New two-dimensional HF antenna goes into production in Germany

Fuerth and Duesseldorf, Germany: Stamping foil manufacturer Kurz has developed a new thin layer product for industrial use that will go to full production in the autumn of 2007 - a transponder antenna for RFID tags called Secobo. The two-dimensional HF antenna comprises a copper coil with a small number of windings, is 76 by 45 millimeters in size to comply with the ISO ID-1 card standard, and will initially be used in the smart card and ticket field.

 

The Secobo copper antennas, when compared to aluminum ones, are distinguishable by their high electrical quality having conductivity almost 60 percent greater. The antennas are produced using a new additive process involving neither winding or etching, which brings significant advantages. This manufacturing process is considerably more economical than that used for wound antennas. The new antennas are therefore substantially lower in price while offering precisely the required quality factor. Compared to etched antennas, the process is a good deal more environmentally friendly since it uses much less material and produces almost no environmentally damaging waste. These environmental advantages, in turn, also provide significant cost savings.

Inadequate quality control has a major impact on RFID antennas. If defective antennas are not detected in a timely manner, the entire transponder or even the finished card will later need to be rejected leading to high scrap costs. That is why Kurz takes quality assurance particularly seriously. Every antenna is subject to individual inspection to enable optimal performance. The antennas, produced to ISO-15693 and ISO-14443 standards, go through intensive checks first during the manufacturing process itself. On the finished roll, each and every one of the antennas is again tested optically and electronically.

High production speeds are achieved during manufacture so very large quantities may be shipped within short lead times. The antennas are also quickly adaptable to customer's requirements. Customer requests can be developed and tested in a timely fashion. Additional time and cost savings are realized due to easy processing. The antennas are produced as rolled goods and are built to suit commonly available chip bonding machines used worldwide. The rolls are inserted directly into the machines without the need for any intermediate processing steps. On account of their fast manufacture and efficient integration into the production process, Kurz's antennas contribute to the economical and flexible mass production of high-quality RFID transponders.

Card technology is an important component of the fast growing RFID market. Increasingly, more cards and tickets are being equipped with RFID systems. This has created an enormous demand for cost-effective, functional and reliable antennas. Kurz has developed its new antennas to meet the demands and service requirements of this large market. "The major strength of Secobo lies in the combination of optimum quality, low price and high deliverability," says Thorsten Hepp, Marketing and Sales Manager for Antenna Products at Kurz.

 

Top image: Secobo - the RFID transponder antenna

from Kurz

 

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