German logistics giant DB Schenker is employing RFID tags with temperature-logging capabilities to track the conditions under which sensitive medical goods are transported to the United States. The tags are being rolled out for temperature-tracking applications involving products forwarded by air, sea, land and rail.
According to Eleftherios Skountridakis, who leads DB Schenker's RFID implementation efforts in Germany, the temperature-tracking project for airfreight-which began with an initial pilot in January 2010, and continued in October with ongoing testing of the technology-is now utilizing 350 battery-assisted passive, reusable tags. Most were rolled out to track goods that begin their journey at DB Schenker's warehouse in Mannheim, and that must be stored at temperatures between 2 degrees and 8 degrees Celsius (35.6 degrees and 46.4 degrees Fahrenheit), or between 15 degrees and 25 degrees Celsius (59 degrees and 77 degrees Fahrenheit), depending on the product.
