Q&A with Beontag: Driving Innovation in Industrial RFID
Beontag uses Impinj M800-series endpoint ICs with Gen2X to create high-performance RAIN RFID tags for industrial use cases like tire tracking.
Beontag is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in industrial RFID tagging.
The RFID label and tag company’s product development team is utilizing Impinj M800 series endpoint ICs with Gen2X to deliver exceptional readability on traditionally hard-to-read industrial items, helping enterprises improve asset tracking, streamline inventory management, and support Digital Product Passport (DPP) initiatives.
A prime example is Kumho Tire, which partnered with Beontag to develop a high-performing, M800-based, embedded RFID label — enabling traceability and data collection throughout a tire’s lifespan, from production to recycling.
Impinj recently spoke with Miika Pylvänäinen, Beontag’s global product director, about how the M800 series is enabling new levels of performance and sustainability in industrial applications — and how Beontag continues to innovate for the next generation of connected products.
Impinj: Beontag is advancing its industrial application product line with Impinj M800 endpoint ICs. Can you give us some examples of use cases that have incorporated your M800-based tags?
Miika Pylvänäinen, Global Product Director, Beontag: M800 series delivers enhanced performance for challenging environments such as metal-heavy industrial settings. Specific use cases — such as tires — also benefit from these improvements. For example, Kumho Tire has already successfully incorporated M800-based customized tags into their tires.
Impinj: Can you talk about some of the innovative solutions Beontag has developed to address challenging industrial use cases for tag readability?
MP, Beontag: Our company brings 40 years of expertise in tackling the challenges of various industrial environments and more than 20 years specifically for RAIN RFID technology. Our solutions are used in applications such as returnable transport item (RTI) pooling, railway, tires, car production, and IT assets to name a few. Each case involves products specifically tailored to ensure reliable tracking and performance in their environment.
Industrial use cases demand a diverse portfolio of RFID tags, varying in attachment methods, temperature resistance, and mechanical durability to meet specific application needs. From a tag form factor perspective, our portfolio ranges from standard inlays such as the M800-based Falcon, Pacer, Swift, and Setter, to printable on-metal labels like the Impinj M730-based Silverline family, and all the way to the most rugged hard tags in the industry such as the Ironside family, which sets the benchmark for industrial RFID tagging.
Impinj: What aspects of the M800 endpoint IC make it appropriate for use in your new tags?
MP, Beontag: Industrial customers have varying needs: some are looking for a performance boost, while some are after smaller and more compact tags. With RFID, the biggest impact on tag performance is its size, but new, more sensitive chips are helping us to optimize the performance without expanding the tag footprint. Take the example of construction tools; not all of them have the luxury of big footprints for the tag.
Impinj: Beontag has a reputation for innovative and sustainable solutions — how do you see the M800 series’ support for Gen2X enabling and supporting this corporate vision?
MP, Beontag: It is great to see the RFID industry advancing with new features at both the IC and reader levels, enabling broader adoption of the technology. Gen2X enhancements, combined with new tag innovations, are opening the door to applications previously out of reach and unlocking new value across the supply chain. They’re also supporting our customers’ DPP (Digital Product Passport) strategies. This includes providing secure, reliable data throughout the product lifecycle: from raw material sourcing, production, and logistics to inventory management and after-sales services promoting circularity.
Impinj: Are you seeing Gen2X utilized in industrial applications?
MP, Beontag: Yes, in addition to performance-critical use cases there are also tag-heavy applications where customers are looking for ways to improve the read counts. Think about a box full of audio cables. Any improvements in the inventory speed increase the accuracy of the reading when that box is taken through a portal. This is just one example of many.
Impinj: Let’s talk tires. What are some challenges associated with tagging tires? How do Beontag’s new tags for tires support sustainability?
MP, Beontag: Tires are not only among the first product categories targeted for DPP, but also some of the most challenging to tag. During the lifecycle of the tire, the tag embedded inside must survive harsh environments with vulcanization, years of usage with tens of thousands of kilometers of vibration and mechanical stress, and in the case of truck tires, even re-treading and another full cycle of use. Embedded RFID is the only solution that withstands all these mechanical challenges and can provide the unique ID of the tire after years of usage. This approach supports a circular economy by enhancing reuse and recycling processes.
Impinj: Kumho Tire specifically has been using Beontag’s RAIN RFID products in their tires. Why did they choose M800-based Beontag tags?
MP, Beontag: Once again, performance in challenging environments is key, and tires are a prime example. Tires contain various rubber compounds and significant amounts of metal, all of which can impact tag performance. The tag needs to work within millimeters of metal, inside a material that heavily detunes the tag. All of these factors need to be considered during the tag design to ensure consistent performance. The sensitivity of the tag IC helps us to achieve this.
According to the team at Kumho Tire, Beontag’s technical expertise and collaborative approach were instrumental in helping them meet their own rigorous standards and enhancing their technology. This in turn enabled them to deliver improved quality and reliability to their customers, which is a strong vote of confidence in the work we do.
Impinj: What additional embedded tag use cases are end customers exploring?
MP, Beontag: The RFID industry is clearly moving towards source tagging. This also indicates the maturity of our technology. Having worked in RFID since 2007, I have seen a shift; early on, customers often approached us after their product design was complete, looking to retrofit a tag into their existing design. Today, more customers engage with us from the very beginning of the process, integrating RFID directly into their products. Embedded tags are gaining traction thanks to their durability, enhanced security, and ability to deliver digital identity from the moment of manufacture.