Influence of Boxing Conditions on Reading Performance of Fabric-based UHF RFID Tags on Garments

UHF RFID (ultra high frequency, radio frequency identification) intelligent management technology of textile garments is developing rapidly. However, most of the existing RFID Tags such as plastic substance don't satisfy the modern garments' management in terms of conformability and flexibility. Thus, the fabric-based UHF RFID tag has been put forward. Many factors affect the reading performance of fabric-based UHF RFID tags. Although the quality of fabric-based UHF RFID tags has been evaluated, it is the lack of knowledge about the effects of the boxing and stacking conditions on reading performances in terms of the garment logistics management. By controlling variables, this study focuses on the following factors in garment logistics: boxing and stacking methods and testing modes, such as the reading range, reading orientation and the interaction between tags. The experimental results reveal that garment thickness and stacking methods in the case of usual garment boxing have observable influences on the UHF RFID tags' reading performance. The significant factors affecting a tag's reading performance are that the reader's reading modes and the mutual interference among multiple tags. This conclusion provides a guideline for the application of UHF RFID tags in the apparel logistics management.