A cloth-based RFID tag and a manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

This invention belongs to the field of radio frequency tag technology, specifically relating to a cloth-based RFID tag and its manufacturing method. The invention includes the following steps: S1, producing a first composite part, which includes an antenna layer, a first adhesive layer, a transfer layer, and a film substrate layer sequentially; S2, bonding a chip to the antenna layer; S3, producing a second composite part, which includes a cloth substrate layer and a second adhesive layer coated on the cloth substrate layer; S4, bonding the first composite part and the second composite part together using a rewinding machine, bonding the antenna layer to the second adhesive layer, and peeling off the film substrate layer. This invention addresses the technical problem that existing RFID tags using PET or paper substrates cannot meet the requirements for application on fabrics.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of radio frequency tag technology, specifically relating to a cloth-based RFID tag and its manufacturing method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the mainstream RFID tag antenna substrates on the market are mainly PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and paper. PET substrate has good mechanical strength, temperature resistance, and dimensional stability, but its flexibility is insufficient, making it difficult to fit curved or flexible objects. It also provides poor comfort in wearable and textile applications and cannot be effectively integrated with fabric products. Paper substrate is inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and easily degradable, but it has poor moisture resistance and abrasion resistance, low mechanical strength, and a short service life in complex environments, limiting its application in outdoor and logistics scenarios where environmental adaptability is crucial.

[0003] The following are the advantages and disadvantages of PET substrates and paper substrates: 1. PET Substrate: PET film possesses high tensile strength, rigidity, and surface hardness, exhibiting strong wear and tear resistance. It protects the antenna pattern during labeling, transportation, and use, preventing damage or scratches. Simultaneously, it possesses moderate flexibility, allowing it to conform to curved surfaces (such as bottles, cans, and boxes), balancing structural stability with usability, making it suitable for most product packaging scenarios. PET is well-suited for mature processes such as lamination, etching, and printing with aluminum / copper foil. Etching can achieve high-precision antenna patterns with strong adhesion and good consistency, supporting large-scale mass production. The material is easy to die-cut, laminate, and hot-press, and can be combined with self-adhesive labels and release paper to form commonly used label structures. It boasts high processing yield and controllable costs, adapting to the high-speed production pace of the label industry. However, PET is a non-degradable plastic, and discarded RFID tags can easily cause white pollution, conflicting with environmental regulations in the EU and corporate ESG goals. Although recyclable, the composite structure of the tags (PET + metal + adhesive layer) increases the difficulty of separation and recycling, resulting in high recycling costs and low recycling rates.

[0004] 2. Paper-based substrate: The core competitiveness of paper-based RFID antennas lies in their environmental friendliness, adaptability to printing processes, and low cost, making them an ideal choice for room temperature, dry conditions, and close-range reading and writing scenarios, especially in line with current global environmental protection trends. Their shortcomings are concentrated in moisture resistance, mechanical properties, and electrical stability, limiting their application in extreme environments and high-precision scenarios.

[0005] Therefore, the industry needs a new antenna solution that combines fabric flexibility, environmental durability, mass production capability, and good environmental protection properties. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This invention provides a cloth-based RFID tag and its manufacturing method, which solves the technical problem that existing RFID tags using PET or paper substrates cannot meet the requirements for application in fabrics. This invention provides a method for manufacturing cloth-based RFID tags, comprising the following steps: S1. Produce a first composite part, the first composite part comprising an antenna layer, a first adhesive layer, a transfer layer and a film substrate layer in sequence; S2. Bond the chip to the antenna layer; S3. Produce the second composite part, the second composite part including a fabric substrate layer and a second adhesive layer coated on the fabric substrate layer; S4. The first composite part and the second composite part are combined using a rewinding machine, the antenna layer is bonded to the second adhesive layer, and the film substrate layer is peeled off.

[0007] This invention uses the membrane substrate layer in the first composite part as a carrier in the production process. A transfer layer, a first adhesive layer and an antenna layer are made on the membrane substrate layer. Then, a chip is bonded and then composited with the second composite part. During the composite process, the membrane substrate layer is peeled off so that the second adhesive layer of the second composite part is bonded to the transfer layer, and finally a cloth-based RFID tag based on the cloth substrate layer is obtained.

