New innovations by DENSO – UR20 scanner series with RFID technology

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: New innovations by DENSO – UR20 scanner series with RFID technology.

The DENSO Auto-ID Business Unit, part of the Toyota group, is launching the new UR20 scanner series in spring 2017. These new readers, UR21 and UR22, are both equipped with the most modern RFID technology (Radio Frequency Identification).

These new features are especially beneficial in retail and logistic environments. Today, RFID technology has found its way into clothing stores as well, where the installed RFID devices make it possible to capture data from numerous tags with just one scan.

The UR21 scanner is ideal for use at the Point of Sale. The scanner can be installed under the checkout counter with a VESA compatible antenna fixture that can be purchased separately. Due to its ultra-thin design it can be placed neatly in a small area and does not take up a lot of space.

With the RFID technology, it is now possible to record numerous RFID tags with just one scan and as a result, not every single piece of clothing has to be scanned separately anymore. The customer's clothing items can be put on the checkout counter and they are then scanned by the installed UR21 in just one single movement across the checkout counter. This results in huge time savings and eliminates long queues at the Point of Sale.

The communication range of the UR21 is approximately 80 centimetres. Therefore, only items in its direct range are scanned. The items of the next customer or on adjacent checkout counters will not be read. The communication range of the ultra-thin scanner can be adjusted to eight different levels, in accordance to the positioning of the individual POS stations. There is also the option to install a second antenna, so a larger scanning area can be covered.

The second scanner in the UR20 series – the UR22 – is mainly used in transport and logistics. It has a wide communication range of approximately 2.6 metres and can be installed on the upper part of a gate to capture the incoming and outgoing goods. Hence, the employees do not have to manually read or identify the tags as the UR22 automatically scans them. The circular polarized antenna enables 360°degree scanning of RFID tags, so the users do not have to worry about the direction or position of the tags.

Due to its compact design with a slim antenna, the small scanner can be installed practically anywhere. VESA-compliant mountings make it easy to install the scanner in different places. In addition, the communication range of the UR22 can be adjusted individually and in accordance to the environment. This means, the data capture range can be reduced or expanded optionally with a second antenna.

The new UR20 series by the DENSO Auto-ID Business Unit, part of the Toyota group, provides enormous time savings at the POS and in storage areas. With the RFID technology, security tags that are now magnetically attached to clothing items could be replaced in the future with RFID tags. This technology is already integrated in the tags on clothing items and can be deactivated when scanned with a UR20. By installing an RFID barrier with an alarm at the exit, an end could be put to shoplifting in the future – even if the security tags have been removed. This new innovation promoted by the DENSO Auto-ID Business Unit convinces also with its precision when scanning RFID tags and with the durability of the products. The VESA compatible fixture for both the UR21 and the UR22 makes it easy to install the scanners in many different locations.

For the European market, the DENSO Auto-ID Business Unit is the contact window for all enquiries on QR Codes, mobile data capture, handheld terminals and scanners. The durable and robust terminals and scanners manufactured by DENSO are to be found in storage, logistics, POS, production and field & sales automation applications. Short and informative video clips about the terminals, scanners and solutions from the DENSO Auto-ID Business Unit can now be viewed on YouTube. The clips include the 20th anniversary of the QR Code, a company presentation, and introductions to the various devices for mobile data capture such as the BHT-1500, BHT-1400 and the GT20 scanner.