Send us your controller model, card type and install environment. We'll shortlist compatible hardware and quote within 24 hours.
Build an RFID asset tracking system: on-metal, ceramic and tie-on tags matched to each asset, handheld audits, smart cabinets and IP67 HF heads for tooling.
An RFID asset tracking system gives each tool, device or piece of equipment a passive tag suited to its surface, then reads those tags with handheld audits, fixed portals, smart cabinets or production-line read heads. The tag is usually the hardest choice, because most tracked assets are metal and a standard label will not read on them. This page matches tag families to asset types and shows which readers fit each location.
Assets are rarely uniform. One program might cover laptops, torque wrenches, gas cylinders, injection molds and rental generators, each with different surfaces, sizes and wear. Most are metal, which detunes ordinary tags, and many are curved, small or exposed to heat, solvents and impact.
The read workflows differ too. IT audits need someone walking a floor with a handheld. Tool cribs need to know what left and who took it. Production tooling needs a deliberate short-range read at a machine. No single reader covers all of these, so plan read points by workflow before choosing hardware.
The chain is tag → reader and antenna → software, with the reader type set by the workflow:
| Asset type | Surface | Recommended tag family | Mounting method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laptops, monitors, servers | Metal or plastic chassis | Flexible on-metal label; frangible version for tamper evidence | Adhesive on a flat area away from vents |
| Hand and power tools | Small metal or composite parts | Small ceramic or PCB on-metal tag | Adhesive plus epoxy in a recess, or PCB/FPC tag embedded in the handle |
| Gas cylinders | Curved steel or aluminum | Ceramic or small on-metal tag; tie-on tag as an alternative | On the collar or valve guard; tie-on around the neck |
| Molds, dies, fixtures | Machined steel | HF (ISO/IEC 15693) tag read by an industrial head, or rugged UHF on-metal tag | Recessed pocket with epoxy or screws |
| Rental and construction equipment | Painted steel, outdoors | Rugged ABS on-metal tag | Screws or rivets through the housing |
| Racks, cages, cable bundles, archive boxes | Mixed or non-flat | Cable-tie or tie-on tag | Through a hole or around a rail |
Never drill, weld or bond anything to the pressure-bearing shell of a gas cylinder. For the physics behind on-metal construction, read Does RFID work on metal?, then compare on-metal tags and ceramic tags.
These are datasheet figures for the tag families we supply. On-metal families are rated mounted on metal. Treat them as upper bounds: band, reader power, antenna gain and the asset itself all change the result, as explained in our UHF read range guide.
| Tag family | Fixed reader | Handheld reader |
|---|---|---|
| Rugged ABS on-metal | about 5–13 m | about 2.5–5 m |
| PCB on-metal | about 2.6–10 m | about 1.6–6 m |
| Ceramic | about 3.5–6 m | about 1.5–4 m |
| Flexible on-metal label | about 0.6–6 m | up to about 2 m |
| Cable-tie and tie-on tags | about 0.3–10 m | about 0.1–2.5 m |
| HF tag with industrial read head | about 50–110 mm maximum, head and tag dependent | not applicable |
| Location | Recommended hardware type | Key spec to check |
|---|---|---|
| Offices, server rooms, field audits | Android UHF handheld | Band version, adjustable power, barcode imager, battery |
| Tool crib or smart cabinet | 4- or 8-port UHF reader module with PCB or ceramic antennas per shelf | Port count, power range, TTL UART command set |
| Room exits and yard gates | Fixed multi-port reader with circular antennas, or an integrated long-range reader | Read-zone size, GPIO, TCP/IP |
| Machines and production lines | IP67 industrial HF read/write head | ISO/IEC 15693 support, RS485 Modbus RTU or Modbus TCP, M12 connector |
| Rental counter or enrollment desk | USB desktop UHF reader/writer | Short read range, EPC and User memory write |
A tag’s range only means something with a specific reader, antenna and band. Buying both from one supplier lets you test them as a set: we send tag samples in the band that matches your readers, confirm connectors and cable lengths for cabinet and portal antennas, and supply the command-set documentation your developers need for the modules. Tags, handhelds, modules and industrial heads go on one RFQ and ship together, and readers are checked before dispatch.
Send photos of each asset type showing the mounting area, quantities per asset family, the country of use and how each asset is checked in, out or audited today. We will shortlist tags to sample, recommend readers per location and quote within 24 hours.
IP66 integrated UHF reader that identifies vehicle tags at up to 12 m (9 dBi) or 30 m (12 dBi), with Wiegand 26/34, RS485, USB and optional TCP/IP.
IP66 all-in-one UHF reader and access controller: stores 5,000 users, controls the gate lock, opens by Bluetooth and reads tags at up to 10 m or 20 m.
445 mm IP66 integrated UHF reader with a 12 dBi linear antenna that reads vehicle tags at 10–20 m and reports over Wiegand, RS485 or optional TCP/IP.
309 mm integrated UHF reader that reads EPC Gen2 cards and tags at 2–10 m, with Wiegand and RS485 output, IP66 housing and a TCP/IP plus Bluetooth option.
Lower-cost integrated UHF reader for parking lanes: up to 10 m (9 dBi) or 15–20 m (12 dBi), with Wiegand 26/34, RS485, USB and optional TCP/IP.
220 × 220 × 40 mm EPC Gen2 UHF reader with a 5 m read range for parking and gate lanes, Wiegand, USB and RS485 output, and an optional RJ45 TCP/IP version.
Compact 128 × 128 × 40 mm UHF reader with a 3 m read range, metal rear shell and IP65 rating, outputting Wiegand, USB and RS485, with an optional TCP/IP version.
Four-antenna fixed UHF RFID reader for dock doors, portals and cabinets, with Impinj R2000 chip, 20–33 dBm output, RS232, TCP/IP and 2-in/2-out GPIO.
An on-metal tag designed to use the metal as part of its antenna. Rugged ABS tags give the longest range, PCB and ceramic tags suit small parts, and flexible on-metal labels can be printed and encoded. Test samples on the real asset with the reader you will use.
Noticeably shorter. In our tag datasheets, the handheld figure is typically between a third and two-thirds of the fixed-reader figure for the same tag, because a handheld has a smaller, lower-gain antenna. Band, power setting and the asset surface also change the result.
Use UHF (EPC Gen2) when you need to read many tools at once or at a distance, such as audits, portals and smart cabinets. Use HF (ISO/IEC 15693) when each read should be short and deliberate, such as a mold at a machine or a tool at a check-in station.
Yes, if every tool is tagged and the cabinet antennas cover every position. The cabinet takes an inventory when the door closes and compares it with the previous one, and a badge reader on the door links the change to a user.
Mount a ceramic or small on-metal tag on the collar or valve guard, or use a tie-on tag around the neck. Never drill, weld or bond anything to the pressure-bearing shell, and follow the cylinder owner's marking rules.
Compare Wiegand, OSDP and RS485 reader interfaces: wiring, cable limits, AES-128 Secure Channel and steps for a compatible access-control migration.
125 kHz cards are cheap but easy to clone; 13.56 MHz cards add memory and, on DESFire-class chips, AES security. Compare range, chips, security and migration.
Wiegand 26-bit is an even parity bit, 8-bit facility code, 16-bit card number and odd parity bit. Convert card numbers to hex and back with the calculator.
Send your card type, interface and quantity. You get a quote, lead time and compatibility notes within 24 hours — samples available for most items.
