Syscan International has announced that its newly developed RFID-based Tempasure integrated solution for monitoring shipments of temperature sensitive products will be available in commercial quantities in October. The totally integrated tracking system can be used to record the various temperature ranges undergone by a particular product as it travels both nationally or internationally.
"At Syscan, our experience with RFID enhanced tracking and tracing of meat products throughout the food chain led us to conclude that an economical, accurate method of recording the temperature variables of a product once it leaves the processing plant would be a terrific asset to the entire temperature sensitive and perishable products industry," said president Axel Striefler.
"The ability to define and control the temperature parameters under which products are shipped not only benefits food processors but the entire temperature sensitive product sector. Our research has revealed that there are millions of valuable shipments of perishable products every week that would benefit from the system."
The ability to have a permanent, incontrovertible record of the temperature history of a product enhances the safety of the consumer, lowers insurance costs and reduces the possibility of legal disputes over the liability for a particular loss. Syscan contends that the real time tracking capability of an RFID temperature sensitive label along with the other component parts of the system is the answer.
Tempasure includes a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) with CF expansion pack, Syscan's recently announced CF reader, Syscan's software and a temperature sensitive RFID label which can be adhered to any packaged product. The label can be programmed to record temperature data at regular intervals or to record data only when the product temperature is outside certain pre-programmed parameters.
At any time during transportation or indeed after the period of shipment, the data on the RFID label can be collected via the CF reader, which is attached to a handheld device and transmitted wirelessly or otherwise, to a laptop or PC.
"The ability of processors to enhance product quality and safety even after it has left the plant is now more definitive," said Striefler. "The response that we have gotten from the meat processing industry in our pre-trial phase has been very encouraging; however the system can also be applied to numerous other food, pharmaceutical and medical products."
Syscan specialises in delivering RFID-based business efficiency solutions to a wide variety of industries that characteristically function in harsh and difficult operating environments. Its standardised solutions include asset tracking and quality control methodologies for meat processing, transportation, automobile production and industrial gases.