[0008] Further: the film substrate layer is a PET film, and step S1 further includes the following steps: S1.1 The surface of the film substrate layer is pretreated, wherein the pretreatment is corona treatment or coating with a third adhesive layer. When the pretreatment is coating with the third adhesive layer, the adhesion between the film substrate layer and the transfer layer is less than the adhesion between the transfer layer and the antenna layer. This ensures that the film substrate layer can be stably separated from the transfer layer when it is peeled off, rather than the transfer layer being peeled off from the antenna layer by the film substrate layer, thus stabilizing production and ensuring production quality. S1.2. A transfer layer is coated on the surface of the pretreated film substrate layer. The material of the transfer layer is a mixture of resin and ethyl acetate, wherein the resin is 10%-30% and the ethyl acetate is 70%-90% by volume. This mixture ratio can ensure the film-forming properties and adhesion of the transfer layer, and has good peeling characteristics. S1.3 An antenna layer is disposed on the surface of the transfer layer, wherein the antenna layer is made of conductive metal; it is generally prepared by metal foil composite or deposition. S1.4 Print the antenna pattern on the surface of the conductive metal with a photoresist, then etch the excess conductive metal with acid / alkali, and clean the photoresist after etching to obtain the antenna layer. S1.5. The first composite part is subjected to multiple high-temperature curing treatments to improve the adhesion between the layers and ensure product quality.

[0009] Furthermore: the peel force F1 between the film substrate layer and the transfer layer is in the range of 1-3N, and the peel force F2 between the transfer layer and the antenna layer is greater than 5N. The beneficial effect of this step is that the peel force difference design can ensure that the bonding structure between the transfer layer and the antenna layer is not damaged when the film substrate layer is peeled off. At the same time, the transfer layer can be completely transferred to the fabric substrate side along with the antenna layer, and the transfer layer serves as a protective layer for the antenna layer.

[0010] Furthermore: Before the antenna layer is disposed on the transfer layer, the transfer layer is subjected to surface treatment. The surface treatment method is plasma treatment, corona treatment or spraying of an adhesion promoter. The beneficial effect of this step is that the surface energy of the transfer layer is increased by surface treatment, the adhesion between the transfer layer and the antenna layer is enhanced, and delamination is avoided in subsequent use.

[0011] Furthermore, the antenna layer is disposed on the transfer layer by a composite method. The beneficial effect of this step is that it is suitable for mass production and improves manufacturing efficiency.

[0012] Further: In step S3, before applying the second adhesive layer, the fabric substrate layer is cleaned and smoothed. The beneficial effects of this step are: the cleaning process uses high-pressure air to remove impurities and lint from the surface of the fabric substrate by wiping with a lint-free cloth; the smoothing process uses hot rollers to flatten the fabric substrate, eliminate wrinkles, ensure the uniformity of the second adhesive layer coating, and improve the subsequent bonding effect with the first composite part.

[0013] Furthermore: the first adhesive layer is a retortible adhesive, and the second adhesive layer is a hot melt adhesive. The beneficial effects of this step are: the first adhesive layer is a retortible adhesive, which has excellent temperature resistance and water washing resistance, and can ensure the structural stability of the label in scenarios such as water washing and high-temperature disinfection; the second adhesive layer is a hot melt adhesive, which has good wettability with the fabric substrate, strong adhesion, and can achieve rapid bonding through roller heating during rewinding and lamination, thereby improving lamination efficiency.

[0014] The present invention also provides a cloth-based RFID tag, comprising: Fabric substrate layer; The second adhesive layer is disposed on the fabric substrate layer; An antenna layer is disposed on the second adhesive layer, and a chip is also bonded to the antenna layer; A first adhesive layer is disposed on the antenna layer; A transfer layer is disposed on the first adhesive layer.

