SATO America Says It's Well-Positioned to Help Customers Integrate RFID/EPC Solutions

Published: October 31, 2003, By PRESS RELEASE

CHARLOTTE, NC, USA—SATO America Inc. reports it supports the Uniform Code Council's Electronic Product Code (EPC) initiatives, adding the support of the UCC initiatives illustrates it commitment to helping the market become compliant with increasing RFID (radio frequency identification) requirements. "With the accelerated attention focused on RFID technology, and the recent DoD initiative and Wal-Mart mandate—requiring their top 100 suppliers to embed RFID tags at the case and pallet level by 2005—SATO is well-positioned to support [our] customers' RFID requirements," explains the barcode printing equipment supplier.

Says Bob Karr, SATO VP of marketing, "RFID is now attracting tremendous attention as manufacturers and retailers alike require improved visibility and tracking throughout the supply chain. We recognized the incredible benefits of barcodes back in 1979, when SATO introduced the world's first thermal transfer barcode printer, and we're positioning our resources and expertise to be a leader in the RFID arena too."

Utilizing high-frequency chips embedded in labels, SATO says its RFID Kit enables the CL408e and CL412e printers to print on the label and program the chip inside the label simultaneously. The mfr. says the kit allows these "smart labels" to be read even if the label isn't in the reader's line of vision; in other words, the reader technology can detect the chip through packaging. SATO adds the information encoded in the label or tag can be changed during its lifetime, which avoids removing and re-labeling items.

Learn more about SATO's products, which include direct thermal and thermal transfer printers, OEM print engines, printer accessories, label design software, labels, and thermal transfer ribbons, at satoamerica.com.