We’ve already looked at the emerging RFID technology applications that effectively combat the endless flow of international product counterfeiting, from foreign-made knockoffs of trusted luxury brand merchandise to the potentially lethal importation of counterfeit prescription drugs. We’d like to delve deeper into the technical aspects of how the advanced miniaturization of RFID tags themselves makes them a precious tool for delivering tamper-proof product authentication and consumer peace of mind.

Big-Name Brands are Using RFID

One early proponent of RFID product authentication has been Luxottica, the world leader in name-brand and designer eyewear. With high-end eyeglass frames high among the consumer trademarks plagued by low-quality knockoffs, an innovative solution was required, which, unlike holograms, watermarks, or other brand verifiers, couldn’t themselves be likewise duplicated by the counterfeiters. Luxottica’s answer is Guaranteed Luxottica Origin Worldwide, or GLOW, an electronic authentication program where embedded and visually undetectable passive RFID tags in the bows of their eyeglass frames, scannable by a custom mobile app to verify a pair of Luxottica frames is the genuine article and not a cheaply-made fake.

Such miniaturized tags can be programmed with a unit identification (UID) code, essentially a digitally encrypted serial number for every product unit. Each tag includes a thread identification (TID), a track-and-trace capability following each unit across a proper supply chain from the factory through wholesalers, optometrists, and other authorized resellers, to discourage sales of legitimate products among the black market or other unauthorized outlets. RFID requires no manual line-of-sight scanning, enabling an entire shipment of products to be scanned and tracked with no added effort. The higher the retail value of a product, the more layers of cryptography can be added for even stronger security.

Smallest RFID Tags, Highest Quality

Of course, RFID tagging within the narrow dimensions of eyeglass frames requires tiny encapsulated tags. Syrma has taken the lead in the development of miniaturized RFID tags and transponders, as little as 2 to 5 millimeters, which can be epoxy-encapsulated or produced in multiple other form factors. While other manufacturers typically skimp by relying on common adhesives in their production processes, we’ve mastered micro-soldering to deliver the highest quality and reliability while maintaining competitive costs.

Syrma’s in-house software development resources are well-positioned to provide clients with a full RFID tracking solution by producing the necessary custom software apps for scanning, authentication, and tracking by smartphones and other mobile NFC devices. This prevents the typical headaches associated with independently aligning hardware components with third-party software. These smaller RFID tags can also be adapted to various other emerging product authentication applications, such as prescription drugs, enabling doctors, pharmacists, and patients to verify that sealed packages of brand-name medications are genuine.

Backed by 40 Years of Expertise

We contribute our 40 years of design and manufacturing expertise spanning multiple diverse markets. We look forward to discussing how we can deliver world-class products for OEMs across the globe. We understand our home Indian market, familiar with its vast regulatory and selling environments. We foster growth opportunities within India through our strong technology incubation ecosystem. We also assist global OEMs in entering the Indian market by leveraging the local supply chain and favorable operating environments for cost reductions.

Our flagship Chennai location opened in 2006 and lies within a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) for electronics manufacturing, offering economic incentives for imports and exports. This primary facility is within 90 minutes of the Chennai seaport and 20 minutes to the international airport. Additional road and rail connectivity links to the rest of India and beyond and infrastructure advantages with faster import and export clearances. We also have labor force flexibility, both technical and manual, to scale to demand rapidly.

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