[0015] The RFID tag of this invention is made of fabric substrate, which can adapt to the usage environment and needs of textiles.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this invention are: 1. A reliable combination of precision antenna and flexible fabric has been achieved; through transfer technology and high-strength bonding, the performance advantages of high-precision film antenna are perfectly combined with the flexibility of fabric, resulting in products with excellent flexibility, fit and comfort. 2. Significantly improved product reliability: The final product has excellent mechanical properties (high shear bonding strength) and environmental resistance (high temperature and humidity resistance, washability), which broadens the application range of RFID tags in harsh environments; 3. Traditional PET antenna chips are exposed and are at risk of being scratched or falling off. The fabric substrate can provide protection. 4. The PET substrate can be recycled and reused, which greatly reduces material costs; 5. Establish a quantitative and stable interface bonding force control system throughout the entire process: The precise quantitative control of the substrate film-coating peel force (F1: 1-3N) and coating-metal layer peel force (F2: >5N) in the RFID antenna transfer process was clearly proposed and realized. The stability of this force relationship after the stringent process was verified through multiple high-temperature curing processes. This is the theoretical foundation and core innovation for achieving high-yield transfer. 6. Fabric-antenna bonding solution for high shear loads: For fabric application scenarios (such as frequent friction and pulling), a high standard of greater than 5N shear bonding force between the antenna and the fabric substrate is proposed. Based on this, a special adhesive layer technology is developed to match it. The key performance requirements such as dual high adhesion of fabric / metal, flexibility and fatigue resistance are clarified, and the mechanical reliability problem of the transfer antenna in the terminal product is solved. 7. Integrated environmental stability design: The "transferable coating" is creatively reused as an "environmental protection layer" after transfer, and environmental resistance requirements are put forward for the adhesive layer. The collaborative design from both material (coating, adhesive) and structural (multi-layer composite) levels systematically ensures the long-term performance stability of cloth-based RFID tags under harsh conditions such as high temperature, high humidity, and washing, which goes beyond the simple transfer bonding concept. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a cloth-based RFID tag provided by the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a cloth-based RFID tag provided by the present invention.

[0019] Figure label: 1-Film substrate layer; 2-Transfer layer; 3-First adhesive layer; 4-Antenna layer; 5-Second adhesive layer; 6-Fabric substrate layer; 7-Chip. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The embodiments of the technical solution of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical solution of the present invention and are therefore intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. It should be noted that, unless otherwise stated, the technical or scientific terms used in this application should have the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0021] Implementation of this application, for example Figure 1 As shown, this application provides a cloth-based RFID tag and a method for manufacturing it.

[0022] This application provides a method for manufacturing a cloth-based RFID tag, including the following steps: S1. Produce the first composite part, which includes, in sequence, an antenna layer 4, a first adhesive layer 3, a transfer layer 2, and a film substrate layer 1. S2. Bind chip 7 to the antenna layer 4; S3. Produce the second composite part, which includes a fabric substrate layer 6 and a second adhesive layer 5 coated on the fabric substrate layer 6. S4. The first composite part and the second composite part are combined using a rewinding machine, the antenna layer 4 is bonded to the second adhesive layer 5, and the film substrate layer 1 is peeled off.

[0023] This invention uses the membrane substrate layer 1 in the first composite part as a carrier in the production process. A transfer layer 2, a first adhesive layer 3, and an antenna layer 4 are fabricated on the membrane substrate layer 1. Then, a chip 7 is bonded to it, and it is then laminated with the second composite part. During the lamination process, the membrane substrate layer 1 is peeled off, allowing the second adhesive layer 5 of the second composite part to bond with the transfer layer 2, ultimately resulting in a cloth-based RFID tag with a cloth substrate layer 6 as its foundation. The membrane substrate layer 1 can be reused repeatedly, which not only facilitates production but also saves costs.

[0024] Based on the above technical solution, the film substrate layer 1 is a PET film with a thickness of about 50 μm. Step S1 also includes the following steps: S1.1 The surface of the membrane substrate layer 1 is pretreated by corona treatment or coating with a third adhesive layer. When the pretreatment is coating with the third adhesive layer, the adhesion between the membrane substrate layer 1 and the transfer layer 2 is less than the adhesion between the transfer layer 2 and the antenna layer 4. This ensures that the membrane substrate layer 1 can be stably separated from the transfer layer 2 when it is peeled off, rather than the transfer layer 2 being peeled off from the antenna layer 4 by the membrane substrate layer 1, thus stabilizing production and ensuring production quality. Considering that the transfer layer 2 will need to be peeled off from the membrane substrate layer 1 in subsequent processes, and considering the smoothness of the surface of the transfer layer 2 (no residue of the third adhesive layer, maintaining aesthetics), it is preferable to perform corona treatment on the membrane substrate layer 1. The corona power is 300W, the voltage is 55V, and the corona treatment time is 3~5 seconds. S1.2. A transfer layer 2 is coated on the surface of the pretreated film substrate layer 1. The material of the transfer layer 2 is a mixture of resin and ethyl acetate, wherein the resin accounts for 10%-30% and the ethyl acetate accounts for 70%-90% by volume. This mixture ratio can ensure the film-forming properties and adhesion of the transfer layer 2, and has good peeling characteristics. The thickness of the transfer layer 2 is 1-15 μm, preferably 3-5 μm, to ensure certain mechanical strength and flexibility.

