Printable smart shipments label unveiled
The world’s first printable 5G label has been launched helping cargo forwarders and logistics providers track shipments throughout the supply chain.
For the very first time, the label – developed by UK-based Reelables – functions as the tracking device connected to a cellular network. The company says it is also an industry-first in the field of printed electronics to fabricate an active LPWAN device with coated zinc batteries that share a common paper-thin wireless circuit.
“This is a major breakthrough when it comes to supply chain visibility and automation,” said Brian Krejcarek, chief executive and co-founder of Reelables.
“Achieving mass production and pervasive deployment of these thin film wireless smart labels will change how businesses track items, reduce theft and loss, and demonstrate accountability to their customers.”
How the 5G smart label works
The underlying technology is a reel-to-reel, thin-film manufacturing process that enables Reelables to make ultra-thin and cost-efficient wireless circuits into smart labels. The initial offering is a chipset level integration of NB-IoT, with LTE-M to soon follow as part of the 5G family of LPWAN technologies.
A key part of the core technology is the integration of a coated zinc battery on the same substrate shared with a wireless circuit. That’s what enables the thin and flexible form-factor of the smart label and its thermal printability, says the company.
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