RFID tags are becoming increasingly popular in India due to their ability to enable the tracking of items, from retail products and livestock to vehicles. RFID technology is being adopted by many industries for its cost-effective solution for monitoring assets. This article will discuss the cost of RFID tags in India and how this technology can help businesses save money while improving efficiency.
The price of an RFID tag depends on several factors including size, type, frequency band used, quantity ordered and application it is intended for. Generally speaking though, passive UHF (Ultra High Frequency) tags with a read range up to 10 meters typically start at around Rs 3 per unit when purchased in bulk quantities; active UHF tags with a read range up to 100 meters can be priced as high as Rs 500 per unit depending on order size. In addition there may also be additional costs associated such as installation fees or reader hardware that need consideration when budgeting your project's total expenses.
Overall using RFIDs offer significant savings over other traditional asset tracking methods such as barcodes or manual logging systems which require more labour hours, materials ,and maintenance than modern automated solutions like those provided by radio frequency identification technologies. The relatively low cost combined with improved accuracy makes adopting this system an attractive option especially considering the long term benefits it brings. Businesses should consider all their options before making any decisions but investing into efficient inventory management through adoption of new technologies like these could pay off handsomely down the line.
Both active and passive RFID are frequently used to operate real-time location systems (RTLS). While both serve the same purpose, they employ different methods.
Passive RFID systems use an actuator with low power and high frequency to transmit energy to the tag. Tags absorb the radiation and emit back a coded message to the actuator with a higher frequency but lower power.
The main advantage of passive RFID tags is their low cost, which ranges from $0.10 to $1.50 per tag. The tags don't even require batteries, which mean they can last for a long time. The downside of passive RFID is that the infrastructure costs a lot and only detects the "presence" of the tag, not its precise position.
Advanced RFID technology, on the other hand, employs batteries that enable tags to connect to different access point readers across an area (like the inside of a building) and transmit data to a cloud or server. Active RFID tags (like Bluetooth or ultra-wideband) are costlier ($10 plus), but they have the benefit of utilizing a cheaper reader infrastructure.
Therefore, the main differences between these two forms of technology are
• The transfer cost from tag to infrastructure, and
• Trading complexity and accuracy to lower system cost totals.
Based on the kind of RFID system you're planning to use, the expenses you will incur will differ. Here's a breakdown of the 5 cost of RFID tags to help you be ready before you decide to select and implement a particular type of technology:
1. Cost of RFID Equipment
If you decide to go with an active RFID method, you'll have to take into consideration the RFID cost of the reader along with the cost of cables and antennas.
Because the equipment used to read isn't as efficient or technologically advanced, the equipment required for active RFID is significantly less expensive (roughly 10-fold less) than that required for passive RFID. Although ultra-wide band (UWB) devices can be much more expensive than passive RFID devices, they do have the benefit of extremely precise positioning, usually within a few centimeters.
2. Passive RFID Installation Cost
Passive RFID installation should be carried out by a professional who is proficient with tuning equipment, managing the antennas, conducting the tests for connectivity, setting up network settings, and other information. The readers are typically connected through a LAN network to a central server, which is often located on the premises and handles all RFID information.
Specialized antennas are used to provide passive RFID and have to be put in place and calibrated in order to ensure proper performance. As a result, the costs of installing passive RFID can be significant.
However, there are many operating RFID technologies that can be put in place by someone on your IT staff in just one day, which makes the process more cost-effective and less expensive. The exact location that an active reader is placed isn't essential; you are able to place it where it is most convenient and avoid the expense of having to redesign your facilities. However, ultra-wideband RFID devices can have installation costs that are higher than even those of passive RFID.
3. Passive RFID Tags Cost
One of the main advantages that passive RFID offers is a lower price tag that usually costs less than a dollar. The only exception is if you have to tag an object made of metal, for instance, in which case tags are somewhat more costly because standard RFID tags that are passive won't function effectively. Other highly specialized RFID tags that are used for laundry or autoclaves cost more.
Tags are among the few things that cost more in the case of active RFID. Although RF tags that use beaconing are cheaper than tags for other technologies such as Wi-Fi and ultra-wide band, you can expect to pay as much as (or over) 100 times more for an active RFID tag than for an RFID tag that is passive, between $.05 and $.5 for each.
Additionally, Active RFID tags are combined with wide-area technology such as cell phones and GPS to offer seamless indoor and outdoor tracking and locating, so they could be worth the expense for your application.
Another factor that affects the cost of active tags is the expense of maintaining the batteries. Some systems offer disposable tags, while others allow the replacement of batteries. In either case, the costs of life-cycle batteries and the associated labor costs must be considered when calculating the total system cost for an operational RTLS system.
3.1 UHF Passive RFID Tag Prices in India
The passive UHF RFID tags are the most prominent ones as these tags provide long read-range and high performance at low cost. The global UHF Passive RFID (RAIN RFID) market is worth 2.1B USD in 2023 and it is poised to grow further, pushed by the high demand in retail and apparel sector. The retail apparel sector alone accounts for 64% of the market share by tag volume and 72% of the market share by value when it comes to global RFID market.
In India, with increasing automation and reforms in businesses and industries, the RFID technology is growing fast. With growing demand, the RFID implementation costs have also come down from what it was few years ago.
3.2 UHF Passive RFID Label Prices in India
UHF Passive RFID inlays and labels are cheaply available passive RFID tags that are most popular in item-level tagging requirements. The Passive UHF RFID labels cost INR 2.5 per label onwards in India and can be availed at EnCStore.com.
3.3 Passive UHF RFID Hard Tags Prices in India
The specific purpose passive UHF RFID hard tags are fabricated for use on pallets and RTIs (Returnable Transportation Items), bins, smart bins etc. These tags are made of ABS plastic casing that is durable and fit for use in outdoor, extreme environmental conditions such as Frost, Heat, humidity, chemical exposure etc.
Passive UHF RFID hard tags cost INR 10 onwards going up to 150 INR per tag and can be availed at EnCStore.com.
3.4 RFID Mount on-Metal Tags Prices in India
These are special RFID tags that are designed to perform well in applications where metal frequency interference is present. Some metals cause interference with RFID tag frequency causing normal RFID tag to fail and that is why special purpose Mount on-metal RFID tags are used for metal surface applications.
Passive UHF Mount On-Metal Hard tags cost INR 12-15 onwards going up to 150 INR per tag while Mount On-Metal Labels cost INR 3 onwards and can be availed at EnCStore.com.
4. Software Cost
Active and passive RFID readings aren't useful without asset management and tracking software. This type of software for tracking IT assets and Fixed assets could cost you a hefty sum. Learn more about the features to seek out in real-time location system (RTLS) applications.
In general, the complexity and specificity of the software will determine its price. Basic tag-reading software can be an open-source program, and the integration of RFID into enterprise ERP software could be a huge expense to maintain.
5. RFID License Cost
Although active RFID license costs are usually integrated into software, passive RFID technologies typically have ongoing licensing costs for support and software updates. They can be costly, so you should be sure to take this expense into account prior to choosing an RFID technology that is passive.
These license costs are typical for Wi-Fi-based RTLS systems in which the location technology is an addition to Wi-Fi access points already in place.
So if you’re looking for RFID tags in India, kindly head to EnCstore.com where we offer a wide range of RFID tags and inlays and labels, RFID readers and antennas at competitive prices with warranty and assurance.
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