RFID seals to be launched in three months

Able to track location of the container and status of the seal
CLIVE EMDON
A NEW radio frequency identification (RFID) container seal is set to be launched in the local market within the next three months. That’s the word from Aluvin MD, Kevin Norwitz, who says that while there is huge demand for bolt seals for containers that are internationally C-TPAT compliant, his company is almost ready to market this next generation of ‘smart’ technology. And he sees immense benefit in the new ‘E-seals’. “With this technology it is not only the location of the container that can be tracked, but the status of the seal as well,” says Norwitz. Aluvin has seen strong demand for container security seals since the introduction by US customs of mandatory compliance with the technical specifications as set out in the ISO/PAS 17712 document. This was a requirement that all maritime cargo containers entering the US from foreign points of origin be secured with a high-security barrier seal. The seals are also C-TPAT (Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) compliant for tensile strength, shear, bend and impact, as officially verified by an independent testing facility. Partners Aluvin worked with two hi-tech partners, in the development of the RFID seals. One is producing the radio chip or reading hardware, and the other the software platform. He says while companies have been put off by the relatively high cost of the new seals compared with that of traditional bolt-seals, they need to realise that in addition to tamper-proof security there are increased benefits in protecting valuable cargo through monitoring. Norwitz said the final pricing of the ‘active’ and ‘passive’ models of the new seal had been brought down to an economically viable level, though it had not been finally determined. The new E-Seal was tested at Singapore and Rotterdam harbours. The only time human hands touch it is when it is locked onto the container by the initial shipper, and when it is released electronically at its final destination. The active model of the seal, once engaged, sets off its own frequency, which can be monitored either by a remote hand-held operator, where logging and recording can be undertaken from as far away as 10m, or by a ‘reader’ which is placed in the confines of the container warehouse at a harbour. With data entered only at the point of loading, remote monitoring can be undertaken at each stage, which eliminates human error. The passive version of the seal, which is more cost-effective, does not convey information of its own accord but provides logging data that can be read at the end of a transit.