Traditionally, the apparel market has been a sweet spot for RFID. The “jeans wall” was perhaps the first use of RFID, and inventory remains ideal for RFID tags and readers.

However, rather than attach the RFID tag or inlay to the garment, what if RFID can be woven directly into the item?

This is the area where TexTrace AG excels. Formerly a subsidiary of Jakob Müller Holding, a leading Swiss OEM for the textile industry, TexTrace AG has developed custom-made woven and knitted RFID products which can be sewn onto or inserted into garments, thus offering the opportunity to fully integrate RFID into garments. This allows brands to incorporate branding, theft protection, product availability, consumer interaction and self-checkout. It can also allow companies to trace the full lifespan of the product.

As an RFID inlay leader in the apparel segment, among others, Avery Dennison’s acquisition of TexTrace brings new technology as well as new opportunities.

“This is an exciting acquisition for Avery Dennison, expanding our digital ID portfolio to offer integrated RFID solutions for the apparel industry,” said Francisco Melo, VP and GM, Avery Dennison Smartrac, in announcing the acquisition.

Mathieu De Backer, senior director, segment innovation, Avery Dennison Smartrac, said that the addition of TexTrace opens up some new possibilities for Avery Denison Smartrac.

“TexTrace has developed really innovative intellectual property which we think could unlock a whole range of opportunities for retailers and consumers,” De Backer noted. “While TexTrace has been a partner for a number of years, we wanted a deeper level of integration of the technology, which could only be gained by acquiring the IP and knowledge.”

TexTrace predominately serves the textile, and in particular, the apparel market, but the technology could easily fit other segments.

“We believe that the acquisition enables Avery Dennison to expand this further and open up opportunities within the non-apparel sector,” said De Backer.

As for the apparel segment, the ability to integrate the tag directly into the garment is a huge advantage according to De Backer.

“The key capability is we are now able to make RFID an integral part of the item,” De Backer added. “Rather than RFID being on the hang tag or within a separate label on the item, it’s now stitched within the garments itself.

“We think that an immediate benefit is in the form of brand and theft protection,” he added. “Traditional EAS is only an alarm, no intelligence on what has been stolen. RFID enables intelligent loss prevention, more important than knowing you have been stolen is to know what was stolen so you can replenish.

“Furthermore, integrated RFID also provides the possibility for future consumer interaction, linking supply chain transparency with reuse and recycling, enabling a unique connection between brands and consumers,” added De Backer. “Carbon footprint information could be embedded within the tag. We might even get to the stage where a washing machine rejects an item if it senses that the cycle might damage it. The possibilities of connected clothing are endless and exciting.”

Knitting or weaving RFID directly into the garment is very different than attaching a tag or inlay, which is why Avery Dennison Smartrac is excited about the potential.

“It is about a different manufacturing process rather than new inlays,” De Backer observed. “TexTrace enables Avery Dennison to make RFID an integrated part of the product rather than on an attached tag. It therefore creates the possibility for RFID to be used beyond just the manufacturing, distribution and retail of a product.

“We think this is potentially a ground-breaking move to the traditional way the apparel and retail sector uses RFID,” De Backer concluded. “It creates the opportunity for a more sustainable and intelligent future where digital ID’s can live with the life of the garment.”