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RAIN RFID Is Evolving – An Industry Pioneer Looks Years Ahead

May 02, 2025

The global use of RAIN RFID is skyrocketing. Application areas are diversifying, and quality requirements are becoming more stringent. At the same time, tags are increasingly integrated directly into products rather than applied as separate labels. Industry pioneer Voyantic believes the next major step in the RFID sector is a shift toward networked, intelligent, and transparent quality management. The company’s latest product release, version 4.0 of Tagsurance® 3, is designed to support this direction.

Key Updates Propel RFID Technology Forward

The new version combines two major advancements: network connectivity and encoding functionality. According to Voyantic General Manager Jukka Voutilainen, these features make it possible to examine the entire RFID production process from a new perspective.

“The combination allows testing and encoding to take place at different stages of production, and the collected data can be integrated into a comprehensive quality management dataset”, Voutilainen explains.

Voyantic’s systems now enable precise measurement of the electrical performance of tags. The encoding feature adds a completely new dimension: verification and management of the data content. At the same time, the system has been designed to scale and connect securely to the internet, enhancing usability in large, cross-company production chains.

Three Trends Shaping the Industry

Voyantic’s development work is guided by a clear long-term vision: RAIN RFID technology has to be reliable and care-free for the end users. Voutilainen identifies three major trends that are steering the industry in the coming years.

The first trend is the integration of tags directly into products. When an RFID tag is embedded directly into the product, such as a tire or a medical syringe, it can no longer be easily replaced or tested outside the product. This means testing must occur not only before integration but possibly afterward as well. In such cases, the cost of failure can be high: a faulty tag may compromise the entire product. Quality assurance must therefore adapt more precisely to different production workflows. The modularity of Tagsurance 3 supports flexible implementation across various processes.

The second trend involves the expansion of quality expectations throughout the supply chain. Traditionally, tag quality has been enforced at chip bonding, the process step where the tag IC is attached to the antenna. It still remains the single most critical production phase. However, the end users see the quality of the tag after it has passed through various process steps, where the tag’s performance may be impacted. In addition, the supply chain often consists of multiple different parties, such as converters and service bureaus. Tagsurance 3 is designed with this in mind: it can collect and combine quality data from multiple production phases, enabling a broad and transparent view of the process.

The third trend is combining multiple data sources to ensure tag quality. Electrical performance alone is no longer sufficient— a tag may seem to work seemingly well but ends up failing prematurely in the end application. Failures like this can be identified and corrected by combining other process data with electrical performance in quality verification. Secondly, the tag also needs to contain correct and reliable information. When encoding is integrated with product data in backend systems, it becomes possible to verify tag authenticity or link it precisely to a specific item or batch. This opens new opportunities in sectors where traceability and data security are essential.

“Tagsurance 3 is built to support these industry shifts. It’s not just a testing device—it is a system that integrates quality, data, and production management in a new way”,  Voutilainen says.

The Need for Testing Will Not Decrease—Quite the Opposite

While RAIN RFID tags are already widely used in retail, emerging applications such as logistics, pharmaceuticals, and food products are imposing new requirements on the technology. In these areas, the tolerance for quality issues is minimal, and the importance of quality assurance continues to grow.

“The need for testing will certainly not decrease in the future”, Voutilainen affirms.

According to him, technological development will increasingly be shaped by customer needs and the specific requirements of different industries. The company continues to develop its products in close collaboration with customers and actively contributes to the creation of new industry standards.

“Testing systems must evolve in step with applications and demands. Our role is to be at the forefront of that progress”, Voutilainen concludes.

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Webinar Series for Barcode Pros – Getting Started with RFID Labels

Feb 01, 2022

Last year, we teamed up with TSC Printronix Auto ID and started a webinar series designed for barcode professionals, who are considering expanding their offering to RAIN RFID labels, or who already are at the beginning of that journey. With TSC Printronix Auto ID we saw the need for education as more and more barcode label customers are looking for RFID solutions. 

In the first webinar, What a barcode professional needs to know about RAIN RFID Label and Tag Data, we started from the basics: what are the key aspects of RAIN RFID technology and data, how does RAIN RFID actually work, what are the system components, and most importantly, where can you find more information. 

