CICRESPI spa20060 Liscate Milano - Italy

Via Trieste, 11Tel: +39.02.95.75.41

Fax: +39.02.95.87.203info@cicrespi.comwww.cicrespi.com

UNI EN ISO 9001:2000Quality Management System

Certified by Certiquality

Traceability Project RFID Workshop

FROM FIELD TO POINT OF SALE AND BACK

Identifi cation, traceability and security of products and processes with barcodes and 2D, transpon-ders and data transmission in radiofrequency.

WORKSHOP FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF RFID TECHNOLOGIES

“To be accepted new technologies must be fi rst of all understood, and to be understood they must become a transparent tool where sense is clear and functioning is intuitive.”

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FROM FIELD TO POINT OF SALE AND BACK

Company presentation CICRESPI designs solutions and services for identifi cation, traceability and security of products, processes, persons and routes.

It is a joint-stock company, recently awarded for its 95 years of activity

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It is a multi-business company, its five business units are conceived as know-how centres specialized in markets, products and technologies. Three towards industry for coding, marking, labelling, automatic identification though barcodes, dots, tags, data transmission in radiofrequency RFID, quality control, hot stamping, pad, digital ink-jet and thermal transfer printing. Two towards the tertiary and Public Administration for security of documents and money, paper treatment, interior and exterior architectural signage, lightboxes and exhibition of messages.

For the industrial, agri-food and beverage markets it has developed, together with CICRESPI ENGINEERING a company of the Group, the RFID workshop “from field to point of sale and back”.

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In this space the company has organized the production and distribution chain of products requiring lot trackability and traceability.

It is interesting to observe in detail the use of different technologies (labels with barcode on front and tag on back) developed for different applications:boxes, bottles, cartons, pallets, shelves, automatic cash desks.

It is possible to review one’s own activity within the entire chain, and to perceive opportunities and issues of RFID technologies in an organic and global way.

The outline of the technologies involved for lot traceability and quality control for consumer security is as follows:

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Tools and methods to track, trace and verify

Coding Marking Automatic identifi cation RF Data transmissions In line inspections

Variable dataDataLotLine

Fixed dataSymbols

TrademarksGraphics

Variable data Differed Real time Non destructive

Bar-codes

2D dot codes Transponders Readers Terminals

Ink-jetLaser

MicropercussionThermal Transfer

Hot stampingPad printing

Directly HF UHFX Rays

Artifi cial visionMetaldetectors

AcuosticsLaser

Proximity Smart label Vehicled

on label

Self-adhesive label Smart label

Electronic logic – Application software – DB Host interface

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FROM FIELD TO POINT OF SALE AND BACKDefi nition of trackability and traceability

Trackability is the activity compelling a Group of Companies connected through relationships of production, transformation and sale of agri-food products to apply the guidelines of the Ministry of Agriculture for the safety of consumers.This is trackability of responsibility from Field to point of Sale.

Traceability is the reverse route, it starts when the safety of consumer is violated.It is from point of sale to fi eld.

Companies

Trace

Trace the instructions

Customer claim

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

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DEFINITION: The ability to trace and follow a food, feed, food-producing animal or substance intended to be, or expected to be incorporated into a food or feed, through all stages of production, processing and distribution, up to fi nal consumer.

Collection

Selection

Processing

Stocking

Distribution

Points of sales

Points of sales

Points of sales

Points of sales

Consumer

Tr

ac

ka

bil

ity

Tr

ac

ea

bil

ity

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Farms grow and collect

Factories transform and pack

Large Scale Retailers distribute

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Consumer is satisfi ed

Consumer claims

CONCONSUMSUMERER

CONCONSUMSUMERER

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FROM FIELD TO POINT OF SALE AND BACKTrackability process of the activities of a production chain

“a set of related activities to get a secure product”

