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On-metal tags

UHF RFID on-metal tags

Short answer

The on-metal tag catalog lists 34 models in 5 families: 19 FR4 on-metal tags, 5 ceramic on-metal tags, 2 flexible PET on-metal tags, 7 plastic-housed on-metal tags and 1 printable on-metal tag. Height runs from 1.25 to 11 mm. Every model is made for metal surfaces and is fixed with tape, and many can also be fixed with screw, rivet or glue. Every performance figure is supplier-stated.
Models
34
Footprint
5 x 5 to 88 x 56.5 mm
Height
1.25 to 11 mm
Operating
-40 to +115 °C
Supplier-stated, across models

1.0Families

The families in this division

  • FR4 on-metal tags

    Rigid FR4 board tags for metal surfaces, from 5 mm discs to 100 x 30 mm boards. The small models use tape. Larger models add screw, rivet or glue fixing.

    Models
    19
    Footprint
    5 x 5 to 100 x 30 mm
    Height
    1.6 to 3.4 mm
    Operating
    -25 to +85 °C

  • Ceramic on-metal tags

    Small, hard ceramic tags for metal surfaces: discs of 10 and 16 mm and rectangles from 13 x 9 to 25 x 25 mm. All five list 512 bit of user memory and tape mounting.

    Models
    5
    Footprint
    10 x 10 to 25 x 25 mm
    Height
    1.8 to 3 mm
    Operating
    -25 to +85 °C

  • Flexible PET on-metal tags

    Thin label-style PET tags for flat metal surfaces, 73 or 103 mm long, 25 mm wide and under 2 mm high. Both list tape mounting, Monza 4QT and barcode printing.

    Models
    2
    Footprint
    73 x 25 to 103 x 25 mm
    Height
    1.7 to 1.8 mm
    Operating
    -20 to +70 °C

  • Plastic-housed on-metal tags

    UHF tags in a plastic housing or plate for metal surfaces, 35 x 12 to 155 x 30 mm plus an 88 x 56.5 mm plate. Height is 4 to 11 mm, and stated distances are the longest in the catalog.

    Models
    7
    Footprint
    35 x 12 to 88 x 56.5 mm
    Height
    4 to 11 mm
    Operating
    -40 to +115 °C

  • Printable on-metal tags

    A thin printable PET tag, 60 x 25 x 1.25 mm, for metal and other surfaces. The supplier states IP68, a curved-surface minimum of 50 mm diameter, and read distances on four surfaces.

    Models
    1
    Height
    1.25 mm
    Operating
    -40 to +85 °C
    Stated read distance
    6 m

2.0Compared

How the families differ

On-metal tags: families compared from their records. Temperature ranges span all models of a family and are supplier-stated
Family ModelsHeightFixing methods listedOperating rangeStorage rangeLists user memory
FR4 on-metal tags 191.6 to 3.4 mmAdhesive tape, screw, rivet and glue-25 to +85 °C-40 to +180 °C11 of 19
Ceramic on-metal tags 51.8 to 3 mmAdhesive tape-25 to +85 °C-40 to +120 °C5 of 5
Flexible PET on-metal tags 21.7 to 1.8 mmAdhesive tape-20 to +70 °C-20 to +70 °C2 of 2
Plastic-housed on-metal tags 74 to 11 mmAdhesive tape, screw, rivet and glue-40 to +115 °C-45 to +200 °C2 of 7
Printable on-metal tags 11.25 mmAdhesive tape-40 to +85 °C–0 of 1

3.0Read distance

Stated read distance on one footing: EIRP 4 W, on metal

Read distances are stated under different conditions, so they cannot be ranked across a whole catalog. This table holds only the figures that were stated on the same footing. Each is the supplier's upper figure and has not been tested by TagBrio. The middle column shows how many models of each family state their distance on this footing.

Stated read distance, EIRP 4 W, on metal, by family (supplier-stated)
Family Models on this footing Stated, up to
FR4 on-metal tags 19 of 19 0.5 m to 6.5 m
Ceramic on-metal tags 3 of 5 1.5 m to 2.5 m
Flexible PET on-metal tags 2 of 2 3 m to 3.5 m
Plastic-housed on-metal tags 7 of 7 3 m to 12 m

printable on-metal tags state their distances on a different footing, so they are not in this table. Their pages give each figure with its conditions.

4.0Choosing

If you need this, look at that family first

Needs and the family the records point to
If you need Look at Why, from the records
The lowest profile printable on-metal tags Its thinnest model is 1.25 mm high, the lowest minimum among these families.
The highest stated operating temperature plastic-housed on-metal tags One of its models states an operating maximum of 115 °C, the highest among these families (supplier-stated).
The longest stated read distance plastic-housed on-metal tags On the shared footing (EIRP 4 W, on metal) its longest model states up to 12 m, the highest among the families that state that footing (supplier-stated).

A pointer appears only when one family stands alone on that measure. Otherwise the records give no reason to prefer one, and the family pages show the models.

5.0Terms

On-metal or anti-metal: the same idea

Both terms describe UHF tags built to work when attached to metal. This site says on-metal. A tag made for cartons or textiles usually reads poorly, or not at all, when it is stuck straight onto metal, because the metal detunes its antenna. On-metal tags are built with that in mind, and many are thicker for that reason. The flexible PET and printable families here are the thin exceptions.

Metal is not one thing. The shape of the part, its coating and what sits nearby all change the read distance. That is why every distance in this catalog is a supplier figure under stated conditions, and why a test on your own part is the only reliable check.

Test it on your own surface

Samples are handled per request. The team confirms availability and terms by email.

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