[0025] The resin is a solid film-forming agent, while ethyl acetate can be used as a strong solvent and a quick-dilution thinner. At room temperature, the lower the resin content, the thinner the mixture and the better its fluidity. When the resin content is 10% and the ethyl acetate content is 90%, the mixture is a very thin, clear liquid with water-like fluidity. When the resin content is 30% and the ethyl acetate content is 70%, the mixture is a relatively thick, clear liquid. The optimal ratio for the mixture is 20% resin and 80% ethyl acetate, which not only provides moderate fluidity for even coating but also results in a moderate film thickness after curing, ensuring adhesion while maintaining gloss, hardness, and flexibility.

[0026] S1.3 An antenna layer 4 is disposed on the surface of the transfer layer 2. The antenna layer 4 is made of conductive metal and is generally prepared by metal foil lamination or deposition. Considering production cost and efficiency, in this embodiment, the preferred method for preparing the antenna layer 4 is metal foil lamination. The metal foil is generally copper foil or aluminum foil, preferably aluminum foil, with a thickness of about 10 μm. Between the aluminum foil and the transfer layer 2 is a first adhesive layer 3, and the adhesive used for the first adhesive layer 3 is a retort-type adhesive. The curing time for the aluminum foil and the transfer layer 2 is 5 days. Table 1 shows the equipment operating parameters when the aluminum foil and the transfer layer 2 are laminated.

[0027]

[0028] Table 1 S1.4 Print the antenna pattern on the surface of the aluminum foil with a photoresist, then etch the excess aluminum foil with acid / alkali. After etching, clean the photoresist to obtain the antenna layer 4. Table 2 shows the printing parameters of the photoresist, and Table 3 shows the etching parameters.

[0029]

[0030] Table 2

[0031] Table 3 In this embodiment, alkaline etching is used. NaOH etching solution (concentration of 8%) is used to etch the excess aluminum layer without printed resist (resist ink), and then the resist is cleaned with deionized water to obtain a complete antenna layer 4. S1.5. The first composite part is subjected to multiple high-temperature curing treatments to improve the adhesion between the layers and ensure product quality. The high-temperature curing treatment includes curing at different temperatures of 50℃-70℃-90℃-80℃, and each high-temperature curing time is 8 hours, which can ensure the adhesion strength between the transfer layer 2 and the antenna layer 4.

[0032] Based on the above technical solution, the peel force F1 between the film substrate layer 1 and the transfer layer 2 is in the range of 1-3N, and the peel force F2 between the transfer layer 2 and the antenna layer 4 is greater than 5N. This peel force difference design can ensure that the bonding structure between the transfer layer 2 and the antenna layer 4 is not damaged when the film substrate layer 1 is peeled off. At the same time, the transfer layer 2 can be completely transferred to the fabric substrate side along with the antenna layer 4. The transfer layer 2 is exposed and used as a protective layer.

[0033] Based on the above technical solution, before the antenna layer 4 is placed on the transfer layer 2, the transfer layer 2 is subjected to surface treatment. The surface treatment method is plasma treatment, corona treatment or spraying of adhesion enhancer. The surface energy of the transfer layer 2 is increased by surface treatment, which enhances the adhesion between the transfer layer 2 and the antenna layer 4 and avoids delamination during subsequent use.

[0034] Based on the above technical solution, the antenna layer 4 is disposed on the transfer layer 2 by a composite method, which is suitable for mass production and improves manufacturing efficiency.

[0035] Based on the above technical solution, in step S3, before applying the second adhesive layer 5, the fabric substrate layer 6 is cleaned and smoothed. The cleaning process uses high-pressure air removal combined with wiping with a dust-free cloth to remove dust, lint, and other impurities from the surface of the fabric substrate. The smoothing process uses hot roller pressing to eliminate wrinkles in the fabric substrate, ensuring the uniformity of the second adhesive layer 5 coating and improving the subsequent bonding effect with the first composite part.

[0036] Based on the above technical solution, the first adhesive layer 3 is a retort adhesive, and the second adhesive layer 5 is a hot melt adhesive, generally using Henkel's 34-934E model. The first adhesive layer 3 is a retort adhesive, which has excellent temperature resistance and water washing resistance, and can ensure the structural stability of the label in scenarios such as water washing and high-temperature disinfection. The second adhesive layer 5 is a hot melt adhesive, which has good wetting properties with the fabric substrate, strong adhesion, and can achieve rapid bonding through roller heating during rewinding and lamination, thereby improving lamination efficiency.