Transformation Filling

Environment / Conditioning

Packages / Means

Criteria / Machines

Environment / Conditioning

Methods / Machines / Containers

1 Location / Ground treatment / Used products

Field Collection Stocking Selection Transport Ind. Stock Processes

Input

Instructions

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

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Retail Logistics

Series of operations

Mapping

Tertiary packaging / labelling EAN-SSCC / IDa

Primary / Secondary packaging / coding / ID automatic

Packaging Palletizing Stocking Ord. prep. Distribution Consume

Output

Customer satisfaction

Quality andsafety ensured

Instructions

To each activity we associate instructions and responsibilities for trackability. Thanks to the guidelines for the editing of the traceability manual, decreed by the Ministry of Agriculture, all subjects involved within the chain, procedures and manuals for data recording are identifi ed, in order to allow an effi cient revision of the production process.

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FROM FIELD TO POINT OF SALE AND BACKBarcode and transponder, technology evolution for automatic identifi cation

Barcode for product unit

EANNational

Prefi x

EAN Company Prefi x

Codeof the

product

Controldigit

Code ofthe mark

owner

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UCC/EAN 128 barcode for multi-products packaging, the carton box.

Lot

Expiry date

Package code

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BARCODES FOR THE PALLET UNIT: UCC/EAN 128 AND SSCC Numerical SSCC code is an univocal, serial number assigned to the logistic unit, identifying each single pallet or carton box. It is composed of 18 digits:

Control digit

Sequential part of code SSCC

Indicod code assigned to the company

Italy

*Digit from 0 to 9, to be chosen by the company assigning SSCC. Indicod-ECR suggests using sequential logic.

Data identifi ers: (00) = SSCC, sequential number of the parcel

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TRANSPONDER FOR INTELLIGENT OBJECTS AND LABELS Transponder is a component with a thickness of a few microns composed of: antenna, microchip (memory from ten to approximately some thousand bytes up to 2000 digits) and support. In this version it can be mounted on an adhesive material, inserted into a cardboard or in particular containers or laminated within a plastic card, thus constituting the family of SMART CARDS and LABELS, intelligent labels for RFID writing and reading.

Glue Chip Bonding Test

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FROM FIELD TO POINT OF SALE AND BACKFrom the guidelines of the Ministry of Agriculture to lot trackability.

Methods for coding primary, secondary and tertiary packaging

PRIMARY PACKAGING

=

PRODUCT UNIT

=

ALPHANUMERICAL AND BARCODES

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ALPHANUMERICAL CODES

• Expiry date

• Production date

• Lot number

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BARCODES EAN 13

For product unit

• Trays

• Flasks

• Jars

• Bottles

• Tanks

• Pots

• Blisters

• Cases

• Sachets

• Promotional

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TraTraysys FlaFlaskssks JarJarss

BotBottletless TanTanksks PotPotss

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PotPotss BliBlistestersrs PrePre-fo-foldelded sd sheeheetsts

SacSachethetss BunBundledles as and nd carcartontonssProPromotmotionionalal

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SECONDARY PACKAGING = MULTI-PRODUCTS UNIT = CARTON BOX

Barcodes UCC/EAN 128

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TERTIARY PACKAGING = MULTI-CARTONS UNIT = PALLET

Barcodes UCC/EAN 128 and SSCC

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FROM FIELD TO POINT OF SALE AND BACKRFID WorkshopLot traceability chain in 10 steps

FIELDWe start from the fi eld where, for the sake of traceability, during the collection the farmer identifi es the production by applying on each box a label featuring data of fi eld and collection date.

For this step a thermal transfer printer for barcodes, equipped with an RFID antenna, calibrated on the frequency HF = 15.56 MHz, to record the same information on the transponder microchip, is used.

FACTORYWhen the factory receives the product, it identifi es the single box by reading the barcode featured on the label. Reading can be performed with a barcode scanner or a reader equipped with an RFID antenna.

Production process continues, for example, by extracting a bottled juice.

Each juice bottle runs through an inspection system checking the eventual presence of foreign bodies, and through a Taptone system ensuring the tightening of the container.

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Bottle is now ready to be codifi ed with lot number and Best Before indication. To print these data ink-jet or laser coders are used. In the computer system such elements are connected to the starting lot of the farmer.

