Troubleshooting of Inline RFID Induction Sealing Frequency Problems

An induction sealing head helps eliminate interference between an induction sealer and RFID antenna-readers that track pill bottles on a packaging line at Prescription Solutions.

There is a frequency Problem: As a point of differentiation in the mail-order pharmacy business, Prescription Solutions induction seals bottles for tamper evidence. But the sealing energy emitted during induction sealing interfered with the radio-frequency identification (RFID) antennas used to track bottles along a packaging line at the company’s Carlsbad, CA, facility. The antennas read RFID tags on pucks. Each puck contains one tag that corresponds to the prescription in the pill bottle contained by that puck. The antenna reads a number from the passive tag and downloads it to a computer. In turn, the computer triggers pneumatic devices on the conveyor that move the puck downstream on the line. The interference between the similar frequencies interrupted those communications and slowed down the line.