Texas Instruments Inc. and Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. (SSCC) demonstrated the first Electronic Product Code (EPC) Generation 2 radio frequency identification (RFID) strap-on-box prototypes last week at RFID World 2006 in Dallas.

Using Texas Instruments’ Tag-it™ EPC Gen 2 Strap, SSCC has developed a process for attaching Gen 2 straps to printed antennas directly on a corrugated box. The company is introducing its technology to consumer products goods (CPGs) manufacturers applying Gen 2 technology to cases for supply chain tracking applications.

“TI’s Gen 2 straps are a key component in Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.’s RFID development and testing program,” says Joseph LeBlanc, vice president, research and development at SSCC.

Texas Instruments Tag-it EPC Gen 2 Straps consist of an integrated circuit and two conducting pads, which are connected to a conductive antenna printed on packaging materials or on the face of an adhesive label. Available in a dense, continuous reel-to-reel format for integration into packaging and label conversion production processes, TI’s RFID Gen 2 straps provide increased flexibility and are designed for efficient high-speed, high-volume production.

“Speed and flexibility continue to be crucial for RFID tag assembly and converting process technology in the supply chain,” says Tony Sabetti, director of UHF/Retail Supply Chain, Texas Instruments RFID Systems. “By staying focused on these two basic attributes for our strap technology, we’ll continue to introduce innovations for packaging and smart label solutions that provide automation and scalability for CPGs deploying Gen 2 implementations.”

For more information, call 800-962-7343 or visit www.ti-rfid.com.