Therefore bottle is labelled with a smart label featuring information both clear (with barcode) and in RFID.When the secondary packaging is formed, in the demo it is a six-piece unit, the information collected so far, joined by the number of pieces per each carton box, is written on the multiple packaging through the application of a smart label. In this case the frequency changes, to read at longer distances UHF is used.

Equipment “Lampo RFID” assembled in the workshop, is provided with a scanner checking that the information featured on the label is correct.Once the pallet has been formed by carton boxes, already marked as described, this can be identifi ed either exploiting barcode technology, or though an antennas system operating in UHF, or in both ways.Presently, in our workshop we have a controller antenna connected to central PC and three antennas detecting the tags featured on the multiple packaging, thus verifying what is present on the pallet.

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Pallet is labelled and collected information is exploited to create loads for shipment. Pallet, becoming a “load unit”, can be managed with the same principle: reading through barcode or antennas.

In the workshop for pallet labelling we use equipment “Termologitron”, an electro-pneumatic labelling machine, printing during the translation of the application arm, saving dead times, up to the point to get a double application with a guaranteed speed of four pallets per minute.

LARGE SCALE RETAILWhen the pallet reaches a warehouse or a deposit of a large scale retailer, an antennas system identifi es it when entering, loading it at stock and indicating in which area it should be placed. Here another antennas system, making the shelf intelligent, is able to signal immediately the contents.When the entire pallet or the single boxes are taken to be exposed at the point of sale, inventory is automatically updated and moreover, when the cart containing the labelled products runs through the magnetic fi eld of the antennas located near the cash desks, the receipt ticket is automatically self-compiled.

At this point it is not diffi cult to follow the reverse route up to the collection fi eld: in fact, by exploiting the memorized information, we get a perfect traceability.

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RFID WORKSHOP IN 10 STEPS

Identifi cation of the cash desks with barcode UCC/EAN 128 and coding RFID

Printer of self-adhesive labels in reel, thermal transfer printing technology.

Machine set for reading-writing of HF smart labels.

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Identifi cation of products of different origin, processing and bottling.

Palm terminal to decode fi elds data.

2

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Quality Control

Inspection system to check foreign bodies.

Checking of containers tightening.

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FACFACFAFACTORTORTORTOROROROROROROOORRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Primary Packaging

Ink-jet or laser coders to mark production lot and expiry date.Head to print and apply the label on primary packaging.Thermal transfer technology, machine set for reading-writing of HF smart labels.

4

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Secondary Packaging (carton box)

Head to print and apply the label on carton box.

Technology UHF radiofrequency.

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FACFACFAFACTORTORTORTOROROROROROROOORRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

Pallet identifi cation

Port with UHF antennas for data reception and transmission from carton boxes to the computer processing the label and sending it to the printer.

Logistic label size A5, 150x210 mm, with barcodes UCC/EAN 128, SSCC and transponders.

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Goods shipment

Palm terminal for stock unloading.

Computer for the traceability of the production process.

7FACFACFAFACTORTORTORTOROROROROROROOORRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

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Goods reception at large scale retailer site

Port with UHF antennas and manual barcode reader to decode factory data.

Stock loading.Computer to manage large scale retailer stock.

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Warehouse stocking

Intelligent shelf equipped with UHF antennas for real time management of goods handling.

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Point of sale

Intelligent cash desk with HF antennas to read smart labels and code EAN 13 reader.

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FROM FIELD TO POINT OF SALE AND BACKNetwork and computer supports for connections between 1-10 and host

1- Field andcollection

9- Warehouse stocking

2- Transformation

8- Goods reception at retailer site

7- Shipment

3- Quality control

4- Coding and labelling primary packaging

6- Pallet arranging and labelling

5- Secondary packaging and labelling

10- Point of sale

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Automatic identifi cation is the recognition of the product and the trackability and traceability process through optical reading of barcodes, and electro-magnetic of tags.

Data transmission in radiofrequency is the network of computer telecommunication which allows knowing in real time where we are, what we are doing and what to do.