The second part of the webinar series, What a Barcode Professional Needs to Know about the RAIN RFID Encoding Processes, focused on the practicalities of the RAIN RFID encoding process, equipment, and alternatives. 

In the third webinar, What a Barcode professional needs to know about RAIN RFID label selection and sourcing, scheduled for February 10th, we will cover the most important considerations related to label selection and sourcing process including label specifications, supplier selection, delivery format, handling, and other issues.

Here are my main takeaways from the first two webinars in the series.

Key Takeaways from Part 1 

It is crucial to understand filtering in the context of RFID systems

The nature of RF signals means that they can go through walls and various other materials. A RAIN RFID reader can read a large number of tags simultaneously and without a line of sight, which is, in comparison, required for reading barcodes. For example, when you are inventorying tagged items in storage, your system could be reading tags behind a wall that should not be included in your inventory. Setting up tag filtering correctly ensures that your application works accurately, and that requires following proper data encoding processes. 

There are 9 RFID tags on the wall, but the reader found 54 tags.

There is no “one size fits for all” RAIN tag

What do you need to know about RAIN RFID tags when looking for a tag for your customer? The difference between a barcode label and an RFID label is that the RFID label includes an IC (microchip) and an antenna. Together the IC and the antenna make up an RFID inlay. There are lots of different IC models out there and the type of IC defines what kind of and how much data can be encoded in the tag. The antenna model defines how far the label can be read. Knowing your solution requirements, physical factors such as the label size and item materials, and use cases and data requirements are necessary for finding the best tag for your solution.

Do not use a proprietary numbering system

Keeping the importance of filtering in mind, it is crucial to understand the basics of RAIN RFID encoding systems, i.e., how you are putting data into a tag. There are three data standard families available for RAIN RFID tag encoding

Following one of the established data standards ensures there won’t be issues with tag filtering (and application errors) along the road.

The fourth option is to use your own proprietary encoding systems – Please do not do it! Or if you do, you need to “wrap” your system within the ISO standard or the RAIN numbering system.

Selecting the data standard to use often depends on your customer or the industry you are operating in. Some customers may mandate that you use a specific standard, and many industries have a mandated or de-facto standard in use to ensure interoperability.

Above are my key learnings of Part 1, but many more topics and details were discussed. Watch the webinar to learn more about each of the data standard families, including the structure of the different numbering systems and example use cases, as well as the basics of data security. Webinar part two dives deeper into the standard selection process and the specific advantages of the different standards.

Key Takeaways from Part 2

Label Manufacturing Process

The label manufacturing process includes three steps. In the first step, the IC is attached to the antenna, creating an inlay. In the second step, the inlays are converted in a common backing material called a liner, creating a blank label. In the third step, data is printed on and encoded into the label, creating a finished label.

While the process itself is simple, the manufacturing machines are quite complex. Watch the webinar to learn more ›

Encoding Equipment Types and Process

The suitable type of encoding equipment depends on the volume of tags that need to be encoded. The more sophisticated machines that can process high volumes at high speed naturally come with a higher cost.

An RFID reader can be used as an encoder but it is not an efficient permanent solution.

An RFID printer is purpose-built for encoding and is best suitable for small rolls and batches. They can be affordable and process up to some thousands of labels per hour.

High throughput personalization machines can take in larger rolls and process up to one hundred thousand tags per hour, but they also come with a higher cost.

And finally, encoding can also be integrated into product production or packaging lines.

Watch the webinar recording to dive deeper into the IC selection factors, encoding process steps, RAIN tag memory details, as well as tag locking and passwords – ensuring the right data is encoded in the right way.

The Personalization Process

The personalization process includes both printing data on the label and encoding the tags. The printed data can be the same data that’s in the RFID tag or include additional information. 

High throughput personalization lines often process labels in successive stations. Combining the print and encoding in a high-speed personalization process requires accurate triggering for all the steps and making sure the stations match the process flow.

An example of personalization stations in a high throughput personalization process.

Using an RFID printer for personalization is a good option for smaller-scale projects. An RFID printer prints the barcode and other designed details on the label as well as encodes and verifies the RAIN tag data.

Part 3: RAIN RFID Tag Selection and Sourcing

Learn the most important aspects of label selection and sourcing, including label specifications, supplier selection, and delivery format.

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