Electronic Tags on Wool Bales?

March 24, 2006 -- According to a study commissioned and funded by Australian Wool Innovation Limited (AWI) and Australian Wool Exchange, Ltd. (AWEX), the use of electronic identification tags on wool bales could deliver handling efficiencies and cost savings of more than $2 per bale.

"This initial investigation shows that there are significant potential cost savings for the industry in warehousing and handling," said George Waldthausen from AWI.

"While previous studies have looked at electronic bale identification, this was the first time that the benefits have been assigned a cost savings. Furthermore, rapid changes in technology have given the wool industry the option of using new, high performance bale tags at a lower cost than those previously available,? he continued.

The electronic tag being tested is a dual-frequency tag about one millimeter thick and twice the size of a credit card. The tag is sewn into the bale label.

AWEX will now begin a 1,000 bale trial to test the robustness of the electronic tag through the supply chain and look in more detail at the feasibility of introducing the technology.

Reprinted in part from Fibre2Fashion