Helveta RFID tiimber tracking

Amajor pilot of Helveta’s timber tracking software and radio frequency identification system has been completed in Malaysia. And the

Oxford-based company now predicts take-up

of its technology growing worldwide as pressure

mounts on supplier countries and individual supplier companies to verify wood legality and sustainability. The Malaysian project was carried out in a 129,143ha concession in the state of Terengganu in conjunction with the Forestry Department of PeninsularMalaysia (FDPM) and Terengganu State Forestry Department. All trees tracked through the chain of custody were tagged using one of two passive ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) tags compliant with the EPC Gen 2 and ISO 18000-6C standards. The tags were selected based on availability and form-factor criteria. One tag operated at a frequency of 860 to 960 MHz, the other at 865 to 869 MHz.

RFID tags were either stapled to a tree or log, or nailed in with a hammer, to determine the best method of attachment. None of the tags were damaged during the process, despite the fact that they lacked special protective coverings. Four RFID-enabled Teklogix Workabout handheld computers, running Helveta's CI Mobile data-capture software, were used in the field to read a unique ID reference number encoded to each tag. From there, RFID-enabled Workabout devices were utilized to confirm the ID number at the various checkpoints along the supply chain as trees were felled, and as logs were processed.