UHF | RAIN RFID Tags, Transponders & Labels

UHF | RAIN RFID tags, labels and transponders are passive, battery-free data carriers at 860–960 MHz under EPC Gen2 / ISO 18000-63. They identify goods, pallets, containers and assets over several metres – cost-effectively and in rugged form factors for logistics, industry and healthcare. IDCRAFT stocks more than 20 RAIN RFID form factors, from Xerafy, HID Global and CT among others. How UHF differs from HF and when each band fits is explained in our overview of RFID technology.

Label, tag or transponder?

All three terms describe the same technology in different form factors. A RAIN RFID label – also called a smart label – is a flexible, self-adhesive inlay of chip and antenna on a paper, PET or PP substrate that can be printed and encoded. A hard tag is the same chip in a solid housing of plastic, epoxy or metal – screwed, bonded or fitted as a cable tie. Transponder is the umbrella term for both.

Form factors, materials and chips

The range spans paper and PET labels, rugged on-metal hard tags, high-temperature transponders (up to 250 °C) and washable textile tags rated for more than 200 wash cycles. More than half the form factors are designed explicitly for metal surfaces, many of them sealed to IP68. Common chips are Impinj M730, NXP UCODE 9 and Alien Higgs 3 to 10; every tag carries a unique EPC number and optional user memory. Material, antenna design and form factor determine read range – flat labels such as the HID IQ Non-Metal reach up to 18 metres, compact on-metal form factors considerably less.

Typical applications

• Logistics & supply chain – pallet, container and shipment labelling
• Asset tracking & predictive maintenance – equipment, tools, transport units
• Industry & manufacturing – on-metal and high-temperature applications
• Healthcare & laundry – washable textile tags and media labelling

How to choose the right UHF tags and labels

The decisive factors are the surface (metal/non-metal), environmental conditions (temperature, moisture), required read range, and chip and memory. On request we supply them custom-printed, laser-engraved, encoded and serially numbered – our RFID label print service runs in house. As a value-added distributor, we advise you vendor-independently on material, adhesive and memory type and supply matching RFID readers and tags from a single source.

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Our UHF | RAIN tags and labels at a glance