-Ideal for a variety of item-level applications including library and apparel management -

Tokyo, Japan – OMRON Corporation (TSE: 6645; ADR: OMRNY; ‘OMRON’), a global leader in automation, sensing and control technology, today unveiled a new half-size HF (13.56MHz) aluminum RFID inlay that boasts a footprint approximately 50% smaller than its current card-sized product. Compliant with ISO/IEC 15693 standards, the new inlay is the second product in Omron’s V730 HF aluminum-based range and will be available for shipment from early August 2007.

At 46mm wide by 75mm tall, Omron’s existing card-sized HF aluminum inlay (V730S-D13-P01) is slightly smaller than an average business or credit card. By contrast, the newly released inlay is approximately 50% smaller (46mm by 43mm), while achieving a read range of roughly 35cm,comparable with Omron’s copper-based inlay of the same size.

One of the most common applications for HF RFID inlays is in library management systems, where they are used in labels attached to books. While card-sized labels are commonly used for such applications in Europe and Japan, half size labels are standard in the US and in some parts of Asia Pacific. This market is set to grow considerably as governments around the world encourage investment in IT infrastructure. In addition, the inlay’s small size opens up avenues to a wide range of other applications, including tags for clothing, logistics and distribution management for pharmaceutical products, asset management and access control to restricted areas. Omron’s expanded line-up of HF inlays allows customers to choose the optimum size for their specific application.

The new inlay is an extension to Omron’s existing range of aluminum-coil antenna RFID inlays that now comprises two HF types (the V730 series) and three UHF band types (the V750 series). Omron initially introduced aluminum-based inlays to complement its copper-based products in 2005, in response to the tightening of waste management regulations in markets around the world and customer concerns over the disposal of copper waste. Now, both aluminum and copper-based RFID inlays are available in card-size and half-size formats in mass-production volumes from Omron.

Through cooperation with partner companies, Omron can also provide converted products including labels, laminated inlays and plastic packed tags. The new half size inlays will also be available in the form of labels. In addition, Omron is committed to responding flexibly to customer requests for aluminum-based inlays in formats and shapes other than card-size and half-size.

Specifications of V730 series HF aluminum RFID inlays

*1 Antenna coil pitch and roll width

*2 Tested with Omron long-range reader/writer (V720S-BC5D4A) and antenna (V720S-HS04) with the center of the inlay facing the center of the antenna and no metal objects in close proximity. Read range may vary for inlays in converted products.

About Omron
Headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, Omron Corporation is a global leader in the field of automation with US$5.7 billion in annual revenue. Established in 1933 OMRON has more than 33,000 employees in over 32 countries. Omron has been in the RFID business for over 20 years. An EPCglobal member, Omron offers a wide range of RFID products including inlays and readers for HF (13.56 MHz), UHF (860-960MHz) and other frequencies.