The importance of UHF RFID Chips in garments and linen

The use of chips in garments and linen is all about efficient stock management and fast delivery. With a chip in garments, linen, or personal protective equipment (PPE), traceability, stock management and timely deployment can begin.

The identification technique through radio waves has existed since World War II and has evolved significantly since then. There are different types of chips, distinguished by their frequency and appearance. Low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) chips are still in use, but the UHF RFID chip is increasingly used because of its fast communication.

Advantages of UHF RFID chips:

  • It is easy to read even at long distances without physical contact
  • Each chip has a unique code, so you can track each item individually
  • It is invisibly incorporated into the article
  • Many chips can be read in one run and within seconds
  • It is harder to fake than a barcode
  • It remains readable even after >200 industrial washes
  • It can be used in autoclaves (e.g. for sterile OR packages and garments)

Applications of RFID in textiles

Many laundries use UHF RFID for logistics planning of internal processes and billing. It enables them to perform asset tracking. By registering the chip labels at critical moments in the process, one can track the entire life cycle of an item. This applies to face masks, bedding and linen, curtains, duvets and, of course, workwear.

Advantages of using RFID in textiles:

  • More control regarding new use of textile packages and exchange of items when the maximum number of washes has been achieved
  • If required, shorter laundry collection intervals to ensure good hygiene and logistical planning
  • Insight into inventory management, flow speed and optimisation of investment in goods
  • Process transparency also enables clear performance agreements between customer and laundry service, which can further optimise each process

RFID and garment distribution

The distribution of garments is perceived as a personal thing by the end user. Every employee should work in protective garments that, if possible, also look nice. That is why garments distribution systems manage the emotions of service delivery.

At LCT-Textilligence, the systems operate completely autonomously. They are installed at the client’s organisation and comply with the applicable privacy and security guidelines. In collaboration with the laundry service, as described earlier, more profits can be made without compromising privacy and security guidelines.

A blind spot for a laundry service in the usage cycle of garments is the moment the garments leave the laundry service. A garment distribution system also makes the customer’s part of the process transparent, if required. This makes the usage cycle of each individual item completely transparent.

Benefits of a garments distribution system:

  • Less people handling the textiles means a higher level of hygiene, which is cost-effective at the same time.
  • Garments are available at the right time in the desired sizes and quantities without creating dormant stocks.
  • Management information is easily obtained and, if necessary, also graphically displayed in the software.
  • Garment purchases can be reduced by up to 50%.
  • Lower error rate reducing uncertainties and complaints.
  • An indirect advantage is that by using a DLA (Digital Linen Room Assistant) with your distribution system, size changes can be submitted and the end user can communicate with you or the laundry service.

In conclusion:

Through RFID, textile logistics become controllable and transparent. This has benefits for the laundry service, the laundry service’s customer and the end user of the textiles. These are three satisfied parties. UHF RFID is the technology for the future. We tested the Fujitsu UHF RFID transponder as the best in all processes. Stable in reading performance, dimensionally stable and easy to incorporate into any textile article.

For more information on garment distribution or UHF RFID, feel free to contact us! Visit our website: www.LCT-Textilligence.com.