Recently, the so-called electronic tags related to radio frequency identification ( RFID ) in foreign magazines will become a new big market for printers and ink manufacturers. Recently, RFID and RFID conferences were held in Cambridge, UK. Experts at the conference generally agreed that the demand for this new, low-cost technology is growing rapidly. The conference predicts that by 2007 the output value of the electronic tag market in the world will reach 4 billion, and it will reach 10 billion in 2013 .
According to statistics, in 2003 , the sales volume of electronic tags worldwide was 1.5 billion tons, which is expected to reach several billion tons by 2007 , and will reach at least 5 billion tons after 6 years, but it cannot be predicted once the demand reaches a certain number. At one billion tons, the percentage of electronic tags produced by printing companies using electronic ink and existing printing equipment will be large. It is believed that this depends to a large extent on the success of microprocessors and suppliers of electronic materials in the development of plastic chips, and also on the availability of viable alternatives for the lowest cost silicon semiconductors.
Conductive polyesters have the required softness and processability, making printing a viable method for producing electronic tags and related products on a large scale and inexpensively. However, even if the technical problems in the development of conductive polyesters are solved, it is doubtful whether the developed conductive polyesters can be sold effectively at a low price, because it is necessary to compensate a large amount of research and development expenses, and the price will not be very low. As a result, existing RFID tag producers planning to become major players in this large market are studying methods that can be mass-produced similar to web printing.
Opportunities for printers
In the low-cost electronics era, printers are still competitive. The main advantage of printing is its speed, which is 10 times faster than the method used by RFID tag producers, and therefore, the cost is much lower.
The biggest breakthrough for the printing industry is the electronic display technology. Some companies have introduced a large number of printing methods and systems. Some companies have successfully tested a new generation of electronic color inks on greeting cards. Some companies study the display of numbers and portraits on cards and labels based on the discoloration of ink when low energy is applied.
At the beginning of electronic label production, screen printing methods will be mainly used, but in the end, mass production methods such as flexo printing and gravure printing should be adopted. Currently, printers and electronic ink manufacturers can produce electronic tags with micro-processing capabilities close to 100 bits , which is sufficient to provide information similar to that provided by bar codes, such as manufacturers, product serial numbers, and batch numbers. Once the electronic tag can provide a certain amount of information, RFID will at least replace the bar code used on boxes and pallets.
According to reports, in 2003 , approximately 500 million RFID tags were used in logistical shipments around the world. Once this kind of label is applied to pallets and containers, the demand in this area alone will reach 2 billion a year. If the use of airline baggage is expanded, the demand for electronic labels will increase by 200 million a year.
Retail industry
Some chain stores and consumer goods manufacturers with global brands have plans to use RFID tags on boxes and pallets in the next few years. Some companies are experimenting with the introduction of RFID tags and electronic product code ( EPC ) standards in warehouses, which means that 5 billion tags will be needed. By early 2006 , all suppliers must be able to provide online tracking of all boxes in the Wal-Mart distribution network.
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