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RFID in cargo tracking

Savi Technology, a leading provider of realtime solutions for asset management and supply chain security, has announced that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted supplemental type certification (STC) to the Savi 602 system, a dual-frequency supply-chain tracking and asset management device based on the company’s EchoPoint radio frequency identification (RFID) platform. Savi is the first company to receive certification for RFID technology – which transmits data over radio frequency waves – from the FAA.

Blair LaCorte, Savi's executive vice president of business development and marketing, said; "Systems that help assure efficient and secure handling of cargo in both passenger and cargo aircraft operations are critical to the public's safety, and to the reputation and profitability of the carriers. Certification of our technology for aircraft use will let the industry benefit from realtime solutions to manage and secure aviation assets and their contents globally. Now this technology can be applied for interoperability across all transportation modes, encompassing air, ocean and land, for end-to-end realtime visibility."

LaCorte pointed out that this FAA certification now makes available technology that addresses industry demand that has been growing over the past two years, as well as federal legislation aimed at improving air freight security. For example, earlier this year Sens Dianne Feinstein D-California, and Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas introduced a bill that calls for electronic seals on all cargo containers to ensure that freight is not tampered with before being loaded onto planes.

The US Department of Transportation estimates that air cargo tonnage will increase more quickly than passenger traffic in the coming years. Air freight was a $13-billion business in 2001 and currently accounts for about 10% of airlines' revenue, according to the general accounting office.

Identifying suspicious cargo

Airlines and cargo services can use Savi RFID tags and system software to improve the tracking and management of unit load devices (ULDs), and to help in identifying and locating suspicious commercial cargo or baggage. Tracking systems based on this technology can also be used to locate meal carts, removable flight equipment, as well as tugs, carts and other ramp equipment that often get misplaced or borrowed by other carriers. The RFID tags are capable of communicating with a variety of sensors to detect environmental changes, such as temperature, atmospheric conditions or light, which can enhance realtime detection of potential security threats.

Wide area and precise spot-location

The Savi 602 RFID system provides both wide area and precise spot-location information for shipping containers, aircraft subsystems and other supply chain assets, and it serves as core technology for the Savi SmartSeal security system. The multifrequency tag and reader system uses highly integrated RF technology to provide both near-range (up to 4 m) and medium-range (100 m) location and status data. Based on the Savi EchoPoint platform and universal data appliance protocol (UDAP), the 602 system integrates seamlessly with Savi's Web-based software for asset tracking, management and security, which alerts users in realtime when goods in shipments arrive at designated checkpoints. It also provides a seamless feed of information into existing legacy systems and to government agencies.

Certification of the 602 RFID system strengthens Savi's portfolio of solutions for the air cargo industry. According to industry figures, there are approximately one million ULD-type containers in use worldwide, most of which are tracked using manual or legacy mainframe-based systems. Advancing to a Web-based, realtime system offers tremendous potential for operational improvements.

Envirotainer AB, the world leader in providing temperature-controlled air cargo solutions for sensitive products, has integrated the Savi SmartChain software platform, asset management system and transportation security system applications as the foundation of a realtime tracking and information solution for ULDs and their contents. Singapore Airlines also has used Savi's technology to manage and track ULDs in a sortation facility.

The 6th-generation RFID technology is the same that has been deployed in Smart and Secure Tradelanes, the world's largest ndustry initiative involving 65 members that are implementing a global security network capable of tracking intermodal cargo containers affixed with RFID sensor systems. SST reader infrastructure has been installed in 15 major seaports throughout Asia, the United States and Europe, and the status of nearly 1000 cargo containers with RFID sensor systems has been monitored in realtime, which provides greater supply chain efficiency and security.

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