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown, this application also provides a cloth-based RFID tag, comprising: Fabric substrate layer 6, which is generally made of pure cotton fabric, etc. The second adhesive layer 5 is disposed on the fabric substrate layer 6; Antenna layer 4 is disposed on the second adhesive layer 5, and chip 7 is also bonded to antenna layer 4; The first adhesive layer 3 is disposed on the antenna layer 4; The transfer layer 2 is disposed on the first adhesive layer 3. At this time, the antenna layer 4 has a fabric substrate layer 6 and the transfer layer 2 on both sides respectively. These two layers can protect the antenna layer 4 in the middle and provide water resistance and bending resistance. Figure 2 It also includes the membrane substrate layer 1 used in the production process.

[0038] The RFID tags in this application are made of fabric substrate, which has good resistance to bending and washing cycles, and can adapt to the usage environment and needs of textiles.

[0039] The fabric-based RFID tags of this application are adapted to the usage characteristics of various fabric carriers, and have good adhesion, bending resistance and washing resistance. They can be widely used in intelligent traceability, warehouse management and smart retail scenarios in the fields of textiles and apparel, home textiles, bag fabrics and industrial fabrics. The manufacturing method adopts an integrated transfer composite process, which is simple, efficient and low cost. The equipment and processes used are mature configurations in the industry, which can be easily realized for industrial mass production and have significant industrial application value.

[0040] Numerous specific details are set forth in this specification. However, it will be understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this specification. In the description of this specification, references to terms such as “one embodiment,” “some embodiments,” “example,” “specific example,” or “some examples,” etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Furthermore, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[0041] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some or all of the technical features therein. Such modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and they should all be covered within the scope of the claims and specification of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a cloth-based RFID tag, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. Produce a first composite part, the first composite part comprising an antenna layer, a first adhesive layer, a transfer layer and a film substrate layer in sequence; S2. Bond the chip to the antenna layer; S3. Produce the second composite part, the second composite part including a fabric substrate layer and a second adhesive layer coated on the fabric substrate layer; S4. The first composite part and the second composite part are combined using a rewinding machine, the antenna layer is bonded to the second adhesive layer, and the film substrate layer is peeled off.

2. The method for manufacturing a cloth-based RFID tag according to claim 1, characterized in that, The film substrate layer is a PET film, and step S1 further includes the following steps: S1.1 The surface of the film substrate layer is pretreated, wherein the pretreatment is corona treatment or coating with a third adhesive layer. When the pretreatment is coating with the third adhesive layer, the adhesion between the film substrate layer and the transfer layer is less than the adhesion between the transfer layer and the antenna layer. S1.

2. A transfer layer is coated on the surface of the pretreated film substrate layer. The material of the transfer layer is a mixture of resin and ethyl acetate, wherein the resin accounts for 10%-30% and the ethyl acetate accounts for 70%-90% by volume. S1.3 An antenna layer is disposed on the surface of the transfer layer, wherein the antenna layer is made of conductive metal; S1.4 Print the antenna pattern on the surface of the conductive metal with a photoresist, then etch the excess conductive metal with acid / alkali, and clean the photoresist after etching to obtain the antenna layer. S1.

5. Perform multiple curing processes on the first composite part.

3. The method for manufacturing a cloth-based RFID tag according to claim 1, characterized in that, The peel force F1 between the film substrate layer and the transfer layer is in the range of 1-3N, and the peel force F2 between the transfer layer and the antenna layer is greater than 5N.

4. The method for manufacturing a cloth-based RFID tag according to claim 2, characterized in that, Before the antenna layer is disposed on the transfer layer, the transfer layer is subjected to surface treatment, and the surface treatment method is plasma treatment, corona treatment or spraying of an adhesion promoter.

5. The method for manufacturing a cloth-based RFID tag according to claim 2, characterized in that, The antenna layer is disposed on the transfer layer by a composite method.

6. The method for manufacturing a cloth-based RFID tag according to claim 1, characterized in that, In step S3, before applying the second adhesive layer, the fabric substrate layer is cleaned and smoothed.

7. The method for manufacturing a cloth-based RFID tag according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first adhesive layer is a retort adhesive, and the second adhesive layer is a hot melt adhesive.

8. A cloth-based RFID tag, characterized in that, include: Fabric substrate layer; The second adhesive layer is disposed on the fabric substrate layer; An antenna layer is disposed on the second adhesive layer, and a chip is also bonded to the antenna layer; A first adhesive layer is disposed on the antenna layer; A transfer layer is disposed on the first adhesive layer.

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