The Most Common Tagging Mistake
Choosing a UHF RFID tag that performs well in free air and then applying it to a metal surface is one of the most common mistakes in RFID deployments. Metal reflects and absorbs UHF radio waves in ways that dramatically reduce or completely eliminate read performance.
⚠️ Never select an RFID tag based on datasheet read range alone. Always test candidate tags in your actual environment, on your actual substrate, at your actual read distances. What works in a lab may not work on your factory floor.
Step 1: Identify Your Substrate
The surface you're attaching the tag to is the single most important factor in tag selection:
- Plastic, cardboard, wood: Standard wet inlay or paper label. No special engineering required. Lowest cost option.
- Metal: Must use an on-metal (anti-metal) tag with a special substrate that isolates the inlay from the metallic surface. Read range is shorter than free-air performance.
- Liquids/high-water-content: UHF signal is absorbed by water. Use HF (13.56 MHz) tags, or use UHF tags that are specifically engineered for liquid environments.
- Flexible surfaces (textiles, garments): Flexible wet inlay or woven textile tag. Must withstand bending and repeated washing if laundry-certified is required.
Step 2: Define Your Environment
- Temperature range: Standard tags operate from -20°C to +70°C. Cold chain and high-heat applications (autoclave sterilisation, paint ovens) require specialty tags.
- Chemical exposure: Oil & gas, cleaning chemicals, and industrial solvents can degrade standard tag housings. IP-rated hard tags with chemical-resistant housing are available.
- Outdoor/UV exposure: UV degrades standard labels. Outdoor tags use UV-stable materials and may require weatherproof enclosures.
- Repeated impacts: For tools, equipment, and vehicle assets, hard-case tags with screw-mount or rivet attachment outperform adhesive labels.
Step 3: Define Read Range Requirements
Read range requirements determine the antenna design and chip type. If you need to read a tag at 8 metres through a dock door portal, you need a different tag than if you're doing a close-range verification scan at 30cm.
Request a Tag Sample Kit
SomasRO maintains a sample kit of 20+ tag types that we can ship for testing in your environment. This is the most reliable way to select the right tag before committing to a volume order. Contact our team to request your sample kit.