The RFID Passive Label Market

An Examination of Costs, Assembly Methods, and Future Innovation



RFID passive labels have been forecast to see heavy shipment volumes, offering end users a cheap automatic identification solution in many markets and applications. Much of the anticipation arose from initiatives mandated by Wal-Mart and the US Department of Defense. Markets such as pharmaceuticals, in search of an item-level solution, also helped add to the hype. While pilots and full scale deployments have taken place, the high volumes that were once expected have not materialized, due to price points that are still too high for end-users. In a chicken-or-egg scenario, manufacturers believe that prices can come down with higher shipment volumes. There are many different participants in the RFID passive label value chain, all proposing different models for bringing down cost and raising shipment volumes.

The study includes an analysis of the role that each member plays in the RFID passive label value chain, and the relationships that have developed among them. It explains what is being done to drive the market to higher volumes, and includes an analysis of the different approaches or business models that vendors are taking. The research also includes tables documenting shipments of RFID ICs and RFID tags.


What Does This Report Answer?
  • What is an RFID passive label transponder?
  • What components are in an RFID transponder?
  • How are RFID transponders assembled?
  • Why are RFID passive labels important?
  • Where do transponders fit into a RFID system?
  • What standards exist for RFID transponders?
  • What are the current markets for passive labels?
  • What is being done to lower passive label pricing?
  • Where will cost cutting come from within the passive label value chain?
  • What innovation is occurring within the passive label market?
Who Needs This Report?
  • RFID IC Manufacturers
  • RFID Inlay Converters
  • RFID Label Converters
  • RFID Systems Integrators
  • RFID Label Applicator Manufacturers
  • RFID Inlay Converting Equipment Manufacturers
  • RFID Label Converting Equipment Manufacturers
  • Retailers
  • Consumer Packaged Goods Manufacturers
  • Venture Capitalists


Section 1
Executive Summary

Section 2
Strategic Overview
2.1 Technology Background
2.1.1 Frequency Bands: Descriptions and Key Considerations
2.1.1.1 Low Frequency
2.1.1.2 High Frequency
2.1.1.3 UHF
2.1.1.4 Microwave
2.1.2 Standards
2.1.3 High Frequency
2.1.3.1 UHF
2.1.4 Read-Only, Write-Once/Read-Many, Read-Write
2.2 Passive Label Manufacturing Value Chain
2.3 ICs
2.3.1 Background
2.3.2 Cost Contributors
2.3.3 Ways to reduce costs
2.3.3.1 Material Reduction
2.3.3.2 Assembly Improvements
2.4 Straps
2.4.1 Define/technology background
2.4.2 Why the Strap Attach is Important?
2.4.3 Current thoughts
2.4.4 Current and Future Processes
2.5 Antennas
2.5.1 Technology Background
2.5.2 Production and Material Tradeoffs
2.5.3 Current and Future Expectations
2.5.4 Costs
2.6 Adhesives
2.7 Inlays/Inlets
2.7.1 Two types of inlays: Dry film inlays and wet film inlays.
2.7.2 Assembly Techniques
2.7.2.1 Direct Chip Attach (DCA)
2.7.2.2 Wire-bonding
2.7.2.3 Flip-Chip Attachment
2.7.2.4 Parallel Integrated Circuit Assembly (PICA): Symbol Technolgies
2.7.2.5 Fluidic Self Assembly (FSA): Alien Technology
2.7.3 Inlay Quality Testing
2.7.4 Inlay pricing strategies.
2.7.5 ifferentiation – custom machines?, custom inlays
2.8 abels /Label converting
2.8.1 Wet Inlay Converting vs. Dry Inlay Converting
2.8.2 Pre-Conversion vs. Post-Conversion Testing
2.8.3 Potential Issues
2.8.4 Capacity
2.8.5 Offline conversion vs. Online conversion
2.8.6 Single Pass vs. Multi Pass
2.8.7 Additional Cost Considerations
2.8.8 Cutting Costs
2.9 Competitive Landscape

Section 3.
Passive Label Manufacturing Cost Analysis
3.1 Granular Cost Assessment
3.1.1 IC
3.1.2 Inlay
3.1.3 Finished Label/Final Assembly & Packaging
3.2 Other areas of Cost reduction and further Innovation
3.3 Memory
3.4 Customization/standardization
3.5 Manufacturing Abroad

Section 4.
Market Size and Volume Opportunities
4.1 UHF versus HF
4.1.1 UHF
4.1.2 HF
4.2 High Volume Applications
4.2.1 Pharmaceutical Market
4.2.2 Retail and CPG Supply Chains
4.2.3 Asset Management
4.2.4 Point of Sale

Section 5.
Player Profiles
5.1 Alien Technologies
5.2 Avery Dennison
5.3 CCL Label
5.4 EM Microelectronic - MARIN SA
5.5 Impinj
5.6 Infineon Technologies
5.7 Omron Corp
5.8 NXP
5.9 RSI ID Technologies
5.10 STMicroelectronics N.V.
5.11 Symbol Technologies
5.12 Tagsys
5.13 Texas Instruments
5.14 UPM Raflatac

Section 6.
Company List

ACRONYMS

SCOPE OF STUDY

SOURCES AND METHODOLOGY

NOTES
TABLES
  • Average Passive Label Cost Assessment Breakdown by Frequency
  • Passive Label Shipments by Frequency, World Market: 2004 to 2011
  • Average Passive Label Cost Assessment Breakdown by Frequency
  • Passive Label Shipments by Frequency, World Market: 2004 to 2011
  • Passive Label Revenues by Frequency, World Market: 2004 to 2011
  • Passive Label Average Selling Prices by Frequency, World Market: 2004 to 2011
  • High Frequency Passive Label Shipments by Primary Application, World Market: 2004 to 2011
  • UHF Passive Label Shipments by Primary Application, World Market: 2004 to 2011
Report Code: RR-PLM

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Number of Pages: 51
Number of Tables, Charts and Figures: 8
Deliverable Formats:
Price: Login
Release Date: 1Q 2007


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Related Press Releases:2007.09.06
2007.03.13
2006.12.13


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