Electronic media

The workshop can be divided into three large areas:

The fi eld with the printer identifying the farmer and his product, the industry managing the necessary information for traceability (from identifi cation of the incoming raw materials to the output pallets) with a central unit, the real logistics with the management of loads, stocks and points of sale.

The fi rst area is intentionally simple, to be managed also by medium-small or simply structured companies.

Industry section includes a host computer, a network connection and specifi c software.

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All the above allows to command and control the activity of the RFID readers, to send the necessary setup commands to their software, to receive messages when tags are read, to read tags buffers and download information, to grant visibility to reading operations and to supply the right interface to users.

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Software of the industry section, in its turn, is dividable into three parts: fi rst is connection of central PC with the palms (exploiting RF technology for data transmission) or with the antennas placed in strategic points of the factory. Such tools are necessary when the relevant operations are performed in an area of the factory non covered by the company network0.

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The second part of the software associates the supplier code to each production lot, in this stage even the printing of all the labels featuring lot and expiry date on primary and secondary packaging is managed.

The third part of the software manages pallets, SSCC codes and connects these data to the company management software for the inventory.To end the research and load the single truck, it is necessary to get similar terminals to the ones used for the incoming processes.

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In the workshop the two most used frequencies in industry can be experimented: HF = 13.56 MHz, already standardized by ISO norms, ensuring use and inclusion in company structures, and UHF frequency not standardized yet, but granting a reading of more than one meter.

Product identifi cation

Incoming pallet

SSCC assignment

Label sent to the printer

Data sent to management software

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Logistic section is composed of two parts:Management of loads and stocks.

Real time shelf scanning to automatically manage the inventory

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Management of point of sale.

Real time cash desk scanning to automatically issue receipt ticket

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FROM FIELD TO POINT OF SALE AND BACKAttending customers step by step

Through its workshop CICRESPI intends to supply a valid technical - educational support to users, developers and implementers of systems for traceability in general and RFID in particular, by helping them to develop personalized solutions, allowing them to deepen experimentation of this technology on the most critical areas.

In our workshop also wider corporate targets are pursued, such as: studies on the manners of propagation of signals, on possible interferences, evaluations on the performances of different antennas, progressive improvement of software, and even more.

To face each specifi c customer problem, we try to reproduce in our workshop the most realistic conditions as possible; hence the section of pallet labelling is in real dimensions, and each machine used (checkers, printers, labellers, etc.) is standard; it is even possible to mount, each time in a different way, antennas and readers with more active readers at the same time.

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During the adjustment of the project, each issue affecting the fi nal performance of the installation is investigated.

The approach is to face each trackability and RFID project by considering the kind of objects to support, where the tag should be placed, which kind of tags and readers to choose, if it will be necessary to add insulating items, and moreover which can be the limits of the system chosen and the packaging materials involved.

Other factors effect the fi nal result: distance between transmitter and reader, features of the transmitting and receiving antennas (shape, frequency, etc.), eventual signals weakening in all different steps, interferences in the environment (those among readers due to the presence of more readers at the same time, those among close channels due to strong signals in close frequencies).

All these elements must be carefully screened to get the desired result.

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FROM FIELD TO POINT OF SALE AND BACKThe future

Initially the development of RFID should concentrate on services and processes using reusable transponders, following the standards already accepted for passive transponders.

When new technologies and standards will be mature, RFID will develop as individual identifi cation of fi nished products and introduction of low cost passive transponders.

Such developments will allow creating best practices to progress from “RFID project” to “RFID product”, and in such steps the role of the workshops will be essential in the transformation of the RFID into commodity.

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CICRESPI, strategic partner

VIDEOJET TECHNOLOGIES INC., brands Videojet, Marsh, Cheshire

AVERY DENNISON, labelling systems and RFID applications.

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You are invited to reserve your datein Liscate Milano, ItalyVia Trieste, 11to visit our RFID workshope-mail: sabina.resmini@cicrespi.comTel: +39.02.95.75.42.03Fax: +39.02.95.75.42.04

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