Intermec's new IV7C vehicle mount RFID reader advances forklift of the future

The IV7C, a rugged RFID tag reader designed to read RFID tags anywhere within reach of a forklift. The IV7C is the only forklift RFID reader on the market that is both EPCglobal certified compliant and interoperable.

The IV7C joins a tightly integrated family of newly released Intermec products for forklifts, including the CV30 vehicle mount computer, the Adaptable Load Backrest and Antenna Cells. These products further realise the Forklift of the Future system introduced last year with development partner Cascade Corporation. This innovative system delivers an integrated and efficient mobile data collection platform for warehouse and distribution centre applications requiring RFID-tag shelf location, pallet- and case-level reading.

The system also provides the ruggedness, reliability and improved read rate performance that forklift drivers need to use RFID effectively, and gives management the ability to deploy resources efficiently. Each part of the system, including the redesigned case of the IV7C, was developed and integrated specifically to meet the physical and wireless demands found in mobile, industrial environments.

The IV7C reader is built around a new and powerful RFID radio core that has received top marks in critical performance benchmarks. Independent testing lab ODIN technologies rated the radio as best-in-class for, among other things, dense reader mode, read rates and receive sensitivity.

"Customers are growing in their knowledge of how to apply technology in their material handling operations.  As a result, our equipment is becoming an information platform that delivers an entirely new level of productivity," said NACCO Manager of Aftermarket Business Development Jonathan Dawley. "We are excited to explore this technology with Intermec because a relationship would enable us to deliver RFID and AIDC solutions to the market based on specific customer needs."

In conjunction with warehouse management software, the IV7C can capture not only the location of the pallet pick, but also through which doorway it passed, the path the forklift travelled and where the pallet will be placed.

The CV30 vehicle mount computer, in combination with the IV7C reader, automatically updates warehouse management systems with product location status as the forklift moves through tag-equipped zones, as well as with shelf location data when pallets are dropped off or retrieved.

The IV7C can be configured to read multiple air interface protocols, even in mixed populations of tags, including EPC UHF Generation 2 (Gen 2) and ISO 18000-6b and 6c. It is both ETSI and FCC certified and RoHS compliant ensuring global use.

Built to withstand the rigors of harsh, industrial environments, the IV7 is sealed to IP65 ratings and includes a built-in DCDC converter to also accommodate noisy input power environments.