Three Game-changing RFID Tags Introduced by William Frick & Company for Oil & Gas Industry
Weldable, FRAC, and Sling/Hang RFID Tags Pass Rigorous Field Tests to Earn First-Ever Harsh-environment Product Approval from Oil and Gas RFID Solution Group
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – July 20, 2010 – William Frick & Company, a leading producer of custom identification products like RFID tags, barcode labels, utility markers and signs, today introduced three innovative Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags that have the potential to significantly improve the efficiency of oil and gas producers to identify their valuable assets in the field.
The three new RFID tags -- weldable WoW, FRAC and Sling/Hang – were developed by Technologies ROI (TROI) and will be exclusively distributed in North America by William Frick & Company. All three tags are highly resistant to impact, pressure and water, and are readable at long range -- qualities that make them ideal for undersea operations. Each tag has an innovative attachment mechanism, like a nylon-coated steel loop or the ability to be welded, so it can be securely fastened to whatever asset it needs to track. Additionally, each tag can be laser-etched, providing a layer of redundancy that makes the information easy to read with just the naked eye.
“For the first time, oil and gas companies and others in heavy industry have RFID tags tough enough to withstand the rigors of extremely harsh operating conditions,” said Evie Bennett, vice president of William Frick & Company. “By tagging pipelines, cables, chains and other important assets, companies can become more efficient at managing inventory in the field and knowing when equipment needs to be serviced or replaced.”
In partnership with the Oil and Gas RFID Solution Group Consortium, the top five oil and gas companies field tested the three tags over the past 24 months in a variety of upstream, midstream and downstream applications. Because of the tags’ superior performance, the consortium named them the Oil & Gas RFID Tags of Choice for harsh-environment operations.
“We found these tags survived even the most challenging environments, such as down-hole, sub-sea and high-chemical exposures and treatments,” said Sam Falsafi, co-founder of the Oil and Gas RFID Solution Group Consortium. “They met the needs and standards of the oil and gas industry in real-world settings, thereby earning credibility for RFID applications beyond just supply chain management. This substantiates RFID’s importance deep into oil and gas exploration, production and refining operations.”
WoW Tag
The WoW tag is the industry’s first RFID tag that can be welded onto any metal part.
“This weldable tag truly is a breakthrough product, combining the toughness and durability of steel with the benefits of RFID,” said Bennett. “In theory, an RFID tag completely encased in steel shouldn’t be able to work. Yet this tag provides exceptional readability and durability.”
The tag uses an MSOP chip. Its frequency is UHF Class 1, Gen 2 / ISO 18000-6c compliant and can be detected from every direction due to the tag’s novel antenna design with spherical readability.
FRAC Tag
The exceptionally rugged FRAC tag fits snugly around pipelines and other tubular objects. The metal-mount tag employs a rugged chip on-board electronics design in a vulcanized rubber package. Highly impact resistant, this tag remained undamaged when tested with a sledgehammer.
The attachment mechanism is a 5/16th inch braided stainless-steel nylon-coated cable with pre-crimped ends that slide together and lock tightly when pressed closed.
Sling/Hang Tag
This is the same as the FRAC tag but its braided attachment cable is a loop appropriate for fastening through chain links and other small openings. It also has an anodized aluminum plate that can display a 2D barcode, serial number, logo and other information for identification redundancy.
Hi-res photos of the three tags can be downloaded from www.fricknet.com/images/news/pr1/Oil-Gas-RFID-Tags.zip.
# # #
About William Frick & Company
A leading producer of customized identification products like RFID tags, barcode labels, utility markers and signs, William Frick & Company is a trusted supplier to the telecommunications industry, oil and gas companies, electric utilities, governments and others needing labeling solutions. Frick offers best-in-class identification products and services customized to client specifications. The company is ISO 9001-2008 certified.
For more information about William Frick & Company product offerings, procurement options, service and solutions, call 1.847.918.3700, or visit the company’s website at www.fricknet.com.
Media Contact
Barbara Crystal
William Frick & Company
847-918-3808
barbara.crystal@fricknet.com
Tags: