The overwhelming majority of requests we get are for tags that must work for the most demanding applications. We are constantly putting tags to the test to make sure we can rapidly meet the needs of our customers. We recently ran a battery of tests to test the durability of tags in high temperature environments including autoclaves. The results are in...and they are not all in line with vendor claims.

We tested a broad selection of EPC Gen2 passive RFID durable tags and labels from leading manufacturers at temperatures up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. All tags were tested using the standard encapsulation materials and adhesive supplied by the manufacturers. Specialty adhesives were also tested so we could compare the results. Other important considerations were chip/inlay/core configurations and before and after performance evaluation. Performance testing was performed using a Motorola 9090 G since that is the most popular device among our customer base.

It is no surprise that encapsulation materials are the primary determining factor for tag usability in high temperature environments. Sadly many of the tags did not live up to expectations. However a few exceeded expectations. One interesting finding was that some tags continued to read even through they appeared to be little more than a molten blob of plastic. We also found that some tags survived better than the adhesive. This suggests that while the tags will survive they will not stay attached the items being tagged.

To be fair to our partners we will not be publishing test results beyond updating product specification information. We will continue to do more testing and product evaluations and work to deliver the tagging solutions best suited to support our customers RFID initiatives. Individuals with specific needs for high temperature EPC Gen2 tags are encouraged to contact us to discuss your specific application requirements.