Electronics company Molex has developed Bluetooth LE printable labels with real-time location sensing to enhance supply chain visibility, logistics and inventory monitoring.

The Illinois firm introduced the TrackLabel BLE labels to provide real-time location tracking data to improve operational efficiency, security and visibility across global supply chains. This smart label platform integrates BLE beacon technology and thin, flexible material that adheres easily to assets, containers or products for continuous and accurate reporting on in-transit goods to help reduce the risk of loss, theft or misplacement.

“With TrackLabel, Molex leverages decades of expertise in flexible printed-circuits, wireless connectivity, sensors and thin-film batteries to help customers optimise critical logistics and operational workflows,” said Dave Atkinson, vice president at Molex. “The opportunity to provide real-time status updates on the location and condition of critical assets empowers shippers to quickly follow chain-of-custody, ensure product integrity and meet regulatory compliance requirements.”

Unlike traditional RFID labels, BLE label technology offers better read range, decreased infrastructure costs and increased data transmission capabilities. It combines a form factor less than one millimetre thick with a patent-pending activation mechanism that raises the bar on fast and easy implementation. Users simply peel and stick the flexible label on any asset, which then automatically activates the battery from sleep mode.

The active BLE technology automatically integrates with existing BLE infrastructure, including gateways or smartphones, to enable reliable connectivity with a 100m read range for short- and long-range asset tracking. Moreover, it supports environmental monitoring capabilities to provide data for sensitive or high-value items, giving precise control over the conditions in which assets are stored and transported.

The ability to track temperature, humidity and exposure to ambient light is especially beneficial for maintaining the quality and safety of perishable goods as well as cold-chain monitoring, essential for food, beverage and pharmaceutical applications. This unobtrusive, low-profile asset tracking can also help boost operational efficiencies and supply chain visibility for other industries such as automotive, industrial automation, healthcare, manufacturing and telecommunications.

TrackLabel (www.molex.com/en-us/products/printed-electronics/ble-printable-asset-labels) uses a non-lithium-based battery that is disposable and designed for compliance with air-shipment regulations, along with internationally accepted standards for global deployment. Thin enough to pass through a standard label printer, it can also be easily customised with graphics and logos. Backed by Molex’s global manufacturing capabilities and engineering support, TrackLabel materials, size, shape and sensors can be customised to accommodate specialised applications.

Molex (www.molex.com) has a presence in more than 38 countries for the consumer device, aerospace, defence, data centre, cloud, telecommunications, transportation, industrial automation and healthcare industries.