Brady RFID printer targets zero-waste setup

Brady has introduced the i7500 RFID, an industrial printer designed to remove a common obstacle in UHF RFID deployment: labels consumed during calibration. The system is intended to print and encode the first label correctly, without sacrificing material while the printer determines its settings.

Automated RFID configuration

The printer identifies the position of the RFID chip on the loaded label and selects the appropriate internal antenna and power level automatically. This replaces a setup step that is often entered manually on other RFID printers. Brady says the technology can recognise chips on labels as narrow as 15 mm, supporting applications that range from pallet identification to small component tags.

Its patent-pending print and encoding functions are designed to simplify changes between UHF RFID consumables. Operators can switch among large, small, on-metal labels up to 2 mm thick and off-metal formats without generating a batch of calibration waste or relying heavily on specialist support.

Throughput and data connectivity

Material setup for the listed label formats takes less than three minutes, according to Brady. The company positions this as between two and 25 times faster than some competing models. Print-and-program performance is specified at three seconds per label, while automated encoding verification is intended to prevent void labels from moving further into production.

The i7500 RFID can also print human-readable information and small QR codes or barcodes at 300 or 600 dpi. Data can arrive through Ethernet, USB, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, and the printer supports GS1 formats for item-level EPC and barcode identification.

For manufacturers and logistics operators, the main benefit is operational rather than cosmetic: fewer discarded tags, less unplanned downtime and fewer interruptions when label types change. The printer forms part of Brady’s wider RFID offering, which includes labels, readers and software for track-and-trace applications.