Metalcraft explores growing RFID market

For label and package printers, RFID is no longer just a concept. In fact, RFID has matured to a point where nearly every vertical can benefit from the technology. The benefits range from fighting counterfeit goods with traceability to providing inventory management for retail stores.

Metalcraft, a 72-year-old manufacturer of identification products, has seen this market grow from its infancy. The company got its start labeling staplers with metal nameplates. Those capabilities evolved throughout the years to the point where in 2004, Metalcraft made a large equipment purchase to gain entrance into the RFID market. Seeing the vast potential for RFID labeling, Metalcraft continued to invest R&D resources into the space.

“We began dabbling in RFID once we started to understand the polymers and adhesives,” explains Kyle Bermel, president, Metalcraft. “We were one of the first in this market, and what really put Metalcraft on the map for RFID was our on-metal tags. In 2006 we worked with Iowa State University to fund a patent that created a tag that worked really well on metal and various other surfaces. The goal was to get to a place