier and Parcel Logistics exhibition will showcase technologies, services and solutions from key international suppliers and partners for all companies delivering express parcels and packages in sectors such as just-in-time manufacturing, life sciences, automotive, home delivery, high-tech and global parts distribution. Be sure to stop by the Intermec booth to learn about the latest mobile computing technologies available.
Register here.

The BMW facility in Regensburg, Germany recently received a major upgrade. The plant is now employing an RFID- based real-time location system, or RTLS in order to match the cars being assembled with the proper tools needed to perform the job. This automated system provides each BMW with custom assembly based on the VIN number, allowing for a more accurate and precise process. The RTLS also allows BMW to track the location of each car and tool within 6 inches throughout the 1.2 miles of assembly line, virtually eliminating lost and misplaced items.

Since most BMW buywers prefer customized cars, each vehicle is assembled according the individuals’ needs with options such as specific interiors, seats and engine parts for each order. In the past, providing such customized instructions to the line operators was a challenge, but now each station employs the BMW Tool Assistance System (TAS), which combines tool-controlling software with RTLS technology in order to better instruct line operators.

The TAS system allows BMW to identify each vehicle as it moves through the assembly line, in addition to recognizing its location and all of the tools needed to be used on the car. When an empty BMW shell enters the assembly line, a worker encodes its VIN number onto a RFID tag and places it onto the vehicles hood. From there, the tag transmits the car’s VIN number though a series of short signals. Tags are also placed on tools, so once a reader captures a tool’s tag ID number, it transmits the data to the system via a cabled connection. The TAS software then integrates the tags’ location with the existing IBS tool-control system, which sends the appropriate instructions to the tools being used on that specific tagged car.

Once the factory’s quality-control department approves the vehicle, the RFID tag is removed and the BMW emblem is placed on the hood. The RFID tag can then be reused on another car, ultimately saving the company money.

While the system has drastically improved the way things are done at BMW, there were many challenges they had to face before achieving their results. Perhaps the largest challenge was ensuring that the RFID tags could be read accurately in such a metallic environment, since metal can make tag reading difficult. However, once the system was set up, it became extremely valuable to know and pinpoint the location of each tool needed throughout the process. In fact, tool manufacturers are now in the process of embedding RFID tags into their tools before they ever even reach a customer, ultimately hoping to make RFID a reality for everyone.

While 2D barcodes are still taking time to show up in the American marketplace, Scanbuy Inc., a global leader in mobile barcode solutions, has recently released new integration tools for brands and media publishers in order to better facilitate their use of the ScanLife 2D Barcode System.

Their new web services now allow users to generate 2D barcodes from third party portals, connecting any URL to the ScanLife network via a camera phone. In addition, outside websites will be able to generate codes automatically from the ScanLife Code Management Platform. This feature would allow any marketing professional, technology provider, or media publisher to connect their digital content to commonly used 2D barcode formats such as Datamatrix and EZcode. The codes can then be read by the ScanLife mobile application. From there, a camera phone can scan the codes to quickly launch a specific website, save contact information, send texts and more. This could come in handy for example, with retailers, allowing them to generate a unique 2D barcode for each of their products listed in their database.

Also included in the tools is a Web Development Kit, allowing any website to embed the ScanLife code management platform into an existing environment. Since both business and personal accounts will be available, 2D barcodes can be generated commercially, or for individuals looking to link to their social networking sites, etc.

Companies throughout the US are slowly starting to realize the value that 2D barcodes can provide for their business, so there is definitely a growing demand for customers to easily integrate 2D barcode solutions with their existing content. Hopefully the new integration tools fro, Scanbuy will give the US the nudge it needs to fully adopt and integrate 2D barcodes into its culture.

Choosing the right barcode printer can be overwhelming. Even after you’ve analyzed your needs, there’s still an array of terms to learn and understand, some unique to the manufacturer. Below is a list of terms commonly used to describe features of Intermec Barcode printers.

Automatic Barcode Adjustment
This feature is included on all Intermec smart printers, and allows the Fingerprint firmware to automatically re-adjust the barcode position slightly to the left or right in order to adjust for a detected fault dot.

Fingerprint
Fingerprint is Intermec’s adaptable printer programming language that easily allows barcode data to be managed and seamlessly exchanged with a company’s host system, making it possible to customize printer functions.

Fault Dots
Fault dots are created by a failing printheads’ inability to apply ink at a specific location, creating thin white lines , thus causing the labels to become unreadable.

PLC
PLC, or Programmable Logic Controller, is a device used to automate industrial processes such as on/off control, timing, logic, counting, and sequencing.

RFID
RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification, is a data collection technology that uses electronic tags, made up of an RFID chip attached to an antenna for storing data. Tags can be battery-powered (active) or derive their power from the RF waves coming from the reader (passive).

SmartSystems Foundation
A software platform that provides a single, integrated environment for hands-free deployment and management of devices located anywhere in the enterprise.

XML
XML, or extensible markup language, is a language designed to describe data and is emerging as the standard language for communicating data between dissimilar devices.

XMLLabel
Plug-in software from Intermec that creates label files that are stored on any XMLReady printer on the network.

XMLprinting
Produces barcode and RFID labels using XML data directly from ERP or other compatible systems.

XMLReady
Intermec printers that are ready for XML printing right out of the box.

Source: Intermec White Paper: smart printers

A recent trip to the Washington, DC area took me to TopGolf, a driving range for the digital age. TopGolf uses World Golf Systems’ ID Ball System, which uses golf balls embedded with RFID chips to track distance and accuracy.

Rather than a traditional game of golf, Top Golf involves hitting the ball into certain targets that range from 25 to 250 yards. Each target is divided into several different subsections, each containing an ID Ball Scanner that registers back to the appropriate computer monitor, located in every golf suite. In order to keep track of each player in the suite, players must first place their ball through an rfid reader before hitting. Since each of the 10 scoring zones are worth different points, once the ball has landed, it is read, and then assigned the appropriate number of points, which then shows up on the monitor.

While RFID is still not readily used in the marketplace, Top Golf and the ID Ball System is an excellent application of the technology. Hopefully within the next few years more and more companies will adopt RFID, allowing for more innovation.